Yesterday, Husband and I sat rather apprehensively in the kitchen, awaiting the arrival of our second (or technically third?) house guest from Ukraine. I realise now that it’s been a year since our first foray into this world, and I still haven’t written a jot about the many, many reflections this bizarre experience offered. (There…
Category: Family
The Things I Do With Myself
Hello, loyal email and WordPress followers! Thank you for still being here. I have much to report, as you can probably imagine, but for now I thought it was time for a little life update. Five weeks ago, after nine years at home with bumps, babies and preschoolers; I graduated. By which I mean that…
That Old, Forbidden Crumble
Trigger Warning: This post discusses the issue of adultery, particularly in a Christian ministry context. It is not aimed at any particular persons, but rather addresses the alarming rate of clergy infedelity and reflects on why this might be. Please don’t read further if this is likely to upset you. “Did you hear about Elaine’s…
Child Prodigy
We have a framed quotation in our kitchen, hidden amongst the past projects, unidentifiable clay models and paintbrushes. We even made and decorated it ourselves, for good measure. I love it and almost certainly ascribe to the message. Lately, however, I have also found myself thinking that, whilst every child is an artist, some are…
Our Latest House Guest
I never thought we’d be an “Alexa!” kind of family. In fact, after hearing our previous neighbours’ children repeatedly squawk her name from the garden, I had sworn that Alexa would never set her submissive digital foot inside our home. Still. As is often the case with early parental swears, here we are. A previous…
Chasing Paper (Part 1)
Helpless, anxious, frustrated. Governments fall, crowds surge, gunshots fired. Where will they go? What will become of them? The first to escape have arrived. They’re in a hotel, hidden from view. Husband goes to visit, to see what we can do. There’s talk of playgroups, buddy systems, classes… But there’s tension in the ranks And…
Magical Covid
After blogging weekly throughout both lockdowns, it seems only right to document my experience of the beast itself… albeit 4 months later. It’s been a busy time! Let me set the scene (before the scene, before the scene)…. It is December 2021 and we have a big birthday party planned for the Eldest the week…
The Availability Factor
Those who followed the Lockdown Diaries may remember a whole series of events through which God challenged my felt uselessness with an instruction to ‘be available.’ As a project-driven extrovert, I found many of our bubble-restricted days in limited locations difficult, and thought ‘availability’, aka loitering without intent, a sorry excuse for a vocation! Then…
A Brief History of Summer
Dear regulars, I’m sorry it’s been so long. Truth is, there’s been far too much to say and far too little time in which to process and then say it. Which is a bit of a novelty now, post lockdown, isn’t it? Anyway, rather than just reappear after a few months and dump the heavy…
The Sweet Spot
A couple of years ago I was at a church community meal that Husband was unable to attend. Breastfeeding a young baby in one arm, cutting up food for my two year old with the other and keeping half an eye on my four year old from across the room, I noticed another lone mother…
Life as we Know it (May 21)
Yesterday, my parents travelled home after a 7 day sleepover at our house. The UK rules changed on the 17th of May and that was the day they arrived; not only viewing our “new” home for the first time (we moved in last August!), but also staying with us overnight for the first time in…
The Jab
For the first time since turning 35, I celebrate the fact that I am over 35! (Until roughly three days later, of course, when they offer the vaccine to anyone over 32. Hey ho. 3 days, 3 years… who’s counting?!) Husband has informed me that the vaccine centre is really hard to find and so…
starsinclayjars 