What's life without love and a few dirty dishes?
Life, Love and Dirty Dishes is mainly about parenting. Living life with small people and the situations we find ourselves in. Life refers to the funny stuff. If becoming a parent has taught me anything, it’s enjoying simple pleasures and having a sense of humour about things. How else would we survive the poonamis and the tantrums? If you’ve stumbled into this category I hope these posts make you laugh and brighten your day a little.
Tomorrow my first born turns 10. That’s a whole decade of being a parent, and a whole lot of sleep lost! There have been many many lessons learnt in the last 10 years. There were ridiculous intentions at the start, and a whole host of unexpected things along the way. But if I could go […] Read more…
You wouldn’t think it would you? With their chubby cheeks, big soulful eyes, and smiles that can melt the coldest of all hearts. And if the smile doesn’t do it, the bear hug will. But toddlers are petty criminals. Mastermind law breakers. Evil geniuses in the making. At some point your toddler would have committed […] Read more…
If the movies are to be believed you know when you are in labour when: a) You wake up with a start because you are having a contraction and rush to the hospital immediately. b) Your waters break somewhere public and you start having agonising contractions. In reality it’s normally nothing like that. Knowing when […] Read more…
One of my talents is being able to recite several Julia Donaldson books with my eyes closed. A Squash & A Squeeze, Stick Man and The Gruffalo should be a skill on my CV! Both the boys have been through an obsession with her stories. When it was Big’s phase I wrote a parody of […] Read more…
We survived the first year at school! Summer Holidays are around the corner and it’s been 9 months since I said my first goodbye to my son with a lump in my throat at the classroom door. The little boy who could barely write his own name now writes me notes and knows what a dodecahedron is. (I […] Read more…
We’ve all heard of the bedtime witching hour. When kids turn slightly ferrel and parents are counting down until the moment they can collapse on the sofa and ignore one another in marital bliss. But did you know parenting involves a lot more witching hours than just the bedtime one… The Early Morning Witching Hour […] Read more…
Whether it’s a sickness bug or chicken pox, childhood illness can cause stress, worry, and a lot of googling. Not to mention a severe decline in the number of hours parents sleep, and a sharp incline in the amount of chocolate they eat. Maybe that’s just my house. Batten down the hatches, the kids are […] Read more…
I read the other day that one of the best things you can do when visiting a new Mum, is to offer to take her precious bundle of joy for a walk. Seriously? On what planet is that good advice? ‘I’m going to make a sweeping generalisation here, but most new mums I […] Read more…
Big went on his first residential trip in March at the grand old age of nine. Two nights on the Isle of Wight with the school. I was fine. I was organised. Everything was labelled within an inch of it’s life. The trip started on his Little Brother’s birthday, so my mind was consumed with […] Read more…
When I was growing up we had a climbing frame with slide in our back garden. My best friend lived next door and had a climbing frame too. Most of my childhood was spent on either hers or my climbing frame! I believe I acquired many life skills hanging around on those bars. Now this […] Read more…
Yes, you heard me. I’m sure it’s some kind of parenting cardinal sin for which I am being punished for with two kids that get up at the crack of dawn every dam day. But it’s true, for my sins, I hate the park. And I know it’s good for them. Fresh air. Climbing. Running […] Read more…
I am becoming increasingly aware that the days of Big not having a mobile phone are limited. Primary school seems to be flying past, and in the not to distant future we will be looking at secondary schools and he will get his first phone. It’s uncharted territory for me. I managed fine walking to […] Read more…
As I was having the daily argument with Big about putting his coat on this morning, it dawned on me the different stages we go through of wearing a coat during our lifetime. Coats when you are a baby Let’s face it coats are way too big and puffy for babies. They just look like […] Read more…
Can I start by saying I do hate the term ‘influencers’. I guess because we like to think we know our own minds and are not influenced by anyone. But the truth is we are. So on International Women’s day I thought I would share my favourite female influncers who are doing amazing things with […] Read more…
Unless you’ve been under a rock you will have heard about Luther by now. The BBC (also on Netflix) drama starring Idris Elba as Police Detective John Luther in the Serious & Serials division. Basically he catches all the psychos. If you have been under a rock, may I suggest you stay under it because […] Read more…
The husband and I started going out just before my fifteenth birthday. But although he is the love of my life there have been others. The boys I loved before… First Love I was eleven when I first fell in love. He was blonde, Australian, and went by the name of Jason Donovan. His pictures […] Read more…
The presents have been opened, the turkey has been eaten, the crackers have been pulled, and the Baileys has been downed by the mug full. Another Christmas has been and gone. Hopefully you got some nice gifts, you probably added an inch or two to your waist line. But for now the chaos and fun […] Read more…
It’s official, my thirties are very rapidly coming to an end. Next month I will enter my forties. At the beginning of this year the thought of turning forty was not a pleasant one. But now I am seeing the good things about getting older and I am ready to embrace the next phase of […] Read more…
Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house,The children were feral, and had head louse;A child was crying ’cause someone didn’t share,Another was frantic because they’d lost a stuffed bear;Daddy was pleading “Is it time for bed?”,While mummy was muttering ’bout de-licing their heads,The tree looked dishevelled, no thanks to the cat,Who played […] Read more…
I love that saying about cousins, “Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends” It perfectly sums up my relationship with my cousin Katie. She was bridesmaid at my wedding and now I get to be bridesmaid for her. Her wedding also happens to be in Australia, so I get to […] Read more…