Where does it go when it crashes?

It seems i appear to be suffering a dreaded system crash.
I've known for a few weeks now that i've quite literally dropped the ball in life, not just on the internet social scene but in actual life as well. I'm a firm believer of you notice the problem, you fix it, and that sometimes the best thing for me with blogging is to keep quiet for a bit when i am struggling with getting the words out (no, not because there isn't any, but because i am actually struggling to formulate them into words, both written and verbal) to sit back, and just lap up other's words. Comment fiercly but do not place too much stress on getting something out in my own blog. I mean afterall people will read because they like you or they don't like you, and i like to think that people who do like me will hang around in my quiet times and know they are just a phase. But it seems, Dear Readers, that i am struggling to do that much. In the last week i wasn't just fumbling with the ball i dropped it and it broke.

It's not just over here in the blogger world, like i mentioned above, it's definately everywhere online, emailing, Facebooking, eljay'ing. It's also carried out into life, affecting my nearest and dearest. It kills me, but i guess i have to admit that i need a massive time out.

I do hate making these posts though because as soon as i make them, oh how the creativity flows, and well, i'm back faster than i can click the 'Publish' button, but hey, if that works with getting me back, i'm alright with looking like a dick.

I'm hoping maybe it's just the upcoming festive season, the stress to pump the Christmas pressies i am so lovingly making out, to get my house cleaned up and declutter for the impending crap wonderful and thought filled gifts that will be shortly arriving, the end of year crazies all kids seem to go through (right? RIGHT?? Please tell me it isn't just mine that seem to give their ears away at this time of year?), and of course the financial stress of Christmas and you know those lovely big bills you get hit with right before it (damn you giant companies! Can't you bill us in November?!).

I will stick by my word, i am reading at least once a week, commenting, well not so much, but i am trying to jump back on and read more, and comment more and thus hoping i will then start blogging more, but for now? Tis the season to be quiet.

A little dash.

I have been pondering the all encompassing life changing things lately, one of those being "Why do people hyphenate their names"
No really.
I am quite serious.

Ok so you have children pre-marriage. I did, and loads of people do these days. My parents still aren't married 30 years later.
But as a woman, why is it so important your child share's your last name?
I am fairly old fashioned in some quite unusual ways. One of those being i feel strongly that a child share's their father's surname. They carry on the "legacy" (which is shit luck for my father who had 2 girls!).
My mother chuckled shortly after Bluey was born and said "What you're not going to hyphenate his surname *tisk tisk*". I have, quite a large, and...European surname. Even if i were a single mother, i personally wouldn't put my children through the torment i received from my surname (yes even upon graduating high school).
It got me thinking about what happens when the parents do marry though. Do you go and change all of your children's surnames? Do you then hyphenate your surname? Or do you keep your maiden name?
Then it got me wondering as to why a woman would keep her surname?
Is there a sense of independence from it? Or is it just another wall that is holding steady?

What happens if you have a hyphenated name and then have children to someone and want to hyphenate their names? Do the kids end up with some mass hyphenated name? Smith-Jones-McDonald-Moore. That seems a bit...ridiculous in my opinion.

That's when i thought i would bring this here.
One of the things i love about blogging is the huge variety of people that you can encounter, which then gives me a great opportunity to get it straight from the horses mouth!

Do you still have your maiden name? And why? How about your children? Do they wear the badge of a hyphenated surname? Maybe you do. What was it like growing up?
And one all of us can answer, What are your thoughts on the hyphen?

This sholder hasn't been cold.

So i took a short hiatus from blogging recently. I hesitated in posting why, and when i would be back. I wasn't sure. I did know that i would be back however, and i have spent time daily reading all of your posts, but i've tried to keep to myself for a bit.
I've felt a bit like the girl in the picture above, marooned all alone looking out to nothing, and just needing some time to stop and gather myself.
I think we all go through that.

During my time off i've worked a heap on our Christmas gifts to family, i've also had the chance to meet up with a very dear friend and her family when they came to visit Sydney!
Finding the words to write about all of this just escape me for now.

I am hoping that i am indeed going to be back this week. I am going to limit my updates to a max of 3 a week for now, and take things slowly. I hope you forgive me for just disappearing?

A parenting debate: Circumsicion.

This is a debate you don't see much of. I think people just accept that most families just do whatever has already happened to Daddy to keep things the "same". I urge you however to research this subject a little more first.
I find it amusing that female circumcision is widely regarded as "barbaric", however male circumcision is "ok". They are both pretty much the same thing, just done to the corresponding genitalia, so why such a different view?

Here is an excellent medical clip explaining foreskin, and just why you're born with it:


Keep in mind we are born with all the bits and pieces we have for a reason. At least that's how I've always looked at it.

My boys? They are not circumcised. I admit this was something i left up to my partner to decide. Penis is his department, vagina is mine. However i was VERY relieved when he did say no to it. Not that anyone ever asked us or approached us about circumcision during either of my hospital stays after having my babies.

Where are you on the circumcision debate? Those of you with son's would you circumcise? And why?
I'm not asking to cause a debate, i am genuinely curious and wanting to understand more.
If you circumcise just for the cosmetic look though, i do ask you to think harder about your decision and realise that it affects more than "cosmetics".
If you don't circumcise, why didn't you? I'm curious in your decision too.