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. Love refers to the soppy stuff. Let’s face it, we sometimes moan when we can’t pee in peace, we sometimes wish leaving the house wasn’t a military operation. But would we change things? Never. Because at the end of the day we love the small people that have turned our worlds upside down, to the moon and back. I hope you enjoy these posts of a more heart felt nature.
When I was 14 years old my bedroom wall was adorned with a huge black and white collage. Posters of River Phoenix, Jon Bon Jovi, Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves. And of course the obligatory black and white photo of a man holding a baby from Athena. I have so many photos […] Read more…
When I was growing up we had a mirror in our bathroom. It said… Love is giving and forgiving It was from the 1970’s Kim Casali Love is… comic. I would see it every day for years and it always made me smile. I wish my parents had kept it because I would love to […] Read more…
I’ve been here once before. Only this time it feels different. There’s a hint of familiarity. A sense of nostalgia maybe. But when I think back to the first time I stepped over this threshold holding your big brother’s hand, you were just a baby in my arms. And now look at you. The all […] Read more…
Hey there new Mummy, Congratulations on the arrival of your precious bundle. How are you? Sore? In awe of the tiny human you have created? That never goes away. the awe, not the sore. Eight years in and it still takes my breath away that I created that walking, talking, flossing, person. I know that […] Read more…
Way back when I was relatively new to the blogging world I wrote a guest post for my friend Talya at Motherhood: The Real Deal for her series ‘Being a Mother.’ I read it again the other day and realised as my kids have gotten older there are so many more ways to define motherhood. […] Read more…
When you are in the midst of the endless night feeds and sleep deprivation is making you slightly crazy, you think the person that says to you “one day you will miss this” is either slightly unhinged, or about to be slapped. But they are right. One day you will miss the 2am feed in […] Read more…
The title for this blog post is something I typed into google over and over again, in many variations. And I never found anyone who said “No”. But I am saying “No”. Speech delay and autism do not always go hand in hand. By telling our story I hope to be able to help someone […] Read more…
Do you ever have those little moments? The moments where you catch you breath. A few moments between the everyday hustle and bustle and juggle that is life. It can be hard to notice them when your attention is elsewhere. Work, feeding the kids, signing permission slips, doing the laundry, mentally writing seven different to-do […] Read more…
People can get a bad rep. And it’s fair to say there are some douche bags out there. One of them happens to be the leader of the free world. When you become a parent your radar for douche bags is on high alert. There’s the douche bags that have a problem with breastfeeding in […] Read more…
To Oliver, You turn three on Monday. Three already! Not my tiny baby anymore. I always write a post about you and your brother on your birthdays, to celebrate you, and the year you have had. To remind me of all those precious times, and so I never forget what you were like. But […] Read more…
My eyes are for looking out for you, spotting the hazards before you come to harm. They are for searching for your lost toys for the tenth time that week. They are for seeing the world through your eyes. They are for watching you grow and change at a pace I can barely fathom. My nose was […] Read more…
Loosing a loved one is never easy. When a loss is unexpected it rocks the foundations of our world. When that loved one is young, and their life has ended far to soon, it is a tragedy. Your world stopped that day, and yet the rest of the world continued to function without you. People […] Read more…
I will be your protector. Fierce and true. I will protect you from monsters under the bed and cars as we cross the road. I will fight for what you need and deserve. And when you are big enough and brave enough to fight your own battles, remember I’m always in your corner. I […] Read more…
I love hearing people’s birth stories. Whether they were pushed out, pulled out, screamed out or hypno-birthed out, I think all birth stories are amazing. So this is part two of my story, and the birth of the little one. I had two very different birth experiences. The birth of the little one was a […] Read more…
It’s a well-known fact that babies don’t come out of the womb clutching onto a handy instruction manual. You don’t have to do a course, or pass a test to become a parent. There are no qualifications required. They let you waddle out of the hospital with your newborn bundle, a glowing sense […] Read more…
It’s one of those standard interview questions isn’t it, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?” I used to have all the answers. Not anymore. Before I became a parent I lived very much for the future. Short term I lived for the weekend and the nights out. Longer term I was all […] Read more…
11:03pm this evening marks 2 years since the little one made his entrance into the world. My baby is 2 today. Today will be filled with laughter and smiles, and a few tears when I won’t let him drive his cars into the TV, or insist that he has to wear socks. Much like […] Read more…
I love a good birth story. One Born Every Minute is one of my favourite TV programs. True story; When I was pregnant with the big one they were filming the very first series at Princess Anne Hospital and I was asked if I wanted to take part. I politely declined. Mainly because I kept […] Read more…
I don’t know who you are, I shall call you the New Mum, you posted this on social media stating that parents are lazy… Firstly, can I say congratulations, New Mum. You did it. You grew a tiny human being. I don’t know if pregnancy was kind to you, or whether you spent 9 […] Read more…
Deciding to have a child is huge. Deciding to have another child is complicated! There is almost 4 and a half years between my small people. I know friends with smaller gaps and friends with bigger gaps. There’s no ‘right’ age gap to have. Each comes with it’s own challenges and highs and lows. People […] Read more…