-
A second son starts his second season
I thought it might be easier the second time around. But just as each child is different, the experience of seeing a second son off to university was different. Different, not easier. This week has been a whirlwind. The boys came back from their summer camp jobs on Wednesday brown and exhausted from a summer of sun. The washing machine has been on continuously since then trying to get laundry clean. Son number one headed back to school on Friday – it’s become quite routine, unlike the first time three years ago, and he is anxious now to get back to… Read more…
-
I know where the other sock went: tales of a handywoman by necessity
You know those pesky socks – the singles ones (never a pair) that disappear when you’re doing the laundry? I now proof that the washing machine really does eat them! One fateful laundry day recently, my washing machine made a horrible noise and stopped, mid-cycle. Now, unfortunately, I’m no stranger to fixing this oh-so-important fixture in my weekly routine. A couple of years ago, I had to replace the boot seal of my front loader when my daughter’s very pointy Mockingjay pin (from the hit book and movie The Hunger Games) ripped a nice long rent in it. YouTube was my saviour… Read more…
-
Losing number two
Two years ago, I wrote about getting ready for my first-born to leave the nest. Now it’s time to start thinking about the same mix of pride, sadness, excitement and melancholy again. Son number two has always been his own person. He’s never cared what other people thought and has forged his own way – right from the get go. There were many times in his early years when I muttered this mantra over and over again: “Strong-willed toddlers become strong adults” just to stay sane. It’s no secret in our family that he and I have had our share of… Read more…
-
Some things I didn’t know before I became a (single) Mum
For Mother’s Day, and in no particular order, some of the things I’ve learned in the last decade or so: Crispy brownish two-day-old roses from a teenager are really, really pretty. Telling a 10 year old you like chocolate means a chocolate bar from the corner store for your birthday. If you tell a 5 year old it’s not going to rain today and then it does, you’ve “lied”. It really is possible to be in more than one place at the same time – as long as you have good friends and neighbours. Teenage boys don’t understand that not… Read more…
-
Sweet memories of love
Valentine’s Day can be a bit morose for a single woman. And I’m not ashamed to say I’ve drowned my sorrows in chocolate and red wine more than once. But this year I’ve decided to take an optimist’s view of love. Love comes in so many shapes and forms that it seems foolish to concentrate on only one kind. I have loved and have been well-loved in my life and it has been good. I’ve regretted none of it. A parent’s love is the first we experience. It’s a love we are so sure of that we push and we… Read more…
-
With apologies to Clement C Moore
Twas the day before Christmas and though joy’s in the air,All creatures are rushing, no second to spare.With carols to sing and stockings to stuff,The kitchen’s a whirlwind of baking and love. The concerts are finished, our voices are strained,Yet songs still ring out, as the season ordains.My son’s home from uni, he’s raiding the fridge.Exclaims nothing’s there, he’s eaten all but a smidge! Family visits are next, a once yearly meet,As others pour from offices, filling the street.Once more back home, with all good deeds done,We start to think, “Perhaps the holiday battle is won?” The family arrives, grandparents… Read more…
-
Recapturing Christmas
It gets harder every year. With every season that passes, life gets busier. There’s more to do, more to deal with, more chores that need to be done, more activities that kids need to be shuttled to and from, more stress at work. It gets harder every year. Gifts and gadgets on Christmas wish lists are more techy and more expensive. With family becoming more spread out, it’s harder to stay close and to know what is the right present for the right person. Commercial Christmas songs ring out and decorations appear in the stores earlier and earlier, starting the… Read more…
-
Random thoughts from a self-enforced moment of quiet
Are you strapped in? This week begins the “OMG, it’s less than a month before Christmas” panic that seems to afflict people – and especially mothers – throughout the land. The perfect joyous season our friendly advertisers bring us also results in a lot of stress and anxiety. There’s so much to do, so many places to be and so many events to attend that it can all feel a little overwhelming. This year, it seems particularly stressful. December is a whirlwind of Christmas concerts – between my daughter and I, our performances number close to 10 over three weekends.…
