"No reading at the breakfast table"

After another busy and full year, it is exciting that we've managed to extract ourselves from life for a full month! And these are the times I'm so thankful for a school teaching job (aside from the fact that I'm also actually enjoying teaching). Four years ago we did a similar trip (and I would link you to this on my blog if I was capable of it - my phone is a little limited). It is so much nicer travelling with older kids. Not that it was horrible last time but I've appreciated less crying and not as many snacks seem to be needed. For example this morning we've been driving for well over an hour and no one has asked for food yet. Amazing! So-where are we? Today we're driving from Adelaide to Melbourne to catch the big boat to Tasmania. Last week we drove from Sydney to Adelaide -two days of driving. We had an overnight stop halfway in Hay-seriously in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed an awe inspiring Aussie outback sunset. I had left Sydney feeling totally s

Earlier this year I heard Ann Dowsett Johnston plugging her new book 'Drink: the intimate relationship between women and alcohol' on the radio and what she said motivated me enough to actually buy and read her book. Why would I want to read a book about women and alcohol?  I don't drink much myself but I have noticed an increasing number of female peers drink very regularly.  I don't think it's always been the case, but as life gets more stressful juggling kids, work and everything else, a glass of wine in the evenings helps take the edge off the stress.  I see the appeal.  Because it's easy.  Not complicated (unlike everything else in life).  Not illegal and mostly not that addictive. Except for some it is.  And this is what this book is about.  For twenty years the author had a glass of wine while she was cooking the evening meal after a busy day at work.  Just one.  Hands up who does that?  Heaps of my readers I would guess. But the tipping point came

So I've almost survived my first year of a daughter in Year 7.  Actually, more accurately she's survived it.  A whole new school.  Totally new friends.  And oh, aren't the friends the big thing for some teenage girls?  It was for me.  Filled my brain totally.  Unfortunately it wasn't filled with French vocab or my English novels but the people side of junior high was consuming. The new challenge that we've faced this year is managing the internet.  More specifically the ubiquitous access to the internet.  3G + teenage girls = bad, bad combo. My daughter bought herself an iPod touch earlier this year.  She had a very boring Nokia phone that we gave her for Christmas last year (her face literally fell when she opened it) but her friends mostly have iPhones (usually mum and dad's old ones) with 3G access.  So constant access to the internet.  And constant access to social media apps like Kik and Viber.  This means you can constantly be in touch with your frie

When we joined our local church 5 years ago our eldest son was 10 years old and the oldest child in the church. The nearest boy his age was about 4 years younger. When it came to joining a church with a peer group for our older kids-well, it was a real step in faith because that peer group didn't exist. We still felt that changing to this church was the right thing to do because it would connect our life together so much better. Our kids at the local school, preschool and us involved in the local church. Even still it wasn't the most ideal choice for our older kids. However, this morning at church provided a 'moment' to reflect on where we've come from. Now our church has a viable youth group. Our son is still the oldest kid, but that's ok. Someone has to be the oldest. What it has given him is a great appreciation for the times when new kids his age have joined. It's given him a level of maturity in commitment to attending church and youth group bey