Children's programme angst

Since my daughter was born nearly 11 months ago now, I have become an avid watcher of "Milkshake" which for those of you that don't know, is a kids programme thing on Channel 5 from about 6-9 each morning. Generally I enjoy it and so does daughter, however, at times, I do get a bit riled up with some of the programmes and the sorts of messages our confused young offspring might be getting from them. 

I'll give you an example, "Little Princess" is about a version of the Royal family.  Within the castle lives, the King and Queen (who both have Yorkshire accents), a General of some kind, who rides around on a wooden horse which he thinks is real, an Admiral who is just barking mad and the Prime Minister who is often to be found playing with the "Little Princess", perhaps riding a comically tiny bicycle.  The little girl herself is always, always, wearing a nightie and no shoes.  All day. Every day. It is utterly bizarre. Why does she never get dressed? Why isn't the Prime Minister running the country? Why is the little girl exposed to 3 older men (Prime Minister, Admiral and General) who are clearly barking mad? 

The other programme that has caught my attention is Peppa Pig. Every character in the programme has a first name that starts with the same letter as what they are: i.e. Peppa Pig, Danny Dog, Susie Sheep.  All except George Pig (Peppa's little brother). Odd.  Also, why don't the Mums and Dads in any of these programmes have first names? Even when speaking to other adults, they call each other Mummy Pig or whatever. Argh!!!

Last one - promise. Bananas in Pyjamas. Two, presumably male, Banana's, sleeping in separate beds, but in the same room. When in bed, they wear pyjamas.  Then when they go outside they still wear pyjamas, but maybe with a coat and hat. Seriously, think about it, what sort of message is this sending to kids??? And don't get me started on Bert and Ernie.

I said - don't!

And I'm asking. Why?

....as Enigma once sang.  Why am I blogging at all?  Let's be upfront about this, I still only just about understand blogging.  I think it's a bit of an online journal, where you'd write about amusing past anecdotes or things that happened to you that day, or eureka moments maybe.  Sharing them with others in the hope that they'd think, "Oh yeah! I know, that happens to me too." 

For the last 10 months I have been a stay at home mum, something I never thought I'd be.  I know am 100%  lucky to be able to do it and I love it, but I'm still a bit torn about how it can make you feel some days.  At times I feel that I haven't achieved anything of note at all. I feel I haven't contributed to the world or whatever and I've been wondering whether a creative outlet is the answer?  I have loved writing since my early teens, when I frantically scribbled down lustful stories about fictional couples - mostly plagiarised from movie characters I might add - "Ace" from Stand By Me, featured heavily as I was a massive Keifer Sutherland fan back then...  However, I've never really done much with my writing, so I'm hoping that by writing regularly on my blog, tapping into this new world, that I will, once and for all, do something and send it to a publisher or an agent.  I have two stories on the go, one for children and one for the Chick Lit market. So, I've no excuses now.  It's out there. You can poke me with a stick if I fail now.

Okay.

Thanks.

Roger that, over and out.

We've only just begun..

Well, here it is after about 2 or 3 minutes deliberating over the look of my blog, I am writing my first entry.

What will I write about?  I might start by writing about last night. I went to the cinema with my good buddy L.R. We saw Twilight - Breaking Dawn.  It was a brilliant film, but also it gave me that weird feeling, something I haven't had for a while actually, I used to get it loads when I was younger, the film gets inside me, it gets in my head and I feel like I'm actually in the movie for a second, its a strange buzz and I'm probably not really articulating it well.  I guess its escapism.  It did renew my enthusiasm to write, because in parallel, aforementioned buddy also lent me "A tiny bit marvellous" by Dawn French. Great read, very funny and quite an unremarkable story, but brilliant escapism.  That is why those of us who want to write, bother to write I think. That, and also because we want a castle like the one JK Rowling has got. Not much to ask is it?
Right, baby has been obediantly napping for over an hour, I'd better go and wake her for lunch.