It was our boy’s birthday. I made him cupcakes with his favourite icing. I sang him happy birthday and watched him smile. “Mum, you are a terrible singer,” he said. He didn’t want a party this year. He said it seemed a little childish. He is now twelve years old and already too grown up […]
Category: After School Conversations
Worn
It is a 12-year-old teddy bear we retired to the shelf some time ago. The material was getting too thin and fragile. For a time, teddy accompanied our son everywhere. They had great times in the park; snuggled on cold nights looking through picture books; ran down hills and spent long days at daycare. When […]
Tooting my own horn
I haven’t watched Nanette. I want to watch Nanette. I should watch Nanette. From the trailers, it seems like a soul-searing look at one woman’s story. Someone who is, in her own words, “gender not-normal”. “I don’t identify as transgender. But I’m clearly gender not-normal. I don’t think even lesbian is the right identity for […]
More than reading, writing and arithmetic
My son is in his final year at primary school. He is a solid, average student. He isn’t the highest achiever in his class and has had some intensive academic support at school to keep him in the middle. His local public school is not as well resourced as the expensive private schools, but I […]
“Look for the helpers”
I was asked to attend a Civic Leaders meeting recently for a colleague who could not make it. It was in Auburn and held after hours. I could not get someone to look after my son in time. I left early to pick him up and he came with me. It was an important meeting. […]
He did not always devour books
Him: My friends and I have just started reading Lord of the Rings. Me: Really? You don’t find it too hard? H: Nah. It has old words like thus and nay and stuff. But that’s ok. M: what do you like about it? H: It looks really cool in my imagination. He had difficulties with […]
Our Double Bass Player
It started last year. The double bass player at our son’s school was in year six and about to leave. The strings and orchestra group was soon going to be without that deep sound that rounds out their music. There’s no glory in the double bass. They play the rhythm as the rest of the […]
After school conversations
It’s a four year old conversation. Our boy was in Grade 2. His teacher was asking the class to prepare a short talk every two weeks. “So,” I ask. “What are you going to do for your school topic talk this week?” “What I would do if I ruled the world,” he responds. “Oh, I […]
Ice cream and good news at midnight
It was a big day for my husband. He started work at 9am and came home after 11pm. He produces the nightly news at one of the TV stations here in Sydney and it was the first night with new graphics and a new set. He was happy with how the day went, but was […]
Superheroes and their special powers
We’re at the Art of the Brick exhibition. It’s a while ago, during the school holidays. We’re weaving through the crowds, looking at intricate lego models of heroes and villains. I turn and ask our boy, “What would you rather be? A superhero or their sidekick?” He responds, “The sidekick I think…” The sidekick is usually a […]
Durian
We are waiting for his father to finish work. It’s a Friday night and we’re treating ourselves to a cheap meal out. We’re both in the car outside his workplace, but his father is taking ages to leave the building. I’m bored. He’s bored. I turn to to our son and ask him the first […]
The Supermoon
Can you see it? It’s there in the distance between the buildings. A faint white ball rising through a cloudy sky. It was taken last year, on the 14th of November. All morning the radio was full of talk about it. The Supermoon. It was going to be the largest moon in almost 70 years […]
