My 7-year-old has the most awesome teacher. Mrs L only decided to become a teacher in her late 40s and she's not long out of teacher's college, so she's still really jazzed by spending 6 hours every day with small children. At parent teacher night she greeted my husband and I with: "How lucky am... Continue Reading →

I had a cup of tea with another mum yesterday before school pick-up. She confessed to feeling guilty about going to a yoga class. Because stay-at-home mothers should always be doing selfless, stay-at-home mother stuff like cleaning the house or prepping dinner or devising mind-enriching activities for their children. Not engaging in something frivolous like... Continue Reading →

Well, I was yesterday at least. No wine. No Diet Coke. Laid-back demeanor the WHOLE day. It can't last, of course. No, I shouldn't say that. Because I really hope it does. I could do with a little more zen in my life. I wasn't always so tightly wound. I spent the first 35 years... Continue Reading →

This blog I wrote about childcare is feeling particularly poignant for me today, on the eve of the kids going back to school and me going back to work. Twelve months on and those judgemental women still make me cross: I was cleaning out the soiled newspaper from the chick cage yesterday when I noticed an opinion column about... Continue Reading →

Sprog 1 turns 9 today. I can't quite believe it. God help me, she's a tween. When she was born, she looked like this (enormous and cranky) ... And pretty much stayed that way for the next three months. I thought all babies wailed that much (until Sprog 2 came along and wailed much, much... Continue Reading →

Only two days until The Cruise! A whole 18 nights with no responsibility, aside from ensuring the Sprogs don't fall overboard. Absolutely nothing to do but relax. No beds to make, no rooms to tidy, no meals to prepare, no pots to scrub, no dirty clothes to wash, no homework to supervise ... just endless time together as a family.... Continue Reading →