Life-Lab

First day of winter in Melbourne and right on cue, the weather did it’s thing! One by one, the messages started coming in about soccer training being cancelled and the logistics of getting 4 kids to various activities and acommodating a pre night shift sleep for my husband kept changing by the minute.

In the end, there was only one teenage athlete to transport, so instead of taking the dogs to soccer in their little puffer jackets (yes, I’ve become THAT person 🤣), I found myself on top of the new green bike path- which I just learned is called The Dixon Veloway- without a coat, and without enough time to get home before I’d need to turn around and come back.

One of the friendly fellas who trains with the group had a spare raincoat in his bag that I borrowed, so I stayed and walked and marveled at where I was.
It felt like a wild adventure, in the elements, with an amazing view of the city night lights. 💚

New level of respect unlocked for my daughter who’s working hard to prepare for Cross Country Regionals, and who chose to train even when she could have stayed home in the warmth, seeing where she trains on Mondays for the first time.

It was one of those “It’s good to be alive” moments.

I’m also interested to hear what Jane Caro has to say. I love her honesty and awareness about her own privilege and the fierceness that’s brought about in her approach to social justice.

Jane Caro: ‘I’ve been bullied by the wittiest men in Australia’ The writer and social commentator on privilege, anxiety and how we have let down public education

Did I just lean right in to the Nana vibes and get myself a chain for my glasses?! Why yes. Yes indeed I did.
Am I loving myself sick, knowing where my glasses are all the time, rather than spending half my day trying to figure out where I last left them? Why yes. Yes indeed I am.

Oculus Dexter Optometry, it’s ALWAYS a pleasure going to visit you and get my eyes checked! I’m excited for my new spectacles to arrive, and meanwhile I am having way too much fun swanning around with my current glasses right where I can find them whenever I look… 🤓🤣❤️

Day 1 of being home from a 2 week camping trip, and despite the enormous amount of washing, unpacking, rotten fruit and almost packed away Christmas stuff I have to deal with, I'm continuing a habit I find much easier when I'm away than home: reading my book while I eat my breakfast.

Yes, I'm posting on Facebook instead of reading right now, 😅, however, the act of writing what I'm doing helps me keep doing it.

I finally finished my ADHD book and cracked into one of three other books I'd packed the day before I left. I couldn't remember buying this one, but I think I tried reading it before I realised I needed glasses, and therefore before I realised I had ADHD. (I just thought my brain had deteriorated from all the sleep deprivation having kids brings as "I used to be able to read".)

Anyway, I digress. The point is, I was wondering where the book had come from, so I googled the name of the bookshop on the sticker on the back and it turns out I bought it in Port Douglas! That was really some time ago. 🤔😆

I think I started it at the time and couldn't get into it. Well, now, armed with glasses and a greater awareness of what my brain needs in order to sit down and focus, here I am, loving the novel! Thanks Whileaway Bookshop & Cafe.

Happy Friday to those who know what day it is.

I'm off to read my book. I'm pretty sure the dead Christmas tree in my lounge and the next load of washing can wait another 15 minutes.

This is your friendly reminder that the early bird prices for our Personal Reset Urban Retreat are only available for a couple more days!

Grab your tickets now. ❤️

Personal Reset Urban Retreat – Life Lab https://share.google/oBaXgwok7I2sLq9oL

Are caravan parks simply the best place in the world for people watching? And for people-ing? 😆

I LOVE having a chat with someone I've known for 5 minutes while popping my washing on. Or the casual daily interactions with people on the next site about where you both went to explore that day, or how old your dogs are, or what part of the world you're both from.

I love being on first name basis with the person who runs the coffee cart wherever we stay, and getting to know about their lives when they're not at the beach serving me my decaf oat latte. 🤣

I do have enough self control to recognise that not everyone is up for a chat, or interested in interacting with people other than those they came away with, or the friends they've arranged to camp beside.

Having the cutest little puppy who needs lots of short walks means I get stopped a lot, because honestly, she looks like a teddy bear and most reasonable humans can't resist that level of cuteness. My youngest son has realised going for a walk with me when we have the puppy means there'll be a lot of stopping and waaaaaaayyyyy too much chin-wagging for his liking, so he quickly takes his leave.

I also love that kids can come and go with a freedom they just don't have anywhere else.

I asked my husband last night if he'd noticed how everyone else seems to have systems (all the bikes neatly leaned up against the front of their trailer, shoes all kept together in a basket at the door, etc.) while our camp-site is a hot mess, exposed for the world to see. He had noticed that, and also that we tend to be the last ones to go to bed.

I used to find it really stressful, worrying about the impact on our neighbours when kids would be dysregulated, or an argument would erupt over looking for a lost item, or our bikes would be parked in a mess, right on the border of their camp-site.

I remember apologising to a lovely, slightly older couple, when we stayed next to them for a few nights in far North Queensland. We'd enjoyed civilised chats during the day (they had been a nurse and a teacher, just as my husband and I were) so it felt excruciating when they would no doubt hear the far from perfect moments. They said how much they missed their grandchildren who lived interstate and how much they enjoyed the sound of kids, in all their glory.

Of course not everyone would share that sentiment, and as the kids have gotten older, there are less meltdowns for us to feel embarrassed about. I actually like it when I hear a toddler losing their tiny little mind a few camp-sites up, because then I don't die so much when my anxious dog barks.

I reckon if you choose to stay in a public camping ground, you're not there for silence and complete solitude. Generally people who really dislike other people and their human flaws don't stay in a place where they're exposed to such daily annoyances.

There are always lots of extra kids coming and going at our camp site. Between playing the latest card game with our kids and visiting the dogs, we have a constant stream of people stopping by. So I feel like we contribute enough positive energy to the place to balance out our not so pitch perfect moments.

And of course we do try to be respectful of neighbours and noise and where bikes need to be parked, and all of that.

I also find myself guessing what DISC style people I chat with might be, noting when one parent of a kid my kids makes friends with is outgoing and generous, and the other parent is more private and reserved. I'll be there silently analysing what their DISC profiles might be. No judgement, just fascinated by the different types of people and the way they interact with each other.

It's like a live stream of a Sociology tutorial, and while it's not everyone's cup of tea, the social aspect of camping is right up my alley.

Ooh, a massive van has arrived and the couple are trying to navigate a tight spot with an audience. People are offering advice, offering to move their cars and offering a friendly joke. Time to pop the kettle on and pull up a camp chair for some first class entertainment.

Aaaaannnnndddd..... breathe. 3 days into our camping trip and I'm finally sitting down to read my book! (And 14 hours after I started typing this post, I'm finally posting it. Good old camp ground WiFi!)

It's no coincidence that the book is about having an ADHD brain, and that I started reading it over a year ago and still haven't finished it.

Receiving a late diagnosis of ADHD (I think 51 probably qualifies as late!), has been an enlightening experience, alongside being one that requires a decent amount of self compassion.

We teach the children and students in our care about having a growth mindset, and that making mistakes is how we learn. Yet as adults, approaching our own imperfections and stumbling blocks with grace and patience can be much harder.

All those school reports that mention "talking too much, handing work in late, needing to concentrate and put more effort in, and distracting others" can exacerbate a negative self image that takes a lot of work to 'unlearn'.

Understanding our own unique brains, our temperaments, our personality types, our workplace behaviour, our learning styles and our communication preferences all contribute towards a deeper level of self awareness and personal effectiveness. Plus it's fun!

Here's cheers to a new year of learning more about myself and others, in order to continue to do my best to show up and support people to understand themselves better.

Have I somehow got two dogs, who wear matching harnesses? Yes, it seems I do, and I am indeed that person. Not at all sure how it happened, but we are. 💜💗😍🤣

Just popped in for a coffee and a delicious toasted chicken and pesto focaccia at Baby Elephant Cafe in Footscray, where they have kindly popped up my poster and displayed some flyers for our February Personal Reset Urban Retreat at Australian Multicultural Community Services' Millennium House.

Love a bit of community collaboration! Doing a tour of the inner west today, putting up posters wherever I can.

Happy last day of the year to all who celebrate!