I spent most of last week popping Nurofen. News editing a parenting site is a pretty full-on job. It’s also an expensive one if you stupidly get yourself two parking tickets after driving to work and parking in one-hour parking zones but only checking the tyres for chalk every hour and a half.
Sigh.
That didn’t help with the headaches.
Neither did the non-arrival of my Dad’s 75th birthday photo album from Snapfish.
Sigh.
I also spent the week childless.
Sigh.
Then Saturday dawned all blue sky and sunshine, with my two gorgeous kids back in their beds and my Dad’s 75th birthday celebration ahead.
A perusal of Instagram last night revealed that while the Household were celebrating, so was actress Sofia Vergara (she turned 43).
The Household enjoyed a spread of fresh prawns, delicious barbecued scallops and Balmain bugs on my sister’s back deck (the look on my youngest’s face when she asked what the grilled stuff was and I replied “bugs” was priceless).
Sofia enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at her Los Angeles mansion with family, friends and her spunk rat boyfriend Joe Manganiello.
My sister and nephew baked my dad the most delicious vanilla birthday cake.
Sofia’s friends and family gave her SIX fancy store-bought birthday cakes … like she was going to eat a crumb of them.
We gave Dad a crate of edible goodies as his gift, including kiwi poo from my sister and nephew’s recent trip to New Zealand and Peterson’s House apple cider from my recent trip to the Hunter Valley.
Sofia’s prezzies including a pink tiara, a birthday princess sash and a white T-shirt featuring Joe in Magic Mike XXL.
We sipped on Verve and Brown Brothers Prosecco … Sofia skulled unidentified liquids from a bedazzled plastic goblet.
Sofia was serenaded by a mariachi band … we swayed to Elton John and Kiki Dee as they serenaded each other on Smooth FM.
As to who threw the best celebration … I reckon it’s a tie. And happy smiles all round.
I didn’t take any snaps of our family gathering. Hello? What was I thinking?
Fortunately Sofia took lots of hers, so you’ll have to make do with them …
Normally I’d give you a run-down of all the stories I’ve written for Kidspot since last Sunday, but whoa mama … it was insane and you’d end up with a headache too.
Perhaps the story that stayed most with me was “These kids were jailed for refusing to see their dad.”
An acrimonious divorce has lead three kids in Michigan to side with their mum and refuse to see their dad.
The judge rejected testimony by the eldest son that the father had been violent to the mother, saying: “You’re very defiant, you have no manners. … There is no reason why you do not have a relationship with your father. Your father has never been charged with anything. Your father’s never been convicted of anything. Your father doesn’t have a personal protection order against him. Your father is well-liked and loved by the community, his co-workers, his family (and) his colleagues. You, young man, have got it wrong. I think your father is a great man who has gone through hoops for you to have a relationship with you.”
She also slammed the children’s mother for her behaviour, saying: “Your children — you need to do a research program on Charlie Manson and the cult that he has. Your behavior in the hall with me months ago, your behavior in this courtroom, your behavior back there is unlike any I’ve seen in 46,000 cases.”
And so she chucked all the kids into juvenile detention INDEFINITELY, which seems a tad severe to me.
I noted that “There are no winners in this tragic case. Three beautiful children have been locked away. Two parents have chosen hating each other over the welfare of their kids. And there have been calls for Judge Lisa Gorcyca to be removed from office for her drastic actions.
“Surely there could have been another way to deal with the situation?”
I am getting sooooooooo sad from hearing too many awful stories about the way ugly divorces are damaging kids. I want to yell at the people blinded by their bitterness …
SURELY THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER WAY TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION??????????
Remember who the child is (hint: it’s not you) and try to be the best co-parent you can.
I also want to yell at some of the people who commented on my article.
Keld Burlon said: “Typically sensational headline which belittles the reality. How two people who previously loved each other enough to have 3 children together, can reach this level of pain, typifies our “me” culture. The sensationalist headline does nothing to inform or help the situation. How a legal system can “jail” 3 children like this, is definitely sins of the father/mother.”
Erm, Keld, I’m not sure how a headline that spells out exactly what happened is “sensationalist”. The kids DID go to jail for refusing to see their father.
Meanwhile, someone called Sam Bassett said “this article is terribly written.” Cheers Sam!
Really, it’s safer to never read the comments on your stories. Why, why, why do I keep forgetting that?
How was your week?
Song of the day: Elton John & Kiki Dee “Don’t go breaking my heart”
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