In a shop yesterday Elsie fell in love with a turtle hand puppet. When I suggested we write to Santa and ask for a turtle hand puppet, her shoulders raised slightly then slumped forward and down with great force. Her mouth formed a perfect upside-down smile. I reminded her that it wasn't long until Christmas … Continue reading Book proposal
Worrying is like a rocking chair
My brother-in-law said something good when Elsie was a couple of years old. I told him that when she was born (at 24-weeks gestation) we sat beside our critical baby, born before any part of her body (inside or out) was ready and all of a sudden the drought and the failed crops didn't matter; we … Continue reading Worrying is like a rocking chair
Spring carnival permanent fashion
In the dairy industry, they call it Grand Champion; the cow with the nicest shaped udder, well-placed teats, and a strong dairy build. The judge also looks for a securely attached udder (if I was a cow, I'd be valuing that too...). Image source In the sheep industry, there's the Supreme Ram, Ewe or Prime … Continue reading Spring carnival permanent fashion
Are we old or is it just me?
At some point between my 21st and the 21st we went to last night, I got old. I'm not sure how or when that happened.I get the why part; I've pretty much doubled in age. I guess that covers the how part as well. But as for when, at which point did my clothes become … Continue reading Are we old or is it just me?
Recalling the highlights of a journey six years ago
You know how long the list of 'things to do when you haven't got the kids with you' is? Well last night we crossed one of them off. The girls were having a special school holiday sleepover last night so Anthony and I went out for dinner. To our local Indian restaurant. Great choice sans … Continue reading Recalling the highlights of a journey six years ago
What to worry about when you have nothing to worry about
Elsie reinforced for me tonight how good our lives are. How lucky we are. I've been seeing it in a lot of places lately. Like when the really big deal in our shire recently was the introduction of a recycling bin and the downsizing of the other wheelie bin and whether our rubbish would be … Continue reading What to worry about when you have nothing to worry about
A sandcastle between mobiles
I told the girls they could make a little pile of books or toys to take on the plane. Here's Maeve with hers: It was during the last of those consecutive weather events with horizontal rain, howling winds and a top of 9 degrees that we decided on a flying trip to anywhere warm. We … Continue reading A sandcastle between mobiles
Something really significant just happened
When I was in Year 6, I thought my life would be better the following year when I had my own school locker. When I was in Year 7, I thought my life would be better the year after when we got to go to Halls Gap for a school camp. And on it goes; … Continue reading Something really significant just happened
Watching our flower girl bloom
There’s plenty written about raising confident kids. And it’s no surprise. Our attitude towards life, our happiness and our wellbeing are dependent on our confidence and self-esteem. So helping our children to develop confidence is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as a parent. On the weekend Elsie was a flower girl in our … Continue reading Watching our flower girl bloom
Writing by Larissa Patton 