I've opted out of my real world job today. Given in to whatever this bug is I've managed to acquire. Made a phone call. Sympathetic colleague told me to take care. Tomorrow I'll return, fill out a sick leave form, and our super efficient administrator will pay me as normal while calculating my leave hours. People will politely enquire if I'm … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Soccer Mum
The soccer season has begun again. Yet another year of trudging through muddy fields, to huddle on the sidelines whipping ourselves into a frenzy over the on-field antics of our wannabe soccer stars. Mr Shambles was adamant our children had to play a team sport. Working together to meet a goal, playing to the strengths of each team member, … [Read more...]
Work or Stay at Home An Old and Ugly Debate
The age-old debate of whether to work or stay at home has reared its ugly head again thanks to American politics. Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist, commented that Anne Romney, wife of a GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, was not in a position to give her husband economic advice on the plight of women because she had "never worked a day … [Read more...]
Rainy Day Blues
The morning began by bailing water out of the car. It appears my car leaks. Rather substantially leaks. To the point I was heading towards cover-your-feet level flooding in the driver's side. I'm on holidays. Therefore we are now experiencing torrential rain. The two go together like strawberries and cream - Janine takes holidays, the heavens … [Read more...]
Bucket Lists BEFORE and AFTER Children
The Bucket List BEFORE I had children. Cruise the canals of Venice in a gondolier with the man I love. Eat at a Michelin Three Star restaurant. Buy an outfit from the Paris Fashion Shows. Watch a Broadway show starring someone really famous. Float in the Dead Sea. Travel the Silk Road. Party all night at the Carnaval in Rio de … [Read more...]
It’s Friday the 13th
Just realised today is Friday the 13th, just wondering if I should head back to bed, pull the covers over my head and only emerge when the calendar reads a more favourable date. Then again I'm not superstitious, I don't think. I have avoided walking under ladders but I reckon that's a practical thing, people working above you could drop stuff on … [Read more...]
Dads at Home
It seems we've come a long way in a single generation. Dads now play a much bigger role in their children's day-to-day lives than they did a few decades ago. Yet it is still unusual for men to accept the role of fulltime stay-at-home parent. Research carried out in 2010 by the Australian Institute of Family Studies identified only 7 per cent of … [Read more...]
A Question of Faith
Hippie Child laughed at me on Good Friday. It's not unusual for Hippie Child to laugh at me but this time she included questions that left me tongue-tied. There was no food in the house on Good Friday. Despite my best intentions to get to the supermarket on Tuesday I just hadn't made it. By Thursday I should have left work and gone straight to … [Read more...]
A Shambolic Birthing
If you had had a blissful pregnancy, a trouble-free birth and slipped easily into the world of yummy mummy step away from the screen there’s nothing for you to see here. On the other hand if you found the whole pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding thing a bit darn hard then open the wine we’ve got bonding to do. It’s been 15 years since I first … [Read more...]
Why are we obsessed with giving children experiences?
Can someone please explain to me when it was mandated that parents provide an unlimited supply of interesting, exciting, educational, new experiences for their children on a daily basis? When I was growing up my Mum's idea of giving me a good time was dropping me at the local pool to swim unsupervised with my friends for a couple of hours with … [Read more...]
