No alarms clock needed to wake me up for work anymore. No rumble of the incoming early train, no shuffling sounds of people settling into their seats and taking out books or iPads or headphones for the duration of the commute. No sounds of morning greetings of co-workers; instead I hear the morning greetings of…
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As the fiftieth chorus so far today of ‘Happy Birthday’ rings through the house as the kids wash their hands, I can’t help but think yet again of how strange our lives feel, and how quickly the change came. The new normal, apparently. New ways of doing things, a new way of living, an overnight…
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I remember when I started this blog, and why. Seven years ago, we had been trying to have a baby for years, then found out we’d need to do IVF, and I realised I needed somewhere to pour out my thoughts and feelings, somewhere to empty my brain without needing to explain or apologise, no…
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Rushing to put on my jacket at the front door this morning at 6.27 precisely, meaning I have 8 minutes until the train pulls in at the station, I look back to see two sad little faces at the top of the stairs. Both in their Batman & Toy Story pyjamas, both still warm from…
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{To Rian, starting ‘big’ school!} You love going to the park. Running around the playground, I watch as you look across every so often to make sure that I can see the amazing jump you’re about to make, or watch as you push yourself to new heights on the swing. I watch as you climb…
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There’s a drive I take a couple of times a week along the same route. On that route there’s a little cottage just off the main road, where an elderly man lives. Every morning, he places two or three vases on the ground just past his front gate, full of the most beautiful flowers which…
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I don’t know if it’s a full moon, or if it’s just that I feel particularly tired lately from the never ending early mornings (thank you 5am sunrises that make young children think it’s the middle of the day), or if it’s just that I’m 38 and noticing changes in myself that are probably just…
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Well, technically it’s two mics but that wouldn’t make as nice a title for a blog post if you ask me! Either way, I’m now offically a Podcaster! In case you hadn’t heard, (or you’ve managed to avoid me more or less spamming my Instagram account with it!) the new podcast is called Under The…
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‘Hey Mam? Remember when yesterday – yesterday – yesterday and yesterday we had no crèche?’ That’s how Rian counts days in the past and days in the future. Yesterday-yesterday-yesterday is his way of referring to last Sunday for example, if today is Thursday. And if today is Thursday, tomorrow-tomorrow-tomorrow is how he refers to next…
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Those of you who read my ramblings on a regular basis might have noticed one or two posts where I’ve spoken about how tricky I’ve been finding balancing everything – work, kids, creche viruses and just generally trying to keep all the plates spinning more, and my head spinning less. Spoiler, the plates weren’t spinning…
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The Scenic Route 