the end was just the beginning
As America was nodding off from its Thanksgiving feasting yesterday, I was driving the youngest to her school's annual outdoor film & fun night. The eldest begged off saying she was too tired from a week of swim school. (I suspect being too cool to hang in her old playground also played a part.) I... Continue Reading →
The youngest is pretty stoked: she's the Pacific region winner of the CBRE Kids' Christmas Card Design Competition. She submitted a Santa drawing she did last year when she was 9, but she won as a 10-year-old. Here it is: The prize is a $100 gift voucher plus the honour of her name being mentioned... Continue Reading →
I forgot to tell you ... I finally got my ocean swim after that damn When Life Gives You Bluebottles incident ... and it was glorious. I felt a bit reckless because there were still a few dessicated bluebottles scattered on the sand, but it felt soooooo good to submerge in those salty waves. I... Continue Reading →
I can't quite believe my eldest daughter turns 13 today. How. Did. THAT. Happen? Mind you, she's looked [and presented] like a teenager for the past four years, so it feels slightly anti-climactic. Her dad and I are taking her out to dinner tonight and she's requested ear piercing and headphones as her gifts. I... Continue Reading →
I did some self-destructive things when my husband left that I now regret. One of the most painful was discovering I could turn on the "where is my iPhone?" function on my iPad and - because we still shared an iCloud - track his movements. It was gut wrenching to watch that little blip move... Continue Reading →
"I'm standing up here before you today... with a very troubled heart. You see, my friends... I've always insisted on... taking responsibility for your lives. But, I'm really... like a first-time parent... who makes mistakes... and tries to learn from them. And like that parent... I find myself at that moment when I have to... Continue Reading →
The eldest has a painting in a student art exhibition, so we went to the opening last night to check it out. There was champagne and sushi and everything. Very posh. The eldest's work is based on Sidney Nolan's bushranger series. I think she did an awesome job. The youngest refused to go because a)... Continue Reading →
My ex talked me into going to the 10-year-old's school assembly yesterday. She was getting a special badge after being awarded three merit certificates during the year for upholding the values of the school. Kindness, thoughtfulness, that sort of thing. The youngest told me it was totally unnecessary to attend because "everyone gets one during... Continue Reading →
My lovely friend Corrinne wrote a timely blog post that struck a chord with me yesterday called "Empowerment isn't blowing out someone else's candle." It summed things up beautifully for me during what's been a difficult week. It's filled with wise words I intend to follow. She said: "Real empowerment is standing on your own... Continue Reading →
I feel like a right-wing Donald Trump-style wannabe after copping a serve from a few people over yesterday's blog. It seems, in the midst of flying off the handle, I gave the awful impression that I didn't think divorced men should pay child support and it was treating them like an ATM if you expected... Continue Reading →
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