Since then, I have met lots of cool people, and I am loving living here. We’ve been worrying about where Inigo is going to go to school in 2013, and considered moving, but really, we love it here and don’t want to move. Plus, our house has increased in value by about $80,000 while we have lived here.

But today, I met some babywearing, vegetarian mums! I am so happy I could just fall over.

Except that now I have a lunch menu to plan, I have to cook something impressive when they come over

Red – this one is for you. I know how you value correct punctuation

Mothers Day and I have a turbulent history. This year wasn’t too bad, but the day before, and the day after were tough. Thank you to everyone who contacted me to let me know you were thinking of me. Knowing that others still expect me to be hurting makes it easier to get through the days. I often feel that six months is enough time to be getting on with things, but I know that is unrealistic.

And next Monday is my 41st birthday. No longer just 40 – soon I’ll be “over 40″.

As for my psych essay, there are over 900 students in my course, so we’ve been informed that it could take 4-6 weeks to get results back. I am trying not to sweat it.

This made my brain explode.

Then I watched this.

And then Mark sent me this.

So to sum up. Your brain can signal that you have made a decision (and which decision you made) up to SIX FULL SECONDS before you are conscious that you have made a decision.

And if you vote conservatively, you are likely to have an enlarged amygdala (the fear centre of the brain). If you are more socially progressive, your brain shows more growth in the area that seeks out new and novel experiences. So, correlation doesn’t show cause and effect, but it does go a long way towards explaining Alan Jones.

*For our overseas readers, swap Alan Jones for Rush Limbaugh. Or any other appalling aging white man with a microphone and an agenda to frighten and alienate.

Apparently a woman and her son playing with pink nail polish together (he’s five, his favourite colour is pink), is -exploiting young Beckett to advance the cause of “liberal, transgendered identity politics.” Whatever that is.

I can see this becoming more of an issue when the Squish goes to school. If his favourite colour is still pink in 2011, if I succeed in teaching him non-violence, if he follows both of his parents and becomes a nerd, a kid who is interested in life and everything around him, there will be those who will criticise and seek to undermine.

But I can’t see any way I can homeschool and go to uni…

Next Thursday, I am going to meet with my local federal MP about relationship equality. I am going to ask her to speak in favour of reform at the next ALP national conference. There are a few points I’d like to discuss with her, and perhaps you can help me to clarify my thoughts, and add some new ones?

° Marriage is the basic fundamental unit of our society. Marriage is the first step in building a family, and a family helps us to have the support and love that we need to be our best. Marriage provides stability, a framework for growth, an economic platform, and a framework for moral behaviour. Why should your choice of partner exclude you from the best that being a grown up has to offer? Why should any group of society be denied this basic human right?

° Not allowing people to marry is discrimination. The ALP recently removed all forms of discrimination, so that gays and lesbians now have no fear of discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Really? I don’t think so. If you can discriminate and say that a person can’t marry, and yet still call them equal, it’s hypocrisy. Equal means EQUAL, not “almost equal”.

° There is a distinction between civil marriage and religious marriage in the minds of many. To my mind, the distinction is irrelevant to most people who want a civil ceremony, but quite important to those who want to marry within the church. Since most opposition to relationship equality comes from a religious perspective, why not legalise civil marriages and let the religious debate take place where it belongs, in the church.

° It has been said that gay marriage de-values heterosexual marriage. It is my belief that the opposite is true, that gay marriage adds to the value of relationship recognition. When Britney Spears marries in Las Vegas and the marriage is annulled the next day, marriage is made a mockery. But standing beside my husband on my wedding day, it occurred to me that my marriage was meaningless until my best man (who just happens to be gay) won’t be able to marry the love of his life (when he finds him!) just because he is gay. What does my marriage mean in the light of the fact that my dear friends who are in every way just as committed, just as in love, just as responsible, just as wonderful parents, etc, what does it say about marriage, that my relationship is “worthy”, and theirs is not?

° It may not make sense to a lot of people why a happily married woman cares so much about this issue. But the truth is, it was my own marriage that sealed the deal for me. I met someone I adored, and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We decided to make it official, and our silly, joyful ceremony amongst our nearest and dearest, and our fabulous party afterwards meant so much to me. It seems like such a callous injustice to deny this joy, this stability, this support, to anyone who sincerely seeks it.

Language warning!

And in news closer to home, Im now almost 25 weeks, baby is still going strong, Im still (relatively) sane, and I am expecting visitors this afternoon. I am going to enjoy my last week of freedom!

And yesterday was magical. Dad spent the afternoon at my place with Inigo, and we had a lovely time together. I dont get to see him much at the moment, but I was reminded yesterday just how gorgeous he is. I have some pictures, but they are still on the camera. I might be able to get Mark to transfer them for me on the weekend so I can print some pics to take to hospital with me.