Life is not a fairy tale. I don’t wake up with a full face of makeup, beautifully flowing hair, and a waist the size of a thimble. My husband certainly doesn’t ride around on a fancy... Read More
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I moved into my first army quarter just before our eldest was born, bribing myself with a Smeg fridge to prove that, despite now having to live in an epicentre of tedium painted entirely in magnolia,... Read More
We are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary next week. Where did the time go? Being 10 years married makes me feel older than my own age does.
My husband and I were talking in the... Read More
By the time you read this blog, Son will have started his GCSEs, the culmination of three sets of mocks over the past year, endless revision sessions – for the students and the parents! - and e... Read More
We were one of thousands of households in the UK, seduced into bringing a puppy into our family during the Covid-19 lockdown; perhaps ‘coerced’ would be a more accurate description. My da... Read More
I need to learn from Commander-in-Chief-Junior’s priorities. He woke me up in the middle of the night murmuring something unintelligible about Dracula. When I asked him in the morning what he d... Read More
Like fellow contributor Jill , we often struggle to get through the regular homework set by the school. My daughter claims that homework is not for weekend days at all, which is a good an... Read More
"It's not fair". The soundtrack of our (parenting) lives, the title of my memoirs, the last line on the end credits scene at my funeral.
When you have siblings, life is... Read More
There is a bit of a pinch to turning 40. It’s the age that you think of in your 20s as people having their life organised, and settled, and having disposable income! Now that I am looking down ... Read More
The first thing I noticed, when I walked back into mum’s apartment in Savona, after she passed away last November, was the familiar smell of a home I had not been in for a while. I closed my ey... Read More
As with most things in life, Valentine’s Day has meant something different to me during different periods in my life. I remember the fear as a teenager that I might not receive any cards, along... Read More
Why is this such a big deal in grown up age? I’m not going to lie, my social life took a hit during Covid. Everything changed. My community, my routine, my job, my personality… all of it... Read More
I find myself writing this as I sit on the Elizabeth Line on the way to Heathrow Terminal 5, to board a flight to Qatar where I'll see England take on the might of current world champions France ... Read More
When the first lockdown finished and restaurants finally reopened, myself and my husband booked lunch. When we got there, my husband stopped me at the door and said – “they will ask your ... Read More
Dear Mum, I made lasagne today, just the way you taught me, with lean beef and handfuls of fresh herbs. We ate them for dinner and talked about you. Son and daughter reminisced about visiting you in ... Read More
"It's just a phase" I said last week, hoping to reassure my friend with a newborn baby who was worried about not managing to get dressed before 2pm. It was my wise mum who first s... Read More
Hey, how are you all? Today I am writing from the ‘Half Term Trenches’. I am still alive, amazingly still smiling and my kids haven’t killed each other. How I hear you ask?
I c... Read More
This year I turned 50 and decided to return to work after a long career break. Thank God for HRT!
My peri menopause symptoms probably started subtly over the last few years, but the roller ... Read More
So, I’m approaching a happy age in my kids’ lives when ‘the time has come to put away childish things’. This is ages 10 and 11 in my case. Thank goodness. Happy is ... Read More
How was your summer and return to reality last month? Autumn has well and truly arrived now, and we’re back on the treadmill of school and work.
In my last blog I was continuing th... Read More
As a teenager in the 1980s, I was addicted to Capital Radio, desperate for enough money to buy a pair of Converse, and had a crush on the boy over the road. I dreamt of working with dolphins and ador... Read More
School starts next week: into Year 2 for our eldest and our youngest starts in Reception. Everyone is very excited. The older one to see all of her friends, go back to the school routine an... Read More
My mom was an avid reader. She had a stunning command of language, and many of my memories in my twenties revolve around book swaps, and book club like conversation between us.
For six weeks I h... Read More
This year we went on holiday separately as Son and Daughter, who are 15 and 16 years old respectively, have such polar opposite preferences that compromising would have meant ‘half-way happy&rs... Read More
When the new term starts my daughter will enter her final year at primary school. The years have flown by and I can hardly believe the small, shy and still cute 4-year-old has become the tall, opinio... Read More
I must admit, before my youngest was born (4 years ago) hubby and I were pretty spoiled when it came to holidays. We went everywhere, Cuba, Thailand, you name it. When the eldest was born we took him... Read More
I hit a milestone birthday last week. I’d been worried about this for months. I know age is only a number, and “it’s all about how you feel” (says almost everyone), but there&... Read More
Life was wonderful and I say this without arrogance. In January 2018, we welcomed our first child, and first grandchild on both sides of the family, to the world. So, it was not particula... Read More
The inspiration for my solo holiday was admittedly revenge for my husband’s 12 days away on a desert marathon and 1.5 years of training for said event. What both my family and I gained fro... Read More