Call from The Lad's school at 9.30, he's started a Crohn's flare. I'm starting work at 11 so called him a taxi. Paywaved it with my eyes shut as I'm sure it cost a fortune. Ubered to work and Miss 10's babysitter text saying they can't pick her up from school. On the bright side other chef...

Taking a break from the world by watching Daffodils, which so far is a lovely Kiwi film.

I'm about to go to work for the evening and just about to brush my teeth and then I get a notification on my phone saying "Bad breath? Order mints now!" BRB, putting on tinfoil hat 🤣

Miss 10 has a visitor for the afternoon so I made a batch of cupcakes and gave them the leftover icing from the party cupcakes in piping bags and plenty of sprinkles.

Just had a 52 minute and 11 second phone conversation with Mother, the majority of which was how she found the perfect necklace for a wedding she's going to next month. Gin time.

I'm at the pub and fully appreciating the music guy singing "my erection" instead of "my direction" in Sex and Candy because that's how we sang it in highschool. And yes I'm still blue, despite scrubbing.

Made some cupcakes for a friend's Adventure Time birthday .

Guess who just spilled an entire bottle of blue food colouring all over the kitchen? I look like a smurf.

Miss 10 in the dairy aisle at the supermarket "THIS PLACE IS COLDER THAN MY SOUL"

Turns out my nicely worded email to the gastroenterologist worked as enough Ensure drinks to see the Lad through until his next hospital appointment just arrived via courier.

Turns out EEN being fully funded only extends to the powder and not the drinks. The Lad is going to have to eat a wider range of foods, I simply cannot afford $52.80 a week for the drinks (and that's with a subsidy). Going to give the powder a try, fingers crossed.

It's rather easy to decorate for a Star Wars party when you have plenty of Star Wars stuff.

Not my best work but it will be destroyed anyway. At least I remembered to put the lollies in before I sealed it up.

The Uppy Downy Desk is in position and I have a very happy Lad. Back to piñata creating for Miss 10's belated birthday party

It's been a Day. Mr 15 is no longer able to get his Ensure drinks on a funded script and the powder that is funded makes him vomit. I've sent a very nice email to his gastroenterologist and dietician with a list of the very few things he will actually eat. Wine time.

Walking home with Miss 10: "I'm going to be famous so I can buy a house with a big garden and a trampoline" "There will be tiny houses in the garden my children can stay in if they want to be independent"

Finally built the Lad's Uppy Downy Desk that arrived last week purely because the Lad happened to walk in as I started and was very helpful with reading the instructions and holding bits in place. Tomorrow's mission is rearranging his room and moving the Uppy Downy Desk into position.

Just finished work and a band got up to play and I was all they're going to play Fleetwood Mac and I was 100% correct so this is my new superpower

Urgh. The nice gentle breeze appears to be wafting directly from the poo ponds.

Waiting for the bus with Miss 10 and she's watching the countdown on the screen and has of course created "Waiting for the Bus: The Musical"

Wine, pizza and new Bridgerton. All is well.

Miss 10 was so excited to use her very first bus card this morning... until we discovered she's not tall enough to scan it herself. Thankfully she is rather enamoured of the screens showing time to next stop and has got over it.

CHIMICHANGA TUESDAY!!!

Metservice forecast: Wet, bring a raincoat Me: YOU'RE NOT MY MUM

I have a ten year old

Got home from Theatre Camp yesterday afternoon and collapsed. On third load of washing and attempting to unpack my kitchen equipment.

Theatre Camp Final Cast day. Two performances of the musical complete. Potluck family dinner has happened and the last of the children are leaving. Parent helpers have done all the dishes so I'm collapsing before pack out tomorrow.

Theatre Camp Day 5. Full run through to be followed by a dress rehearsal with family watching. The makeup artist who has been my kitchen hand has made me sit down for 15 minutes with a timer and is threatening to lock me out of the kitchen if I don't.

Theatre Camp Day 4. The arrival of a filter coffee machine for the crew has greatly enhanced my morning sanity. The cast are now so continually ravenous we have added Afternoon Tea Part Two to the schedule. Currently cooking dinner in the dark as the kitchen lights are shining into the stage.

Theatre Camp Day 3. Dropped my phone and screen is shattered. Children all fed plus all the parents who were invited for dinner and to collect laundry/deliver precious forgotten items. My feet and back are not happy. Had a superstar parent helper this afternoon who is totally a new friend!

Theatre Camp Day 2. The children have exhausted a carefully calculated four days of sandwich supplies in two. Charlie the cat who lives at a neighbouring house has discovered we are in residence and has tried to join in on stage and supervise the green room costuming.

First official day of Theatre Camp. These children can eat. My afternoon tea snack packs (along with fruit, cookies and popcorn) was demolished.

Dear daughter explained during pack in how you MUST announce yourself before entering the kitchen by saying "CHOO CHOO" and now I'm working in a train station for the next week.

It's Theatre Camp Eve. I have sorted out the kitchen and food, Miss 9 made herself mostly useful and is now tucked up watching K-pop Demon Hunters. She is very excited to be in the top bunk.

Won the meat raffle at the pub tonight with 67 and am never going to hear the end of it.

Miss 9's belated Christmas gift arrived; a little speaker with microphones. The microphones have a creepily large range...just about hit the roof when the corner of the lounge started giggling while she was upstairs. It's very echoey sound quality...I may have fun with this at a later date...

Miss 9: "When I have children I'll let them stay up as late as they want!" Oh how I laughed.

Spending the afternoon writing prep lists and shopping lists for theatre camp whilst rewatching Jonathan Creek.

Just ran into him (fully clothed) when we took the children out to see fireworks. He yelled "Happy New Year, I am drunk" as he raced past us to his house. It's totally a Hallmark film.

One year ago we spent the afternoon together. We drank fancy gin and made plans for shenanigans. We were going to drink wine coolers and watch "the boombox movie". The last thing you said to me was "Love you". @agnesgraye.bsky.social miss you, love you, someone left it on the porch

Am I able to nominate myself at this late stage for word of the year?

Miss 9 has two friends for a sleepover tonight. This may get interesting.

Still awake. Got caught up in a Reddit post about glioblastoma. Was cathartic. #fuckcancer

Miss 9 is still asleep. She did not sleep well the 3 nights we were away (as evidenced by her midnight hanging decorations on all of the door handles and creating artworks and actually helpfully packing her bag the night before we left). Hopefully we'll get back to normal before theatre camp!

Managed to unload the car, nip to the dairy for bread and milk, heat up a pie and pour a gin just in time for the thunder.

Yesterday in a nutshell

Children are watching K-pop Demon Hunters. Grownups are drinking wine outside. Ideal Boxing Day situation.

Baked salmon, minty buttery new potatoes and asparagus consumed before I took a picture. Salmon may feature at every meal for a while and I am making gravlax with some.

Lunch going in the oven.

I has a @mattyangel.com in the house!