I've booked dd and I into a three course pub lunch in nearby town. My mum will get a call later. She doesn't get her scraped toast and slopped coffee breakfast any more. We live too far away.

My full name is another 'Julie Ann Smith' type name, and my family all have to spell our sir name when we give it! Really? It is short, Anglo, very common and simple to spell. I've always disliked my name and never had a nickname, but to have to fill out 'previous names' on all paperwork forever more has disuaded me too. What's the point of changing my name if it keeps following me? A friend who shared my decade branding first name changed hers on a significant birthday. She swapped it for something unusual. In the last few years it has become a top 10 name. We don't laugh about it to her face.

I prefer my 'floatation bath'. Deep, very warm, bath salts, good book and wine glass and bottle. I mostly shower, but I love loooong deep baths. When dd1 would get in a screaming, no-longer-anyone-home state, I would sometimes strip her and bodily lift her into a warm bath in a dimly lit bathroom, with one of her favourite stories on a tape. Within a couple of minutes she would be calm and stay in for a long time with bath top-ups and tapes turned. Showers are good, but a bath is something else. I could see the tanks being like an uber-bath. But for me the book, bath, booze trifector works. And I don't have to drive home afterwards.

What did the chicken say to the duck about to cross the road? "Don't do it mate. You'll never hear the end of it."

That backyard chickens blog (edit: Forum, not blog) is great. (edit: Forum, not blog) I've accessed it quite a bit. Be prepared to 'invest' a deal of time just watching them.They are hilarious, but require good predator-proof night housing. I missed them for decades, and our 7 mixed chicks have now grown in size and number and we've added two turkeys and some Guinea Fowl. I wanted something loud to scream at foxes. (Other than the mad woman running outside at dawn in knickers and t-shirt.)

My name pegs my decade. My eldest's name has remained constant, rarer, but used for centuries. Youngest is also an older name. Didn't rank on this chart for decades, until a few years after her birth and is now rapidly rising up the chart. Sigh.

Surely you can market an Albatross pendant. Who doesn't need an albatross around their neck?

I think this is more of a 'just breathing' year. And much needed. I'm relearning everything, constantly, as things won't stay in my head. Hoping this will plateau, if not improve. But because I'm more still, dd is firing ahead. Is good.

We drove past a cormorant the other day and I pointed it out as a shag. Dd asked, "Is a shag a bird? I thought it meant a lady. Well not a 'lady', you know what I mean." So I told her it was a bird but was also used as a swear, similar to what she was inferring. But didn't elaborate. Or laugh out loud. So I guess no bird talk around your friend either?

This dd has always policed my language. I do use 'soft cuss' words, she corrects me. When I occasionally use a hard cuss word, she just looks at me, disappointed. As did her sister before her. We parent each other fairly well on the whole.

10 Commandments of Homeschooling There is only one WTM.

:chillpill:

I either get a shouted "I don't know! My brain won't work!" and tears. Or non-stop verbal, which I often attempt to cut with "I'm not listening. Stop talking." Thankfully doesn't really require an audience, so I'm pretty good at tuning out.

Maybe have a clean-up bucket/supplies near-by. I presume there will be a quantity of Aunty types who will don gloves and give a quick 'freshen' if they see it needs it. An Aunty had to 'tidy' with a mop after my aged Grandmother. Enough of us have had to do this for our kids too. And there will be some willing to tidy after unknown users if it is required. This for both convenienes. Maybe put a note in for those that would prefer to pee all over the seat than sit...because the seat might have pee on it!!! Kick the seat up with your foot first for goodness sake if you need to do that please.

Shouldn't that be, "Sorry for the portable convenience!" ?