One minute she has her hand on my shoulder to steady herself as she steps into her little, navy leggings. The next minute she’s driving on a country road towards a semi-trailer; the lives of the truck driver and the 420 lambs he’s transporting hang in the balance with my life and her own. Four … Continue reading Do you want to drive?
Eleven years ago this happened
I was used to pregnancies ending early. At six or twelve weeks. And if they lasted longer than that, I was used to delivering early. At 18 weeks. Or at 24. So when Maeve was born after 40 weeks, big and round and full-term, I could hardly believe the size of her. She weighed eight … Continue reading Eleven years ago this happened
An apple for the teacher
It was going swimmingly. Our first day. Actually it wasn't their first day of home learning; it was my first being home with them. Elsie was kneeling in front of the fire balancing her computer on her knees. Maeve had set herself up at the kitchen table. Perhaps tomorrow we could set up something a … Continue reading An apple for the teacher
Because my most recent posts have been so far from a highlight reel
I've never played in a sporting grand final. It might be that I wasn't picked for the team. It could be that I made myself unavailable for team sports in the later years of high school to avoid not getting picked. Or perhaps I was picked for the team, but my inability to throw a … Continue reading Because my most recent posts have been so far from a highlight reel
Grief is love with no place to go.
The thing about grief that I can see, is there really isn’t much to look forward to in the process. If you’re pregnant and sick, you know that it will all be over in nine months. If you have a cold or a headache, you might take something for it and hope that it goes … Continue reading Grief is love with no place to go.
Bad mums have a night off to watch Bad Moms
We’ve had a lot of rain in a short amount of time - around three inches in the last week. That’s about 75mm for those of you who went metric 40-odd years ago. So our Facebook feeds started with photos of kids splashing in muddy puddles but have now become filled with warnings of severe … Continue reading Bad mums have a night off to watch Bad Moms
And that’s a wrap. Thanks Daisy.
Today I’m googling ‘how to talk to kids about the death of a pet’. I have til school finishes today to prepare. With a bit of luck, my tears may have slowed down enough that I can actually speak. Get the words out. Tell them that Daisy died today. I wrote recently about losing our … Continue reading And that’s a wrap. Thanks Daisy.
A leopard has spots on the outside
‘Of course!’ I said, ‘I can make that cake.’ We’d googled animal-themed birthday cakes. We’d used almost our entire monthly data allowance looking at animal cakes on Pinterest. Elsie chose one that had a bit of brown icing and a tiger figurine stuck on it. You beauty, I thought. But then. Just one more inch … Continue reading A leopard has spots on the outside
And by morning we had a new playground
Here’s why we celebrated today: Thirty delicious (mostly unpredicted) millimetres of rain. We’re guessing 30mm. Normally we can guess the amount before we even go out to the rain gauge. One or two mills wets the deck. Five will put a puddle in the driveway. And if there’s a puddle over near the gate, we … Continue reading And by morning we had a new playground
Writing by Larissa Patton 