Warning to all readers: this blog is about being a Working Mum. If that topic bores you, please leave now.


I've had a week off work. Thus, time to do things I can't normally do. Very important things, like:

• walk with my sons INTO their classrooms rather than dropping them off at the school fence and madly driving away


• saying 'hello' to my sons' teachers (and er, introducing myself in one case)


• being available to other mothers in the schoolyard. (One screamed out 'Michelle! Michelle!' and ran me down on the asphalt, to report that she had one of Sam's socks at her house and did I want it back? It was a grey sock, with a green grid pattern over it, and skull and cross bones picture on top. Obviously I never wanted to see it again.)

I also had the chance to see my son Able's pencil case, as he dutifully prepared his desk for the day's work. The pencil case was a SHREDDED MESS! It looked like something a dinosaur had chewed up and spat out.

"Able," I said, "Is that your pencil case? How long have you had that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, as any 10 year old will. "Would you like a new one?" I asked. He nodded his head eagerly.

The poor mite! The poor, poor mite with his worn, torn pencil case. Aaaaaaaaaaargh. What's the use of two working parents if they can't outfit you with the latest greatest pencil case? [Insert Working Mothers' Guilt here].

Needless to say, I was at the mall just 15 minutes later. Able now has a brand new, squeaky clean (and very cool black) pencil case.

Adequate stationery is important. So very important. And so is taking the time to explore your child's school life. Some children are just 'too cool' to tell you everything: I'm vowing to poke my nose in more often (and check how that pencil case is going).

They said childbirth was painful. And scary.

Starting a blog, after pondering one for years, is a scary new beginning too.

I'm considering this Blog my new baby. And, just like I did with my two sons when they were babes in arms, I'm concerned about doing this right. [Son #1 pictured, right!]

I know there's a lot of experience out there. Thousands of women have done it. I've got a lot to learn.

So, I'll do what I did when I embarked on motherhood:

1. I won't think I know it all



2. I will read wise words from people who've been there before



3. I won't feel crushed if I make a mistake



4. I'll pay my Blog lots of attention!



5. But won't necessarily be getting out of bed every 2 hours to tend to it ...

I read a Mom blog recently, which said "You hold your baby for the first time, and it’s beautiful, but when you look back at pictures from that day years later you will realize that your baby was puffy, wrinkled, and not quite the right color."

Now, I know that's how I'm going to look back on this first post, right? It will seem trite and ugly.

But right now, it's fun.

Christina Aguilera said motherhood made her feel sexy. [Man alert: next phrase may embarrass]. The only thing that made me feel more womanly was during pregnancy, when I had breasts for the first time! Apart from that, the sexy factor didn't receive a huge boost. [Son #2 pictured right]

And again, I'm not expecting that to happen with my Blog. I don't see myself becoming more cool, more scintillating or intriguing. Just maybe, it will make me more interesting? If nothing else, it will keep my brain ticking over ...

My young sons aren't working out too badly. In fact, they're quite happy, healthy and bobbing along just fine. So, provided I care for this Blog in the same way .. how hard can it be?