Last weekend I had a rare treat – the chance to share two nights with just my eldest three kids. Before you jump on me, yes OF COURSE I missed my littlest two darlings. Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt – YES. But I also loved the chance to immerse myself in rare older child company … Continue reading Big Kid Time
The advent of DNA testing raises so many issues for families like mine. On the one hand, it provides opportunities for discovering biological origins and providing invaluable links that may otherwise never be known. On the other hand, it can uncover donors and connections that may or may not be welcome, and in some cases, … Continue reading DNA Testing: We Found Him
‘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
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
“When it comes to generating writing material, teenagers are gold. Their world is a narcissistic, anarchic, paranoid hell of anxieties and stresses about how they look; how popular they are or aren’t; and how fast or slowly, big or small their private parts are growing […] Lifts and pocket money aside, teenagers crave privacy – … Continue reading So Many Baskets
I want him to read this while he still can. For me, the most difficult aspect of coming out was realising that my life was NOT going to head in the direction I had planned. Having to justify yourself to others around you, when you yourself don’t even feel it’s OK, is really, really tough. … Continue reading Old School
Not everyone who wants to be a mother wants to carry a baby. For some women, that urge to physically grow another human never arrives; however the desire to be a mother does. The ‘maternal instinct’ comes in many forms, and is different for everyone. It is a spectrum – with those like me, who … Continue reading Modern Family
We received an invitation for Master Z ‘and his family’ to have afternoon tea with the local member on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate his receiving a ‘Local Sporting Champion’ grant. He’s had a great year with his sport, playing hockey at National level plus State level for both club and school hockey. Initially, I felt … Continue reading Ready or Not, Here Come the Teen Years.
