Dream pets – what would yours be?
If there’s one thing my children have always wanted, it’s a cat. Actually that’s not quite true. The eldest remembers us having a cat – this, my beloved Elwood. (yes Elwood – we had Jake & Elwood the Blues Brothers. Except they turned out to be the Blues Sisters. Then Jake got run over… Elwood didn’t really work anymore, did it?) Except she was elderly when No.1 came along, and she was...
Talking Vaginas With My Daughter
A few weeks ago I returned for Bedtime Pt II (totally normal for us – part one ensures teeth/pj’s/hug/under duvet settled with book, part two is actual lights out, goodnight kiss and hug for reals 30 mins later) visit, and found an agitated girl. Thankfully, she’s a pretty open book. Bear’s ten tomorrow, actually, and over the last year or two there has been a slow and steady awareness of the fact that...
Reasons I Hate Mondays (but don’t fret. Because Marmite).
It’s Monday. It is.And whilst I have managed over the last ten years to engineer as much Monday stress out of my life as is humanly possible for the non-mega-rich person to do – it’s still Monday.I work from home, so I have no Monday morning commute to deal with. We’ve been Home Educating for three years now, so the hideous Monday school run is thankfully a distant memory.But it’s still Monday. And there...
When your firstborn goes to Reading Festival – Mum’s side of the story.
Reading Festival. I’ve known it was coming for a few years. There’s been begging and pleading and wheedling and outright huffing and door slamming. Last year we deflected with a ‘next year. You’ll be 17 then. Old enough to go’.Oh foolish parents. Be careful what you promise. Because before I could sit through four new 21 Pilots videos he WAS 17. And booking his own train ticket to Reading.We stuck with...
Blue’s really sorry about the cream carpet.
As you all know by now, this is Blue. We love Blue. Very Much Indeed. And yet, we know she is not blessed with elegance, agility, or any kind of common sense whatsoever. (she gives great hugs though) A year ago we were out for a few hours – during which time, Blue was unwell. And when I say ‘unwell’, I mean she was sicker than a sick thing, with a terrible stomach bug that made her insides become her outsides, both...
Things My Teen Taught Me This Week
Somehow, I own three teenagers. Honestly, I swear I do not know how it happened. I live with them. I see them every single day. Obviously I know they’re not babies, but for some reason, in my head they’re still these guys… Aren’t they delicious? In my head, if I sit on the ground I can still fit all three into my lap for a group hug (just no.1’s lanky 6’2″ frame no longer fits into my lap, let...