Two Year Olds – Tiny Drunk Humans

Last Friday our school held its annual trivia night. It’s always a big night. Put a group of parents together, give them an excuse to play dress-ups, offer them cheap alcohol and things are bound to get a bit squiffy. Okay, perhaps a lot squiffy. The next morning we gathered around the side lines of our various kids’ soccer commitments, sporting large sunglasses and even larger take-away coffees whispering “So, just how drunk were we last night?

two year olds ...basically drunk

That Saturday evening we went to the NRL double header. It was E’s first footy game and 80 odd minutes of sitting still went just about as well as you might expect with a two year old. We did not stay for the second game. In fact the whole weekend confirmed the long held parenting belief that toddlers are basically just tiny drunk humans.  Read more

Sounds of the camp ground

They say smell is the sense most closely tied to memory. The right scent sends you hurtling back like an olfactory time-machine. But I think there is something about sound as well. Not just the memory-making music of youth — but noises.

During our recent camping trip I could tell the time of day by the light and by the sounds around me. I had no watch, no phone but I had the time within the half-hour.

Sounds of the bush

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The Baby-Sitters Club in 2016

If you want to evoke nostalgia amongst a group of thirty something women, just mention the Baby-Sitters Club. That group of entrepreneurial girls, one with their own phone line (unheard of in the eighties), who got up to innocent scrapes and paved the way for the racier twins at Sweet Valley High.

The Baby-Sitters club in 2016

What if it were set in 2016? Would today’s girls get it? I don’t know. Here’s what would have to change.

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The post holiday blues – missing the chaos

It’s been a bit quiet around here. The big kid is back at school and the little guy and I have been pottering around, both a little bit at a loss. After weeks of noise and bustle everything has calmed down. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t love every moment of the holidays. There were plenty of times I couldn’t wait for school to start.

Holidays and Bikes

But now that it’s here I sort of miss the chaos.

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15 things young families with dogs know

Our gorgeous dog, Hugo, came into our lives at just the right moment. He brings us so much joy, laughter and comfort. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my little family dog and I am so glad that my boys are growing up with their own.

That’s not to say it’s easy bringing up kids and a dog in the same household. We have had our share of frustrations. If you have a dog and a young family, you will know what I am talking about.

15 things young families with dogs know

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