Spending a husband-less week with my kids cannot in any fair world be called "single parenting", because I am well aware that it Does Not Compare even slightly to the extreme strain of actual single parenting. But "solo parenting" is arguably slightly less egregious, and a useful shorthand, so indulge me, okay? I am solo parenting… Continue reading Flying solo: 5 things 21.1.18

So much for getting back into the swing of things – between a stomach virus cutting a swathe through the family, and then chicken pox finally catching up with Claudia, I've been stuck at home and about 20% productivity the whole week. Not at all fun. Somehow we still managed to celebrate Max's birthday (though… Continue reading That was the week that wasn’t: 5 things 14.1.19

New year, new overwhelming sense of everything I would like to be Different 365 days from now, even though I am explicitly rejecting resolutions, goals, challenges or anything of that ilk. Ah, January. I managed to finish mending the quilt (again) this weekend, meeting my self-imposed deadline of "before the next year really kicks off".… Continue reading It has begun: 5 things 7.1.18

We've done an excellent job in the past week of resting and recharging – just holing up and quietly enjoying each other's company and doing whatever we feel like. Sudden chickenpox onset thwarted certain plans (Grampa visit, circus, theatre), which is a bit rubbish, but the invalid seems to be feeling completely fine (though itchy)… Continue reading The obligatory 2018 round-up: 31.12.18

Happy Christmas! It is, actually. Even with a very small family celebration, it always feels like a crapshoot; you can do the same things in the same way and still somehow the mood is just a bit crap. But when it's good, our quiet little cozy day, it's lovely. And this year is lovely. Santa… Continue reading Gud yul: 5 things that went right, 25.12.18

I've been feeling stressed lately (in case you hadn't noticed), but the thing is, it's pretty much all self-inflicted. So there's been a tough project at work, with a few late nights and a lot of compromises. So what. I can do the late nights from the comfort of my own home, and nobody but… Continue reading Still learning: 5 things 14.12.18

Thanksgiving isn't part of any culture I've lived in and it's the wrong week anyway, but I'm feeling very grateful, randomly, for a bunch of stuff in my life. Big things, like my family and where we live. And the awesome schools my kids are going to, and the great partnership we have with their… Continue reading Thankful: 5 things 10.12.18