The race that stops a nation didn’t stop me. Not in my tracks and not even long enough to watch it at work (actually there was no-one around as my boss was on leave and my other colleague out of the office). With a new moon rising, Halloween had passed in a shocking excess of cheap and nasty ghoul and … Read More
Teenager in da house
We have a 13-year-old (eek). The birthday girl doesn’t look any different from the child she’s been, only now she’s a teenager stuck in that awkward adolescent stage that I’d like to think balances childlike innocence with adult maturity, but let’s face it, is a ‘no man’s land’. Or ‘no parent’s land’ at least. (And no-man’s land either until she’s … Read More
When parenting goes pear shaped
Where do I start? With Mother’s Day, because I woke up with a hangover for starters, entirely self-inflicted (as they always are) but entirely worth it, since we’d enjoyed a lovely night of celebration with my Mum and family. Head pounding, in my niece’s bed, the kids short-circuited the required sleep-in with obligatory hand-made presents (from Little Yang) and the … Read More
A Mother’s Day I thought would never happen
It was five years ago when the last leg of the long journey took us across the spectacular Columbia Icefield in Canada, through some of the most beautiful scenery you could imagine. Appropriate that the final road we travelled was winding, because the protracted path to that point could hardly have had more twists and turns, dead ends, detours and … Read More
Zen and the Art of French Braiding
I’ve always wanted to use an eclectic, if slightly pompous sounding title for a blog post and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a classic best-selling book. I’ve officially become a Dance Mum, or a hairdresser, or probably just a shadow of both, but as we head into dance eisteddfod season this year I seem to have grown … Read More
Blood tests and beating fear
Are you sitting down? Good. So maybe you hate getting blood tests. Maybe you’re getting all squeamish just thinking about it. Perhaps the thought of a needle makes you faint. Sorry for reminding you. Perhaps you’d better skip to the bottom of the post. A casual conversation reminded me about blood tests. In fact two separate conversations in the space … Read More
Endings and beginning again
What is it about us humans that can make us so sad about endings and so fearful of beginnings? And why can’t we just be happy (or at least circumspect/hopeful) about both ending something old and starting something new? This week we celebrated (hint happiness – then why do I feel so sad?) our Miss Yin finishing primary school. There … Read More
I’m an Adoptive Mum (not a Dance Mom)
So it’s National Adoption Awareness Week and I’m proud to say I’m an Adoptive Mum. Although you can drop the adoptive and I’ll happily just be a proud mum. Our children came to us through adoption and we feel forever grateful that we get to parent them – always aware of the loss of their biological parents in not being … Read More
Growing up, inside out
You know that saying by Elisabeth Stone about the feeling as a parent that your heart is walking around outside your body – well right now part of my heart is in Canberra and we can’t see or talk to her for three and half days. It hurts a bit. Of course she’ll be fine, our Miss Yin, on the … Read More
Missing out (and FOMO)
Sometimes you smack hard up against what you’ve missed out on, and even though you thought you were ok with missing out, turns out you’re not really. I’m not talking about the childhood trauma of missing out on the netball team or not getting picked for the part of Dorothy and having to play the Wicked Witch of the East … Read More
How my daughter taught me to chase my dreams again
I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I wonder why when we become parents, and particularly as we start to age (well we’re doing that our whole lives!) we start envisaging the future for our kids instead of for ourselves. Naturally we are going to have dreams for our children, what parent wouldn’t – and we are going to … Read More
A Mother’s Day gift – no guilt
As you wake up to breakfast in bed, handmade cards, craft and drawings, the precious gift of an “I love you Mum’ mug with hot chocolate and a marshmallow from the Mother’s Day stall not to mention an obligatory new pair of slippers, it’s hard not to feel grateful. And I am, and I will be on Sunday. But I’m … Read More
