I took Sprog 2 to her friend's house for a playdate this week and stayed for a cup of tea. As I sipped, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and did an inner recoil of horror. I looked terrible. Baggy K-Mart trakkie daks, frumpy top, fuzzy hair ... Could I look any more like the stereotypical... Continue Reading →

I may have overstated our penury to the Sprogs. Standing in the local butcher's last night, I asked Sprog 1 if she'd prefer a chicken skewer or sausages for dinner. "Which is cheaper?" she nervously asked. Now, there are many cuts that can be made to our budget before we arrive at saving 50c on a sausage. For example,... Continue Reading →

It's terrifying. Not working is so seductive. No having to frantically dress, get the kids ready for school, rush to catch the bus in the morning, work in an office for eight hours every day  ... I'm sure the novelty will wear off eventually, but at the moment it feels like I could do this forever. Husband would like... Continue Reading →

I reckon parents buy toys as much for themselves as their kids. Well, I know I do. And it's not always the right way to go about it. Case in point: the cubby house, swing, slide and soft-fall area we built in our backyard three years ago. I suffered serious cubby house envy when I was a kid, so... Continue Reading →

I think too much. Not about world peace or anything meaningful like that. My head is full of crazy ideas. Like how I want to put a ladder on Sprog 1's wall that leads to a cubby in the ceiling. And whether I should get metal, plastic or wooden plantation shutters on the windows next time I... Continue Reading →

I love beaches in winter. No people. No sunburn. No steeling myself to get submerged (as a would-be boyfriend once wrote of my aquatic phobia ... "For a Pisces who doesn't like water, some flowers to put in it"). I've become particularly addicted to a certain beach in Newcastle, which has a gorgeous little corner filled with... Continue Reading →

Me, Husband and the Sprogs - as I may have mentioned - are on restricted finances right now. There's only so far one four-day-a-week salary can go. Well, that's the theory. But it doesn't seem to bear any relationship to the lifestyle we are still living. As I type, the gardener is restoring order to the... Continue Reading →

I am totally inept and completely resistant when it comes to technology. I didn't even get a mobile phone until mid-2002, and only then because my job demanded that I be contactable 24 hours a day. I send Husband into a frothing fury every time I either a) stuff up the TV settings or b)... Continue Reading →

There's something irresistible about ampersanded words: bacon & eggs, fish & chips (yum), Cowboys & Aliens (tickets please!), Tom & Jerry (Sprog 2 is an addict) ... and now, my latest thrill, Garden & Gun magazine. Yes, really. The minute I heard it existed, I had to get a copy. A friend in the US... Continue Reading →

So I just ran my first reading group with Sprog 1's classmates, and I give myself an "F". The poor little mites walked away no clearer about the book's meaning than when they started. Mind you, I was having a bit of trouble following, since I stepped in at Chapter 5. It had something to do with an Aboriginal woman... Continue Reading →