Can you see me?

No?
Seriously, I *am* here. I am hidden behind the ever-expanding piles of paperwork that have grown like topsy since my DH died. I had no idea of the huge amount of work that was involved, and that’s even with a solicitor dealing with the legal side of things.
A little part of me thinks [...]

The Rug Rat Race

Fabulous title, eh? For your delectation and intellectual stimulation, may I direct you to the working paper of that name by Garey Ramey and Valerie A. Ramey from the National Bureau of Economic Research, published in August 2009. (So it’s September and I’m behind in my reading. I’ve been travelling. That’s my excuse.)
This working paper [...]

It’s hard to travel

… when part of your luggage is worry.
Since DD was born, I have had 4 nights away from her. Two were when she spent the night at my mother’s over Christmas and I was a suburb away. One was when I eagerly went interstate for a work matter. The other was last weekend when DD [...]

Gifted child

It used to be that every mother thought her baby was beautiful and that was it. Now, (nearly) every mother seems to think her preschooler is gifted. I’m not kidding. Have a look at this BabyCenter poll on gifted children. A grand total of 74% of respondents believe their child is gifted.
As a former [...]

Polar Fleece Mum bites back

Yes, things have been quiet recently. Thanks to whichever delightful sharing, caring folks brought swine flu to Australia, various quarantine measures have been put in place. As one who travelled to Melbourne (treated as if it were the plague capital), I ended up spending a week in quarantine with DD who wasn’t allowed to see [...]

Mind your own business

Well, that’s what I feel like saying to people when they decide to “help” me by criticising my choices that I make for my daughter regarding food, entertainment, activities, bedtimes, sleeping patterns, clothing, and more. Sometimes it’s so-called experts (all that OMG your television will ROT your child’s BRAIN), sometimes it’s pretend-friendly acquaintances who [...]

Mother and housewife

Honestly, if you looked at the duty statement, salary, benefits and key performance indicators and then conducted a full cost benefit analysis, you wouldn’t take on the job. See how my mind works when I’m being snarky?
I read this article by Kylie Orr.
So while we debate what level of qualifications our country’s [...]

Pumpin’ Mamas

Article by Jill Lepore in The New Yorker here.
When did breast pumps become a substitute for proper paid maternity leave? Economically it’s cheaper for an employer to find a broom closet (remember, not a bathroom) with a power supply and a chair for a new mother, rather than the hassle of paying out maternity leave [...]

Birth order

OK, I don’t believe in everything in your life being determined by your birth order, whether you’re first, last, middle, or only. But I know that I am also coloured by my notion that I was hard done by as the eldest (by seven years!) and had a huuuuuge amount of extra work to do [...]

Hurry up for work!

That could be my rallying cry most mornings. I may not say it aloud but I’m certainly thinking it when I leap out of bed at 6.30 am and start the juggling process that is called mornings at home. Everything seems to be towards that end goal of being at work before the car parks [...]