Month: February 2017

Cat Mum

~ brunetteandliving ~ Leave a comment

There’s being a mum of a human child and then there’s being a mum of a cat.

We decided to bring a cat into our lives for a few different reasons. I thought it would be great for my daughter to have a furry friend to confide in, to take on a new responsibility and love with unconditional love returned.  It would also give my daughter some comfort that when she was away from me, I wouldn’t be alone because I’m with “Mindy”.

So we welcomed a tiny black kitten, cute as can be and guaranteed female by the Seller.  Mindy snuggled in my daughters’ hands all the way home and I couldn’t be more elated at this new chapter in our lives.  Mindy can be described as a cute fluffy bundle of teeth and claws. I relished in her sleepy moments when she curled up on me to sleep and tip toed around the house during her waking hours to avoid the ambushes lurking around every corner.

img_0492

Mindy was a reliable cat, she came when called and seemed content to lay around outside the back door all day and come in at night. However one day I started to find holes dug under the fence and shockingly realised my cat was a dog! So after securing the fence line I booked her in to be sterilised to avoid any surprise ‘Mini Mindys’. It was then I discovered that Miss Mindy was a Mr Mindy all this time.

I was devestated as male cats in my mind were stinking wanderers and Life with a spraying meowing menace was not in the plans. I was torn because we loved him but I also knew I couldn’t live with a cat-wee smelling house. The Vet offered no guarantee that sterilisation would bring him into line, but there was hope.

Wow what a change, within 2 weeks he became a smooching lap cat. He also became a wingeing toddler. To this day he is at the door when I come home meowing his head off, following me around until I sit down with him. He answers me when I say “good morning” or “time for bed” or anything actually.

He is still called Mindy as we couldn’t decide on a boys name and it suited him however he is still referred to as she and her out of habit. We might be continually confused, but Mindy is just doing his thing, he knows his family and who’s his mum and is more than happy to let me know about it…

Single Mothering

~ brunetteandliving ~ Leave a comment

I was never considered much of a ‘kiddy’ person by my friends. I was never one to get down and awe over babies.  So I was just as surprised as everybody else how becoming a mother brought out that side of me.

I had a pregnancy calendar which showed how the baby and its features had developed over the months and was silently mortified when it read that it now had bones and hair growing. Bones and hair inside me! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being pregnant, but there was apprehension about giving birth. Volunteered experiences and opinions of others only adding to my own imagination.

She came into the world a whole month earlier to the day, perfectly healthy, ending my self torture of ‘am I ready for this? Can I really be a mother?  Here she was, ready or not.  I found myself infatuated by every move of this little bundle that was created inside me. Everything changed when she entered my life.  My mother side was there all along, lying dormant for this moment of my life and every moment onwards.

I wasn’t single at the time, I became single when she was 6 yrs old. Then another mothering side emerged, I was no longer repressed to expections of another person of how I should mother our child. I felt we were both free to be ourselves. I loved being the mother I always wanted to be and she blossomed with it.

Tomorrow she is turning 10 yrs old.  We have entered a new world of mood swings and mature conversations contrasted with the usual child stuff. She’s a beautiful being, inside and out. Not a brunette, brown eyed like myself but blonde and blue eyed like her Nanny and great-great Nanna. I’m told she looks just like me, so I know there’s more to resembling someone than just looks. Yes there’s the usual mannerisms that comes with being around someone a lot, but there’s also the morals and values and outlook on life that I’d like to think reflects out of her from me.

So my ‘Lil Bubs’ is becoming a little lady and I feel so blessed to be her mum and watch what happens next.  Our lives have been up and down but we’ve gone through it together.

So far I think I’m doing a pretty good job at mothering. No complaints from ‘Lil Bubs’ and receiving certificates from school stating I’m ‘The Best Mum in the World’ is good enough for me…..

Being Brunette & Living Life

~ brunetteandliving ~ Leave a comment

Welcome and thanks for stopping by.  Brunette and Living has been created to share my life experiences, advice and creative juices that have been accumulated so far during my time on this planet.

Yes I’m a brunette and having a blonde mother all my life, who is vivacious, social and loved by all who cross her path, I’ve often wondered if my social inhibitions were due to my boring brown hair and boring brown eyes.

Contradictory to that, the friends I’ve made love me for who I am and my hair/eye colour had nothing to do with it. I’ve learnt that I am a different type of social than my mother whom I love deeply for all she is. I have learnt a lot about myself in the past 3 years and made peace with the parts that didn’t conform with my personal judgements of idealism.

Most of us do have something about ourselves that we wished were different whether its the way we look, our body parts or personality. Self acceptance is not always easy, for me its been a journey of time. I’ve been living 40 years on this earth, so its time to get with the program and live it.

I’ve finally found a beautiful shade of brunette (thanks to my wonderful hairdressers), that matches my personality. Brown eyes can be beautiful if not stunning, I love them on other people so why not love them on myself? Simple trick psychology…