I think I have 3 photos of when I was a kid, parents just didn’t care, they were too busy taking photos of the favourite kids.

My ex-MIL had such a weird obsession with having a photo of all the grandkids together in the bath. So so weird.

Oof brutal.

My mum has stolen all the photos, and threw out the ones that gave her “bad vibes”; if there were any of me in the nude, she would have long since burnt them I reckon ahha

I have no photos of me when I was a kid, and I know HEAPS were taken, and dad doesn’t have any that he took of me or our cats. But to get them, if they still exist, I’d have to contact mum, and that’s just not happening. She can rot with her memories.

“Kid” is older than 5? Yeah that’s weird.
If we’re talking baby photos though, I’ve got a dozen or so photos of the kids when they were babies/toddlers naked. Not with bits showing, and not shared to social media.

Is that not normal?

hugs

maybe you can sell the ticks?

Armed siege apparently. Which makes the huge number of rubber neckers standing at the tape lines taking pictures even more disturbing.

To throw a spanner in the works my current go to (with a long underlayer) is a lightish jumper (usually woollen) and a shell jacket that doubles as a raincoat over the top. Super efficient at keeping out the wind and easy to pack down. I walk everywhere so it’s heaps warm enough the wool jumper is warm for inside.

Other than that I would go puffer first for packability (I love my pea coat but rarely wear it now)

I have one of each. Long wool coats protect your bum and legs from the wind, but have to be drycleaned, brushed of hair or lint and protected against moths. Puffers are more practical and portable but cover less of you, and depending on filling may also have to be dry cleaned (in the case of down).

The trench coat I have is op shop and the puffer is Kmart so both came in well under budget.

If you really can’t choose you could start with a cheaper puffer to get an idea of it while you continue saving. Then if you don’t like it you can donate it and buy something more suitable

everyone raves about uniqlo.

I’ve got a wool welders jacket that’s basically sat in retirement since I got my puffy. I’d start with the puffy and then reassess your needs. I do sometimes wrap a blanket round my waist like a towel to keep my midsection (kidney) warm if I’m tinkering in the shed on winter nights.

Here are some deals in my inbox this morning:

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/854646

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/854668

There was a BCF one that said expired, but that could be the extra $20 off

Go to Kmart and get something else warm for $30 and go for a nice meal instead

I’d say get a puffer, much more versatile esp if you don’t drive as it’s lighter and easier to pack down/carry around if it gets warm. I almost never wear my trusty old wool jacket now.

Best option is get a Patagonia/North Face/Macpac etc while on sale. You might’ve missed the sales but have a look online anyway. I bought mine from Wild Earth

I used to have a long down puffer with a detachable hood, it was the warmest coat. Make sure if you have a long puffer it has press studs as well as a zip. Woolen hat to cover ears and forehead, scarf to cover neck and face if need, thin gloves or double gloves.

You can get end of season puffers from overseas sellers .

Sometimes when it’s cold here in Melbs I put on a roomy lined wind proof raincoat and have warm jumpers underneath

As an overweight person, the overcoat I have looks a lot smarter and more flattering than my puffer, which when zipped up is cosy as but makes me look like a liquid paper pen.

Ironically I was too warm to sleep last night

Slap me with a splintered ruler

Lamb chops and lollipops please - with coffee, lots of coffee.

Also, when is the food truck enterprise starting up? Do we know yet which locations?

Could you feed the cats for me? Really don’t want get out of warm bed.

Wild-caught horse butt stew thanks

I’m grateful for you lot. Although I don’t comment very much, I love checking in here each day. Love the camaraderie and chit-chat, and the support that is offered when people need it.

I’m grateful I get to return home soon (Tuesday, hopefully)

I am very grateful FaceBastard didn’t exist when I was a kid.

And for fluffy socks.

I’m just happy to be here

I’m alive. I’m not struggling. My daughter is happy and healthy. I can do the things I love.

That was nicely said. I’m grateful for the roof over my family’s heads, a split system that’s in good working order and for it being Friday! Sooo tired!

Let her. Just don’t get involved yourself. This gives you “I told you so” rights when she comes home exhaustipated and emotionally vulnerable. However, you may not wish to exercise those rights in the interests of family harmony.

Best if she discovers for herself that you can only help those who want to be helped. Let this one slide past without getting yourself involved I think. Just have some comfort for her ready when she gets back. Maybe cook dinner and do all the kid things while she’s busy elsewhere.

Fuuuuuuuuuck that

Ahhhh yessss! Fantastic! You’re awesome!

I’m not sure how, but I’m still down on Medibank under a corporate plan from a company I worked for 20 years ago. It’s something amazing, because despite costing a fortune, nobody has ever come close to matching it. I’ve had multiple Medibank employees tell me over the years not to mess with it because I won’t get that good a deal again.

This amazing deal is just under $250/Mo for the four of us. 😞

That’s amazing! Well done mate 🍻

This one is tough. I don’t believe I’d have had the strength to do it before I had kids. I really wanted to be a dad and I wanted my “own” kids. The idea of forming a relationship with a single mother was also mega daunting to younger me.

But now that I’ve gone the traditional route, I could absolutely imagine the “other path” to happiness. I can recognise that I’d have loved it had I met my wife and kids as a package and joined the family. I don’t love them because they have my DNA. I love them because they’re my kids.

It’ll depend on the age(s) of the kid(s), but to a kid is under 5, they won’t remember a time before you were in their life. You won’t be an outsider, you’ll just be “dad”.

got a mate struggling with fertility and I gave him some advice recently about this. Course I’m giving it from a VERY privileged position, so feel free to disregard. Once you hold your kid in your arms, you wont give a fuck how you got there, cause it simply doesn’t matter. Biological or not wont matter for shit.

the newborn stage fucking sucks too ey. no one actually talks about that part, cause if we were honest no one would ever have kids.

I’d say if you like the woman and get along with the kids go for it. As far as resentment and/or feeling like an outsider, you can walk away if its not working out, maybe feeling like an outsider is the price of that freedom.

Hm, that is a doozy. Only you can answer that one, I think. Be true to yourself.

I know for some, having their own biological children is important to them, and for other’s, less so. It’s also important to consider what these Hypothetical Step-Children (HSP (lol)) think as well.

But finding love is hard, and like with all choices, there’ll be pros and cons with whatever is picked.

You don’t have to decide right now, so take your time and see what happens 🤷‍♀️

Where there is great love there is family.

Blood ties is not the same as love, I have seen it. 😔

Ooh reminds me of hotel Mumbai. That’s a good movie too if you haven’t seen it

imo, prosecco is as revolting as pinot gris

Prosecco is good for making spritzes, that’s it. Limoncello spritz, mmm!

Agreed. Fuck Prosecco and everyone who likes it

You haven’t had good Prosecco, methinks. That, or you don’t have it when you’re drunk enough. Tsk tsk lol

Communication can be so easy to mess up, especially when you’re new parents.

Here’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth:

People make mistakes. They always will. It can be frustrating, especially when the stakes can be quite high.

But, the most important thing we can do when someone close to us makes a mistake, is to forgive them. Without strings attached.

Without recriminations. Without “I told you so’s”. If there are harmful consequences from our loved ones to error, we begin to keep things to ourselves. To stop communicating for fear of causing strain.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for mistakes. But they must be wrapped on patience and forgiveness.

We can only hope to do the best we can in this crazy world.

/end rant