Read this on galpod.com. My Love, How you've grown this last year. Even physically, which is a rarity. It's been an interesting year. The last few months, particularly. It seems that overnight we switched from child to teenager. Talking to your friends online has a lot to do with our feeling that you're a teenager. And the dramas that ensue are real: arguments over every possible little thing (like who causes the most arguments), tears, anger, and regrets. You've given me a l

Read this on galpod.com. My son turned ten last Saturday but, seeing as it was half-term and a dear friend hauled my kids and me to the beach for four days with little connectivity and lots of pebbles to explore, I didn't get around to my yearly tradition before. So here goes. My Lovely, Ten is quite a significant birthday. As you reminded us repeatedly, you've turned from single- to double-digit. It's an opportunity to take stock and reflect on where your life is going. When

Read this on galpod.com. My Love, How you've grown this last year. You kept dancing and even increased the number of hours. We noticed, together, that when you dance you have more energy, not less. So I say yes when you want to participate in competitions and performances, and when you find yet another dance class (as long as it makes sense for everyone). I feel like you are now expressing yourself through dance, as you compose and choreograph yourself (and your friends) into

Read this on galpod.com. I really did start this one on the actual birthday. But then it was half term... anyway, here we are. My Lovely, Last year I was a little worried that you don't have a good friend, someone to goof around with. Well, as I hoped, this was the year. At some point, something clicked, and you became good friends with a particular boy in your class. I'm glad to see that I was right, that you enjoy his company, and that you enjoy having someone in your corne

Read this on galpod.com. My son, like his parents, is a geek. And as such, he could think of nothing more exciting for his 9th birthday than to go for a sleep-over at the Science Museum. Fortunately for him, his mom thought that was an excellent idea, and so, last weekend, I took him and two of his friends to the Science Museum sleep-over, cleverly named Astronights. It was everything you'd expect a sleepover in a museum to be. We had sleeping bags and all that, and we slept

Read this on galpod.com. It’s the beginning of the school year, and that means clubs. School is easy; you get the kids into uniform and make sure you leave on time. But clubs are hard because there’s choice. And you make the rules. You can put a kid in two clubs a day or none at all. It’s a complex balancing act between what the kid wants, what you want, and what the schedule looks like. I’m dead against overscheduling. I think we put too much pressure on kids as it is, and w

Read this on galpod.com. “Isn’t this nice?” asked Chris. Kayla looked at him, disgust etched on every feature. “Look at the stars,” Chris tried again. “Aren’t they beautiful?” The disgusted look remained. Kayla didn’t even look up. “I love the forest at this time,” he said, undeterred. “Not quite night yet, but definitely not day anymore. The woods are swarming with wildlife. It’s especially fun when you have your fire going, and you know the rest of the evening is just you

Read this on galpod.com. It pisses me off when people tell me that writing a book (or a PhD thesis) is JUST like having a child. I'm not entirely sure why. Yes, I get that, like a child, you have to let a book go and send it into the wide world. And sure, like raising a child, it's hard work, and exhausting, and you're never sure you're doing it right. I've done all three. I've written a PhD thesis (submitted, defended, and DONE). I've written a novel (OK, a first draft which

Read this on galpod.com. Yesterday I didn't post. I could find excuses and say it's because we had a full day making cupcakes to bring to class today, but the truth is I just forgot. I'm trying to keep a habit, though, and the main thing about a daily practice is that it's ok if you miss a day, as long as you pick it up again tomorrow. So that's what I'm doing. Daily blog chain: 1. My Dearest, My, how you've grown. Really. Literally. You had the biggest growth spurt you've ev

Read this on galpod.com. I was at a writing festival all day, organised by CityLit's Creative Writing department. It was amazing, but I cannot write anything right now. So I'm posting the first flash fiction I ever wrote. I hope you enjoy :) Marla climbs up the stairs with the cardboard box hugged in front of her. She places the box in the living room, on the beige carpet, and goes into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. For one. As she waits for the kettle to boil, she looks