This morning, on my first day of not being employed, I took my son to school and watched him receive a couple of awards.

Normally I would have left after he had received his award so I could get back to work. But because I was in no rush today, I decided to sit through the whole experience.

It was great. It was taking a long, calming, deep breath of air after holding my breath for a long time.

I heard talented student musicians play and watched a year 11 student perform a monologue for 10 minutes in front of the entire school and parents.

I got a little bored listening to every student who won an award get called out, go on stage and shake hands. But it was a good boredom. It was a relaxing boredom.

It was a boredom without pressure and that’s exactly what I needed.

One of the hardest things about being an adult is having to work out what to cook for dinner every night. Especially with 1 child with dietary requirements, another who is a bit fussy, and a wife who says she needs to eat more fish and vegetarian meals, which neither kid likes.

Yesterday I was feeling inspired and bought a nice roast lamb for tonight’s dinner. Today though, I have very little motivation to actually cook it up. 

But I have kids to feed, so off to the kitchen I go.

How is it my brain can retain the lyrics to pretty much every Bon Jovi song from the 1990s, but I need to ask my kids 10 times what they want on their burritos because I keep forgetting?

Just got home from a great day out with the family. Saw Wakanda Forever, enjoyed a great dinner and then saw David Gray play his White Ladder tour. Still buzzing.

I’ve been having some pretty deep conversations with my kids recently. Now they are both in double digits, it’s increasingly challenging to adjust their outlook on the world, to acknowledge the good with the bad and the bad with the good.

Absolutely devastated for my little girl, who is going to have to miss her first camp tomorrow (technically it’s a day camp) after 2.5 years of lock down and general crappiness because she’s too sick.

So far the entirety of the 2020s has been one great big disappointment.

Last week a colleague told me she was pregnant.

While congratulating her, I had an insight: Now that my own kids are a bit older and more self-sufficient, I feel like I need them more than they need me.

I wish I could have given them more of my time when they really needed it.

Parenting a teenager: A poem

At least we can feed the beast
Flour, water, sugar, and yeast
And he will think it a feast

Teenagers are so exhausting. It’s like having a toddler again, except he talks back every time.

Despite my children reaching an age that they are somewhat independent, they are still mostly dependent. And this is best exemplified by the weekday morning routine. Despite the fact that I wake up at 6:30am every Monday to Friday, I don’t get to think about anything other than The Routine until … read more

Today my daughter brought home her prizes for school fundraising, which included an exceptionally cheap plastic “VR headset” - just a slightly better version of Google Cardboard. I stuck my phone in and she watched a 360-degree YouTube video of a roller coaster. According to her, it was the best … read more

Managed to go out to dinner with the wife (and without the kids) for the first time since March last year. It was wonderful. I’ve missed those quiet meals.

Kids are finally at an age they can clean up after dinner. They don’t do a good job, but at least they do it.

Parent/teacher interviews for the eldest this afternoon. Exciting times!

Started my Father’s Day with some Boba Fett waffles made by my daughter. This is the way. 🧇🥞