Christmas was brilliant, but the highlight of December for Elsie was the 'family ride' in the header. She's still talking about it. Maeve thought it was pretty good too. And even let Teddy have a steer: A close second in December highlights for Elsie was a play in the pile of lentils that are stored in … Continue reading Another reason we live where we live
I got a hippopotamus for Christmas
I love prudent advice and wise insights. During our trip around Australia, I shared a Cairns house and worked to save money for the next leg of our journey. There were 15 of us in that house, five nationalities and three jobs (two of which were mine). One of the other tenants was an Aussie … Continue reading I got a hippopotamus for Christmas
Counting down the days til Christmas
The first time I ever made tomato sauce, I bottled the skins and discarded the sauce. I know. The recipe said to boil for three hours then strain. I looked at the stuff in the strainer. It was thick like homemade sauce. I looked at the stuff that came through the strainer. It was runny, flavoursome … Continue reading Counting down the days til Christmas
Talking to customers
If blogging is talking to your customers, I should never say that I haven't had time. But a fortnight just went and slipped on by and left me talking to customers at a market on the weekend, on Facebook, and via email, but not by blogging. My apologies. Kinda rude when I put it like that. … Continue reading Talking to customers
The Pied Piper
Before we had children, back when I knew everything about parenting, I was horrified when a mother would voice her desire to give her children back for just one night. Desperate for a family, I'd wonder why they even bothered having kids if all they wanted to do was get away from them (See? There … Continue reading The Pied Piper
Unlearning ’embarrassment’
At some point between Maeve’s age and mine it becomes socially unacceptable to hug your classmates in the pool and blow kisses to the swimming teacher when she says goodbye (perhaps it’s at the same point that big round bellies and well-covered thighs stop being cute in the pool?). The strange part is, while our … Continue reading Unlearning ’embarrassment’
A new form of ‘mango cheek syndrome’
I've always remembered the term 'mango cheek syndrome' after reading about it once; how putting your kids first means you end up gnawing the stringy pip of a mango while your two children get a beautiful fat, fleshy cheek each. (How cool to be able to google mango cheek syndrome and straight away find the online … Continue reading A new form of ‘mango cheek syndrome’
Photo shoot in the canola crop
I took Elsie and Maeve into our canola crop for a 'photo shoot' wearing their new summer dresses. I thought it would be very magazine-like. I've read about large apertures and slow shutter speeds and greater depths of field, all that sort of thing, but to be honest, it doesn't matter how many times I … Continue reading Photo shoot in the canola crop
Four years and three states on…
This time four years ago, I was sitting beside a cot in the Special Care Unit of a Brisbane hospital. In the cot across from Elsie was another 24-weeker, little Stephanie, with her mum, Tara. In the same room in Special Care and both housed in Ronald McDonald House, we shared very closely the ups … Continue reading Four years and three states on…
Writing by Larissa Patton 