Last week was full of surprises. Apparently we might be buying a house? It's not quite signed and sealed yet so I shouldn't really be making any big announcements, but ooh er. It's got masses of space, and it's a short walk from our current place, so that's all that really matters. It is nice,… Continue reading Entering the grownup zone: 5 things 18.2.19

In the burnout zone yet again. I realise this is ridiculous. I can't bounce from one job to the next and claim exhaustion after the first couple of months. But in my defence, (1) I didn't sign on for 80% workload (and in fact it's been 100% for weeks now), and (2) this particular project… Continue reading When work isn’t working: 5 things 11.2.19

Informed by letter last week that the local primary schools are doing away with homework, as a town-wide policy. I did have a big "ooh er" kneejerk reaction, but I'm familiar with all the arguments against homework, and mostly I'm impressed and excited that the schools are so progressive. C has had nothing but great… Continue reading On discipline: 5 things 4.2.19

Actually, not so much One Darn Thing After Another as just Everything At Once, really. Household and work and everything got very intense last week. I am ready for a rest now please thank you (but it's not coming just yet). Armin was in Davos, as happens every January, and it's really quite striking that… Continue reading OTDAA: 5 things 28.1.19

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