At aged two my son held a grey plastic elephant in his hand at all times. Breakfast, park, lunch, nap time, dinner and bath - the grey elephant his constant companion. I have no idea when or why he stopped doing it. I just remember it being a thing, and then it wasn't. The grey elephant was filed into the same folder as bedwetting, thumb … [Read more...]
Follow The Blinking Cursor
January 28, 2016 by 12 Comments
I began writing online in a hotel room, the natural habitat of a perpetual expat. With a blank page and a blinking cursor I typed the words with the idea of an online letter: We've made it! We are FINALLY here in Doha. We haven't quite arrived in the state we were hoping, the house in Houston is still on the market, the children don't have … [Read more...]
Coffee With The Ladies
December 4, 2013 by 2 Comments
This is a sponsored post, but it's also a little story... When it came to children and putting them into some sort of organized care, I definitely got it all arse backwards. The first little traveller initially wasn't keen. I'd found a spot for her at a really cute little preschool two mornings a week when I was pregnant with my second little … [Read more...]
Cherio
February 21, 2013 by 6 Comments
The little travellers are home from school today. They are having "virtual" school day. It's a practice run for the next H1N1 or SARS epidemic, for when the school gets shut down and everyone is expected to work from home.Such a lovely thought.I'm not sure what terrifies me more, a viral epidemic of epic proportions, or home schooling.We are having … [Read more...]
The Very Worst And The Best Of Us
February 14, 2013 by 24 Comments
"Our children, they are the very worst of us and the best of us" The Way It's so easy to see the best in our children. I've sat on the sidelines of various activities, marveling over their individual personalities. The pieces of our family jigsaw that have nothing to do with G or I. The bits that are simply, them. I'm not sure that either … [Read more...]
Man, like, you know?
November 13, 2012 by 20 Comments
I left Doha knowing that Hurricane Sandy was on her way to New York. Like many people I had friends who were either there, or within the general vicinity, so I was keen to hear or read a news report when I landed in Australia.After picking up the hire car at the airport, I turned on the radio to a leading breakfast program. The hourly news break … [Read more...]
How was your day really?
October 17, 2012 by 10 Comments
It's no big deal.How was your day?Three children had vaccinations, one had a trip to the orthodontist - you bribed them with a donut before dropping them all to school. Later, you picked everyone up, one went to guitar lessons, one went to the library and two stayed with you. Dinner was easy - salmon, everyone was in bed by 8.30 after they'd done … [Read more...]
Cinnamon Slam
September 12, 2012 by 8 Comments
This morning as we pulled up at the school gate the fourth little traveller realized he had forgotten something. Was it his lunch? No. Was it his drink bottle? No. Was it his daily folder? No.He had forgotten the whole freaking lot. He had forgotten his school bag.One thing. He has one thing to carry to the car in the morning.He then decided he … [Read more...]
Voiceless
March 9, 2012 by 4 Comments
I have lost my voice. When I woke up this morning it was gone. It began with a sore throat yesterday at breakfast and ended with red wine and a couple of sneaky cigarettes at a dinner party last night (I know, I know - sneaky ciggies have to stop).Henry Hotdog woke both G and I up with great urgency this morning and announced that he'd looked in … [Read more...]
Living the "Suite" life.
November 28, 2009 by 2 Comments
After an evening of jet-lagged musical beds we awoke to our first morning in Doha. Our hotel suite would normally be enormous but with 4 children and 20 suitcases (the beagle is at the kennel) it has the feel of luxury camping. The hotel has very kindly upgraded us to a suite so we have a dining table that seats 8, a lounge area that has been … [Read more...]
