The reason I initially started writing about my sister and her wife going to antenatal classes is completely different to the story I ended up writing. That quite often happens with my blog. This time I think it was actually on purpose. Sometimes I feel like the stories I write about are too ‘heavy’. I … Continue reading Antenatal Classes
My youngest sister has attended antenatal classes over the last two Sundays. She and her wife Penny are 27 weeks pregnant with my newest little niece or nephew. We are all eagerly anticipating their newest little one. And yes, would you believe it, there are two ‘queers’ in our family. Out of the three girls in our … Continue reading A Question of Gender
Never did I ever imagine walking into my bathroom after being hollered at, to find a four year old standing bent over with a dirty, soiled bottom and his whole 'nether region' facing up in the air unashamedly towards me. Never did I ever imagine having conversations about making sure the skin underneath the tip of the … Continue reading Toilet Humour
She stood out, not just for the time of day it was, but for the location we were in. She was a young, attractive mum, probably late twenties, dressed in a dark blue sundress, matching summer hat and white Converse sneakers. The bark-covered ground was wet and boggy which I thought mustn’t have been great … Continue reading Tough Gig
‘High school is more stressful than it looks in the movies…’ ‘Lack of sleep and lengthy assignments don’t mix well…’ ‘With a mixture of excitement and curiosity, we say hello to our future…’ These are some of the many words of wisdom that our 2018 Senior students bestowed upon the rest of the school at … Continue reading Final Assembly
Being a parent changes your perspective in ways you can’t even imagine. It’s funny how we can be so blasé about issues until they enter our direct sphere of influence. A class discussion arose recently during a History lesson with my Year 7 students. We were studying a unit on Ancient China – and as … Continue reading The Ties that Bind
As I’ve previously mentioned, my inclination to escape the family tradition of being a teacher was strong. I was young, as far as I knew, straight, and highly motivated at the age of seventeen. Such a different person to the near forty-year old mother of five I am now. I would still describe myself as … Continue reading Public Relations
I feel like a coward. I keep teetering on the edge of ‘Coming Out’ at work, but then I keep finding that the opportunity doesn’t present itself. Even when it does, I sidestep it. I don’t think I’ve been ready. Over the last couple of weeks, however, I’ve started to feel differently. It’s coming, I … Continue reading Out of the Box
I hate that I feel self conscious about this. But I do. I have kids from not one, but two split families. There, I've said it. The first, as I have spoken about before, couldn’t be more amicable. We have a united front, and negotiate the shared parenting waters with ease. The children always come … Continue reading Decisions
Five minutes back from holidays and it’s like I never had them. The bustling environment of a school is always busy and loud – the atmosphere one of excitement mixed with both a healthy dose of terror and loathing. Once I’m there, I love it. It’s just the coming back after a delightful two weeks … Continue reading In the Blood
