Learning on the job

At school this week my eldest got to design and build (out of cardboard) his dream house. He really went to town, and created something...

Today I had a park date with friends who have children the same ages as ours. I admired their smart new picnic bag; they praised my...

Last night we had some ladies from church over for cake, and, slightly randomly, a tang soo do demonstration by the ladies’ triple black...

I have a theory about choices. Choices can give us the illusion of offering happiness but actually make us miserable. Rather than being...

Today I got asked to write an article for the local magazine and be interviewed at an upcoming evening event for our church (whoop...

I am a pedant with a red pen in hand. As much as I moan about marking, there is something satisfying about standing OVER someone’s work,...

This week our pastor preached on the ten commandments. This caused disproportionate excitement in our house, sadly not just because the...

A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. There has been some unexpected drama, and I hope that the fact that I have thought at...

The road we travel down as we set off to school is completely lined with daffodils. This warms my heart each morning, and I’ve commented...

“You’re always running!” Mary told me as she dodged out of the way so I could shoot past, "Whenever I see you you're running!" She’s not...

The early days of motherhood were a blur for me: sleep deprivation, sickness, generally feeling overwhelmed and out of my depth. “Ah!”...

Screen time is a tightly restricted and highly valued commodity in our house. Weekend chores are completed in an eager flurry for the...

Gratuitous 'Hamilton' picture: There is perhaps nothing that reveals the ugliness of my heart more than its schadenfreude: the pleasure...

I may have mentioned just once or twice (!) that I love “Hamilton”, and that we went to see it this week. It really is an amazing...

Aside from when it comes to the marking, I’d say I’m quite an enthusiastic teacher. (My eldest, after seeing me present the story at...

My new church is currently running a series of women’s evening events. These are brilliant, both in content (biblical, practical,...

I’ve been blessed with a very stable, comfortable sort of life, so for me, trauma is something that has happened to other people...

I’ve often wondered what men talk about when women aren’t in the room. Apparently I’m in good company here, as Jane Austen famously never...

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an...

I love our new house. I especially love the big dining table that we can finally put to use now restrictions are lifted – what a joy to...