This morning, I met with Mr. Mayor for our weekly “Spud meeting.” This is where ideas and plans come to life, where we create our “potato lists” (that’s our version of a to-do list), and where the real magic happens behind the scenes. We have quirky, fun names for everything we do because being a…
Do you ever look at your child’s homework and feel a sudden, overwhelming urge to hand in your resignation as a parent-teacher? Because today, I officially quit Grade 1. I remember my own time in Grade 1 quite fondly. I remember sitting on the carpet listening to stories. I remember the tactile joy of playdough…
This week has been different. It’s quiet—almost too quiet. It’s the kind of heavy, expectant silence that makes your ears actually hurt from the lack of noise. When the Mayor asked, “How is everything going in the South?” I had to stop and think. It’s going, but it is quiet. Nothing is happening. We are…
Life doesn’t nudge; it usually erupts. This week has been a sprawling rollercoaster of reflection—some of it chosen, some of it forced, and some of it so absurd I could do nothing but laugh. In my household, there is simply never a dull moment. You might be rolling your eyes right now, leaning back with…
There is a specific kind of magic in the words “school holidays.” For a mom, they sound like a long, cool drink of water after a marathon. In my mind, the script is already written: I am sleeping in. The house is silent. I am cradling a warm cup of Jo in the soft morning…
There is a specific kind of heavy that settles into your bones about a week before the school gates finally lock for the holidays. It’s not just the kind of tired that a good night’s sleep can fix; it’s a soul-deep exhaustion that makes the simple act of putting on a pair of socks feel…
In my household, there is simply never a dull moment. You might be rolling your eyes right now, leaning back with your own coffee, and thinking, “What happened now?” It’s a fair question. Life here doesn’t nudge; it usually erupts. Monday mornings are my Everest. I’m not entirely sure why, but I wake up feeling…
This week has been a lesson in drainage. Not the kind where water flows neatly into a gutter (which it did), but the kind where your physical and mental batteries hit that flickering red line. It started with ten minutes of “Beginner Zumba” on YouTube with my son. I’m giving you a fair warning: if…
According to the weather service, we are in for a wet, cool Autumn. Our usually sunny town has decided to try on a new personality—one that is grey, gloomy, and “cloudy with a chance of thundershowers.” I’ve mentioned before that it feels like I’m living in London, but this week, I’m convinced I’ve actually moved…
The silence in the house wasn’t the peaceful kind—at least, not at first. It was the heavy, expectant silence of a family waiting for a little green light to flicker back to life on a plastic box. Last Sunday, I made a conscious choice to leave the laptop closed. I had things to do for…
