Recently a friend on Facebook posted an update about her neighbour. The grumpy bloke next door swore loudly at her kids (who are only two and seven) as they played in their back garden at 10.15am on a Sunday morning. Hearing him from inside, my friend came out and they exchanged a few choice words, which ended in him screaming at her to “f*ck off and move!” There is nothing worse than neighbour … [Read more...]
Just us
Today is the 20th post in my 30-day blogging challenge. Between you, me and the entire internet, I didn’t think I’d get this far. I have now posted more blog posts in the past 20 days than I did throughout the entire year 2014.Last year was a slow blogging year for me. Two major work contracts, a new house and a healthy dose of self-doubt kept me away from my keyboard.The past 20 days have been a … [Read more...]
Monkeys in the zoo
Next week Little Fairy starts school. My last cab off the rank. I feel like I’ve been too busy to dwell on this milestone. Besides, in the middle of last year we increased her days at preschool to five when I took on a hefty work contract. It was actually her idea to go five days. She’d overheard Busy-And-Important-Husband and I ruminating about how we would cope with the extra workload. She … [Read more...]
A truth revealed…
I softly pad into your dimly lit room and see the outline of your tiny body on your bed. There’s something about the night that intensifies my feelings for you. My awe that you belong to me. My vulnerability that I can’t protect you from the harshness of this world.I softly sit on your bed and feel your body roll towards me. For a minute we say nothing. Rarely do we share such silence. As your … [Read more...]
Same but different
See this photo of my sister scaring the bejesus out of me? It’s one of my earliest memories. The prank was a joint effort between my sister and my mum. My mum lured me to the front garden under the ruse of taking some photos of me to send to relatives in England. Ever obliging in front of a camera, I happily proceeded to pose and prance amongst the greenery. Meanwhile my sister was lying low … [Read more...]
Family
I haven’t lived in the same town as my family since I left university 20 years ago. For a person who loves her nutty family as much as I do, sometimes it’s been hard.I grew up in a coastal village where the serene sandy beaches are no place for someone craving to be busy-and-important. So like so many other people my age at the time, I packed my bags and headed to the big smoke.The plan was to go … [Read more...]
Things I used to say…
Before I had kids:I’m going to give birth naturally. You know, drug free.I’d LOVE to have twins.My kids are going to be really healthy eaters. I’ll just be organised and only ever have fresh food in the fridge.I will never, ever resort to bribing my kids. Never. I will never let my kids run around a shop like that. My kids will be well behaved. I’m totally ready to have kids. I think it should … [Read more...]
Dog poo karma
It was our regular and predictable routine. I picked up his lead and called his name. Dexter did his usual ‘I’m a crazy lunatic’ run down the hall, skidding to a halt at my feet, manically dancing the rumba as I clipped on his lead. Out the front door, up the path and through the gate we charged. Heading down the street for our daily dose of exercise. And just as we were really finding our stride, … [Read more...]
Hallo-freak’n-ween
There is a street in Sydney’s north that is famous for Halloween. Every year hundreds of families descend on it to knock on doors in search of treats. I live on that street. Which is probably why I curse Halloween like a witch spitting chips.When we first moved here over a year ago, I’d heard it was a popular destination for trick or treaters. No one seems to know why, although some like to point … [Read more...]
Projecting motherhood
“Why would a woman put a picture of her child’s face – instead of her own – as her profile picture on Facebook?’ That was the question posed a few weeks ago by Katie Roiphe in her article “Disappearing mothers” in the Financial Times, when she put forward her concern that women forgo their own identity when they upload pictures of their children as their Facebook profile.Look, I get where she is … [Read more...]