I’m looking out on what has been called, of late and on social media, a winter wonderland, but what, in reality, is what you’d expect to see at this time of year, in this part of the country. I’m sure that the yellow and amber warnings make it seem worse. I suppose if more people […]
The parenting milestones no one tells you about
It’s possible that before you conceive your first child, milestones are just those old things beside the road or on the set of a panto. Somewhere that Mr Whittington does his turning. You know? But that doesn’t last long. Soon everything is measured out and ticked off – compared to the average, or to her […]
Fund-raising ideas for teenagers
Boy Two has earned himself a place on a trip to Malaysia in 2019 with the Scouts. It’s a great opportunity to have an adventure, meet new people and enjoy some memorable escapades. I’m delighted for him. The only thing is that he has to raise the cost of getting himself there – no mean […]
Things you don’t need for a happy Christmas
Undeniably, inexorably Christmas is coming. I can almost smell the turkey and mince pies. Jingle jingle. This year I have decided I’m going to be jolly from the outset. I’ll be so flipping festive you’ll couldn’t pick me out of a lineup of Santa’s elves. But first I’ve got to get one or two tiny, […]
Snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails.
What’s so bad about boys then? BC (Before Children) I believed that boys and girls were largely the same until they got hormones, therefore should be brought up in a gender-neutral environment. Hah, funny that. On the other hand, I get quite cross with the women for whom taking a pop at their ‘crap’ husbands’ […]