I haven’t seen my mother since I was maybe three years old.I don’t know exactly when that last meeting was. What I remember is she had long brown hair and I must have been waiting for her, because I was at the window, watching her get out of a yellow car. We went to the zoo, and she bought me a red badge. I wanted to see the monkeys, but there wasn’t time, we had to go home, she said. I threw the badge on the floor. She cried. We went home. And I never saw her again. For the longest … [Read more...]
What do you know about copyright? (Part I)
March 13, 2010 by · 19 Comments
This blog post is copyrighted. I didn’t fill in a form. I didn’t register anywhere. But the moment I started typing and putting these words into a new order, thought up by me, my words became copyrighted.Because this blog post is copyrighted, I own it. If you want to use it, you have to ask permission. I might ask you for payment. I might say no. If I say yes, I have a right to be identified as the author of those words, when you use them (though I may choose to waive that right, for … [Read more...]
Problem Solving Behaviour
March 12, 2010 by · 9 Comments
I remember reading somewhere that problems are the universe’s way of encouraging you to get creative.Flea has got this down pat.My adorable offspring went to bed at 7pm tonight, as usual. Ten minutes later, I can hear her crying, so I go upstairs to find her sitting on her bedroom floor, sobbing her heart out. “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” She does that spluttering thing kids do when they can’t quite talk, but she manages to squeak out a plaintive, “Oh, … [Read more...]
March 2010 Tots100 Index of Top Mummy and Daddy Bloggers
March 11, 2010 by · 86 Comments
UPDATE: If you want to connect with 1,000 British Mummy blogs (and some Dads, too) then please visit the new Tots100 website with up-to-date listings and a brand new PR subscription option, so you can search, filter and contact the UK's most popular Mummy bloggers direct. Welcome to the March 2010 Tots100 index of the UK's top 100 parent blogs and bloggers! This month's index of British Mummy and Daddy bloggers sees some new entries in the top 10 and 20 new entries to the index overall - so … [Read more...]
What do you know about libel?
March 9, 2010 by · 42 Comments
Let’s imagine for a moment there was a story in the papers about a celebrity recently, who apparently housed their kids in a separate house, with a team of nannies caring for them. As a blogger, you might be tempted to write about the story, perhaps expressing your view that this constitutes neglectful parenting. Perhaps someone in your comments says that the celebrity is a terrible parent and we should stop going to see their films in protest. Later it turns out the story was completely … [Read more...]
The one where I feel sorry for myself
March 7, 2010 by · 27 Comments
For the most part, single parenting is okay with me. I’m not one of those advocates who thinks it better than the alternative, but I don’t think it’s any worse, either.But today…ugh.I woke up this morning feeling a bit ropy. Nothing major, but not tip top. The chap was leaving to go off to work for the week, and I told him not to worry, we’d be fine. Then I stepped into the kitchen. The smell of last night’s dinner brought me out in a cold sweat, my legs went wobbly, my stomach … [Read more...]
Sally and Flea go to London.
March 4, 2010 by · 18 Comments
One of my first posts on this blog was my confession that, when she was in pre-school, Flea’s usual breakfast was cereal in a cup. We’ve moved on from those days. We’re older, wiser, more sophisticated. Yes, now that Flea is four, she’s big enough to get her own breakfast, thereby allowing me an extra two minutes in bed. I know. Bad Sally.Perhaps sensing we need to develop better breakfast habits, Cereal Partners UK invited us along to a cooking event in London, where we’d get tips on … [Read more...]
Just too good not to share
March 3, 2010 by · 68 Comments
I got this email through my website today, from a reader of this blog. It made me laugh quite a lot. But that's probably just because I am evil:Dear Sally, I just want to know why you have obviously committed your daughter to a miserable childhood/adolesence by giving her such a ridiculously vindictive name, Flea? I just cannot grasp how you can be such a bloody selfish mother? I presume you are intelligent enough to realise the consequences of your actions and wonder why you have subjected … [Read more...]
Where’s Flea?
March 1, 2010 by · 15 Comments
We had some decorating done last week, which involved packing away books and toys in boxes. Look, here's my lounge! Isn't it lovely? But where's Flea? What is it with kids and boxes? But I have to say, this isn't my all-time favourite Flea hiding picture. That's the one below. You'll never guess where she is in this picture. She is TOTALLY hiding. Wonder how old are they when they work out that you can still see them even though they can't see you? … [Read more...]
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