Mary
@marty82.bsky.social
I used to do lots of things, now I mostly attempt to keep small boys in one piece and get bossed around by a tiny cat.
He has woken up still mad at being called "the wise old man" of the team.
November 27, 2025 at 7:56 AM
He has woken up still mad at being called "the wise old man" of the team.
The evening soundtrack so far has gone Paint it Black -> Black Hole Sun -> Revolution 9 -> Perfect Day -> Johnny Come And Get Me, the new neighbours are going to have an education.
November 26, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The evening soundtrack so far has gone Paint it Black -> Black Hole Sun -> Revolution 9 -> Perfect Day -> Johnny Come And Get Me, the new neighbours are going to have an education.
The tap has been installed, with incidental rebuild of under-sink infrastructure, and the cat got herself stuck in the attic.
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The tap has been installed, with incidental rebuild of under-sink infrastructure, and the cat got herself stuck in the attic.
The plumber is here! We might actually have a usable tap tonight.
Or a new and horrible problem, that's always a possibility in this house.
Or a new and horrible problem, that's always a possibility in this house.
November 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The plumber is here! We might actually have a usable tap tonight.
Or a new and horrible problem, that's always a possibility in this house.
Or a new and horrible problem, that's always a possibility in this house.
Can we just try chaos with Ed Milliband, please? I feel it might be a more coherent brand of chaos, somehow.
November 25, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Can we just try chaos with Ed Milliband, please? I feel it might be a more coherent brand of chaos, somehow.
In the continuing war of me vs 6 YO crimes aginst footwear, I have just seen the Velcro strip on his school shoes shut.
I give it a week.
I give it a week.
November 24, 2025 at 9:35 PM
In the continuing war of me vs 6 YO crimes aginst footwear, I have just seen the Velcro strip on his school shoes shut.
I give it a week.
I give it a week.
Attempts to catch up on OU module being sabotaged by absolute belief of the cat that if I am sitting down she should also be sitting on the exact same spot.
November 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Attempts to catch up on OU module being sabotaged by absolute belief of the cat that if I am sitting down she should also be sitting on the exact same spot.
The current game of Not Getting Dressed Chicken has escalated to husband threatening to dress 4 like a baby and 4 looking him dead in the eye and going and getting a pull up from the depth of the cupboards.
November 22, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The current game of Not Getting Dressed Chicken has escalated to husband threatening to dress 4 like a baby and 4 looking him dead in the eye and going and getting a pull up from the depth of the cupboards.
6 YO mangling his carol service songs has reminded me of The Cowboy Carol, beloved of Mrs R in school, which my father refused point blank to believe was real until Radio Three played it on Christmas morning and we nearly missed Mass because he laughed so hard he couldn't breathe.
November 21, 2025 at 8:43 PM
6 YO mangling his carol service songs has reminded me of The Cowboy Carol, beloved of Mrs R in school, which my father refused point blank to believe was real until Radio Three played it on Christmas morning and we nearly missed Mass because he laughed so hard he couldn't breathe.
Ah. The cat has been wandering about yowling since 3am because the rain is solid. Fair enough.
November 19, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Ah. The cat has been wandering about yowling since 3am because the rain is solid. Fair enough.
Things my children have got away with in my mother's house today:
Blowing raspberries at aunties.
Giving the dog ice cream (he did ask first).
Scattering Lego across the living room.
Not eating lunch but asking for and getting ice cream anyway.
Blowing raspberries at aunties.
Giving the dog ice cream (he did ask first).
Scattering Lego across the living room.
Not eating lunch but asking for and getting ice cream anyway.
November 15, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Things my children have got away with in my mother's house today:
Blowing raspberries at aunties.
Giving the dog ice cream (he did ask first).
Scattering Lego across the living room.
Not eating lunch but asking for and getting ice cream anyway.
Blowing raspberries at aunties.
Giving the dog ice cream (he did ask first).
Scattering Lego across the living room.
Not eating lunch but asking for and getting ice cream anyway.
We are working through Terry Pratchett's kids short story collection and 6 YO has just discovered how far the man would go to set up a terrible joke (8 pages).
He is unimpressed.
He is unimpressed.
November 10, 2025 at 7:50 PM
We are working through Terry Pratchett's kids short story collection and 6 YO has just discovered how far the man would go to set up a terrible joke (8 pages).
He is unimpressed.
He is unimpressed.
I had a very nice night off and now I have to figure out where my mother in law put all the utensils.
November 9, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I had a very nice night off and now I have to figure out where my mother in law put all the utensils.
Wasn't imagining it, kids absolutely did make out like bandits last night.
So many more kids on our road these days it's great. Older neighbours are absolutely getting in on it too, which is hilarious. Although one had been banished to the kitchen for making a small child cry.
So many more kids on our road these days it's great. Older neighbours are absolutely getting in on it too, which is hilarious. Although one had been banished to the kitchen for making a small child cry.
November 1, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Wasn't imagining it, kids absolutely did make out like bandits last night.
So many more kids on our road these days it's great. Older neighbours are absolutely getting in on it too, which is hilarious. Although one had been banished to the kitchen for making a small child cry.
So many more kids on our road these days it's great. Older neighbours are absolutely getting in on it too, which is hilarious. Although one had been banished to the kitchen for making a small child cry.
My mother responded to creche's call for stuff by cutting up and bordering all her leftover fleece quilt backing in big squares.
Apparently flinging yourself into the middle of a giant pile of fleecy squares is the new best game in baby room.
Apparently flinging yourself into the middle of a giant pile of fleecy squares is the new best game in baby room.
October 30, 2025 at 2:55 PM
My mother responded to creche's call for stuff by cutting up and bordering all her leftover fleece quilt backing in big squares.
Apparently flinging yourself into the middle of a giant pile of fleecy squares is the new best game in baby room.
Apparently flinging yourself into the middle of a giant pile of fleecy squares is the new best game in baby room.
Absolutely astonishing how cooperative my kids are when it's Auntie coming to take them on a day out, rather than Mama trying to get them to leave the house. For any reason.*
*Not actually astonished
*Not actually astonished
October 27, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Absolutely astonishing how cooperative my kids are when it's Auntie coming to take them on a day out, rather than Mama trying to get them to leave the house. For any reason.*
*Not actually astonished
*Not actually astonished
Child has been merrily denying the existence of his glasses for six weeks, turns out.
Teacher has made a note, visibly torn between admiration of his sheer cheek and the urge to wring his neck.
Teacher has made a note, visibly torn between admiration of his sheer cheek and the urge to wring his neck.
October 24, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Child has been merrily denying the existence of his glasses for six weeks, turns out.
Teacher has made a note, visibly torn between admiration of his sheer cheek and the urge to wring his neck.
Teacher has made a note, visibly torn between admiration of his sheer cheek and the urge to wring his neck.
Cat keeps coming down, standing on the windowsill shouting at me, and disappearing back upstairs.
I'm not happy about the weather either wee cat, but we are where we are.
I'm not happy about the weather either wee cat, but we are where we are.
October 20, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Cat keeps coming down, standing on the windowsill shouting at me, and disappearing back upstairs.
I'm not happy about the weather either wee cat, but we are where we are.
I'm not happy about the weather either wee cat, but we are where we are.
I don't know why Fedex, if it was Fedex, are using a number which isn't theirs and an extremely angry aggressive man to do their customs clearances but I've now had to put in a complaint to both them and the seller about it so that was an excellent waste of my lunch break.
October 15, 2025 at 12:01 PM
I don't know why Fedex, if it was Fedex, are using a number which isn't theirs and an extremely angry aggressive man to do their customs clearances but I've now had to put in a complaint to both them and the seller about it so that was an excellent waste of my lunch break.
Ok, but WHY are there Philadelphia tourist board ads all over Belfast?
October 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Ok, but WHY are there Philadelphia tourist board ads all over Belfast?
Four year old's crisis about using up @laineydoyle.bsky.social's special ice cream lasted about a millisecond.
October 13, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Four year old's crisis about using up @laineydoyle.bsky.social's special ice cream lasted about a millisecond.
In an excellent piece of child psychology I convinced the children to come for a walk to the big shop, whereupon they demanded a detour to the duck pond, which is a two km walk, perfect for tiring them out, but I was not wearing the right socks and now I have a blister.
October 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
In an excellent piece of child psychology I convinced the children to come for a walk to the big shop, whereupon they demanded a detour to the duck pond, which is a two km walk, perfect for tiring them out, but I was not wearing the right socks and now I have a blister.
Neighbour ambling past with elderly dog, "It's lovely seeing the children playing out"
Said children at that moment, were taking turns pushing each other off the wall.
Said children at that moment, were taking turns pushing each other off the wall.
October 5, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Neighbour ambling past with elderly dog, "It's lovely seeing the children playing out"
Said children at that moment, were taking turns pushing each other off the wall.
Said children at that moment, were taking turns pushing each other off the wall.
It's an achievement of sorts to outsource your cybersecurity training to people so bad at communication that their emails get mass-reported as phishing, but I'm not sure it's the one IT were going for.
October 1, 2025 at 9:18 AM
It's an achievement of sorts to outsource your cybersecurity training to people so bad at communication that their emails get mass-reported as phishing, but I'm not sure it's the one IT were going for.
Husband bought me fancy blue cheese.
As is traditional, husband is now sitting making appalled noises while 6 year old and I work our way through the fancy blue cheese.
As is traditional, husband is now sitting making appalled noises while 6 year old and I work our way through the fancy blue cheese.
September 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Husband bought me fancy blue cheese.
As is traditional, husband is now sitting making appalled noises while 6 year old and I work our way through the fancy blue cheese.
As is traditional, husband is now sitting making appalled noises while 6 year old and I work our way through the fancy blue cheese.