Passing on the link love

It's awards time again. Get out those hankies, prepare those acceptance speeches. Here we go....

First of all, the incredible Zombie Chicken Award from the lovely Kathryn at Life In Italy.

I love this award. It has instructions that go something like this:

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

How can I not pass on the silliness? The lucky 5 to whom this prestigious award is bestowed are (cue dramatic music): Dulwich Divorcee, London City Mum, Not SuperMum, Notes Inside My Head and Really Rachel. All worthy winners. May they embrace the silliness.

Alrighty now. Time for an advert break - my delightful husband has just put supper onto the table. I shall be back later for the best actor and best actress, so don't switch over now...

(a rather good chicken curry later - he can cook my husband)

Welcome back. Next up we have the Awesum award from Teacher Mommy over at Diapers and Dragons

This fine award goes to a few blogs that are new to me and no doubt well known by everyone else. So Hot Cross Mum (the British Mummy Blogger of the week this week), Sleep is for the Weak, Insomniac Mummy and Very Bored Housewife - it is all yours.

A second round of adverts before the final award. What can I say? They are showing Cocktail on TV. It is brilliant (whatever anyone may say) and it has taken me back to my teenage years. Coughlin's Laws. Being Spooked. A fine fine film. Seriously.

Last, but by no means least: The Great Read Award from A Very Bored Housewife herself:

I think I might be supposed to do something for this one, but I haven't got the organisational capacity to work out what so I am just going to pass it on to some deserving blogs which are all great reads: Baby Rambles, Muddy No Sugar, Big Beluga Baby and Babies Who Brunch.

As they say in Hollywood: That's All Folks!

Awards, schmwards, tags, shmags

My name is Brit in Bosnia and I have been a bad blogger. I have busily been accepting awards, displaying them proudly, and have done absolutely jack about passing them on. This breaks all rules of bloggerville. So, I intend to sort this forthwith. Be warned, this may be a long post.

First up, from the lovely Kat at 3 Bedroom Bungalow: You blog is Bloody Brilliant. This award has no strings attached. Nothing to do. Just send it on to a few others whose blog you love. So, this award goes out to the other mothers of small boys. As we are run off our feet enough as it is picking up cars, with reflexes of catches that would make an English cricketing slip catcher jealous, we can deal with balls, noise, fighting and general pandemonium. Sitting quietly doesn't happen. Often. But, but, our boys, they love their Mummies. So without further ado, I give you the Your Blog is Bloody Brilliant award for my fellow Mothers of Brothers:

Nappy Valley Girl

Potty Diaries

Sandy Calico

Diapers and Dragons

4 Down, Mum to Go

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Life in Italy

Next up we have the award that I'm passing onto blogs that are new to me. In general I think this will just demonstrate exactly how behind the curve I am on this. But without much more ado, here are the newbies to the Brits In Bosnia world, awarded the One Lovely Blog Award (coming to me from BabyBaby). I'm probably supposed to do something like tell everyone 7 things about me, but I can't remember what, so if you will forgive me, I shall just get on with dishing it out.

London City Mum

Not SuperMum

Mud in the City

Lost in Translation

Mid-Atlantic English

OMG I'm Pregnant

Half Mum Half Biscuit

Muddling Along Mummy

Mummadeede aka Dee Parrot (who deserves a special mention for being the British Mummy Bloggers 500th member!)

Next up is one for the Dads out there. Again, I'm supposed to do something but can't remember what so I'm just going to get on with dishing it out the Honest (s)crap award, which was awarded to me by Half Mum Half Biscuit who has sensibly gone on holiday. I've noticed that the Dads don't tend to do this award thing much, so am issuing a vague challenge to them to actually pass it on. To someone that doesn't already have it (and that, my father friends is a serious challenge indeed).

Life and Times of a House Husband

Single Parent Dad

All That Comes With It

Bringing Up Charlie

Daddacool

Finally, and I have to say I'm impressed if you are still with me, I'm starting to lose the will to live, we have the MeMeMeMe award, from Maternal Tales and from Muddling Along Mummy. I do have to do something for this (curses).

I need to list 7 things about me. See my cunning plan in leaving this until last, I figure that noone will still actually be reading, so I'm not really revealing anything.

1. I have no patience. None at all. This can make parenting difficult.

2. About the only household chore I ever get under control is washing. The rest of it is a disaster. But we do always have clean clothes to wear.

3. I totally and utterly adore my boys, even though they drive me demented on a regular basis.

4. I'm doing a PhD on football and reconciliation in post-conflict societies.

5. I once trained with the Sierra Leonean National Sprint team. I am the slowest runner that you (or anyone else you know) knows. They lapped me many times and I never got asked back.

6. I might be a slow runner, but I can keep going. 2 marathons later I can agree with my Dad's advice - let those greyhounds go out fast, by the 15th mile you'll be winding them back in. So true.

7. I need to start earning some money again soon to feed my TOAST sale addiction.

Ok, this is to go to 7 bloggers whose only connecting feature is that they are great and they deserve all the awards that they get.

Gaelikka: Out of Ireland and into India

Home Mum of 2 (or 3 if you count their Dad)

Being a Mummy

Who's the Mummy

Another Day in the MadHouse

Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy?

A Modern Mother

Ok - that is it. Well, it might not be as I've also been tagged a load, but I'm losing the will to live. Feel free to use a different award if you've already got the one I've tagged you for. I'm off to have a strong coffee and sit outside for 5 minutes to recover.

Awards and the like

Having been on holiday and spending my time skipping around in a carefree fashion I have been a bit remiss in keeping up with the various bloggy bits and pieces, links and the like. So, a post here, dedicated to getting my blog back on track.

First up: Those very lovely people at Totsy's Place have put together a list of the top 100 British parenting blogs, using some quite technical type parameters that I don't understand. But, it is a great resource if you are looking for some new parenting blogs to read. And while you are there have a look at Number 71... (cue contained squeaks of excitement).
Then I've also been given a couple of awards. I do find these a little like chain letters, which I was never very good at, but I love it when other people get them as they often link to some other blogs that I haven't discovered yet so I feel I should pass them on. And, I can't deny that I get a bit of a thrill on receiving an award. Since growing out of swimming badges rather a long time ago I haven't received many so I'm going to display them with some pride as the equivelent of sewing them onto my swimming costume.

The very lovely Emily at Maternal Tales from the South Coast has awarded me the Your Blog is Fucking Fabulous for which I must list 5 obsessions and then pass onto 5 blogs. Like her, I get a bit of a childish thrill about swearing in inappropriate places, although I do try to limit it in front of the children. The only exception is when dealing with ticks, of which there are many around here. The boys now think that fucking ticks is the name of the animal. As in there are cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, horses, monkeys and fucking ticks. Sums up how I feel about the creatures. Anyway, I digress. My current 5 obsessions are required:


1. dealing with the fucking ticks.

2. blogging - I dare not get involved with twitter or anything else, I already spend far too much time on the computer

3. Bosnian coffee - so good. Strong, dark and gets me up and running. I can only have one cup a day though or I am up all night.

4.Chocolate cakes - Adam's birthday has just been and for the last 6 months he has been talking about how he wanted a chocolate cake for his birthday. It has taken me this long to get the right one, but it was worth waiting for.

5. My children - of course, but I really am!

Then I must select 5 fucking fabulous bloggers to pass this onto. So, without much ado:

We Do Adventure: The other English blogger living in Bosnia

Bad Mommy Moments: Always makes me smile

Diapers and Dragons: Just love the name

4 down mum to go: Don't know how she does it.

Cafe Bebe: Go and look at the photos of the cakes



Next up - the Lemonade Award awarded by the Metropolitan Mum, another expat mummy. Fortunately I don't need to do anything for this one, simply award it to a few blogs to say thank you. So with no further ado, here are some mummys who are also trying to bring up children in a country that is not their own:

Bloomin Marvelous

Flugl

Paradise Lost in Translation

Wife in HK

Life in Italy

And that is that. Phew. Took me far longer than I thought it would, but I do now know how to put pictures onto my blog, which is a valuable skill I feel.