Happy Friday

Dear Olive, 
I had one of those conversations earlier in the week where a friend asked me how I was and I burst into tears ... I think I surprised myself more than her. Life just feels so busy. But I managed to catch a little time to myself on your first morning of preschool. All By Yourself. You're settling in like a champion, and being so brave. So, so brave. I couldn't be more proud of you.
Three of my good friends have recently released/about to release records and seeing as it's Friday, I thought I'd share it.
Toby Martin
Community Radio
Buffalo
Take a listen ... and have a happy weekend!

Happy Weekend

Dear Olive,
Shane came home with this record a few weeks ago and we cannot.stop.listening. We'll be turning it up as we head up the highway to a friends party on the central coast this morning. Woohoo! Hope everyone's weekend is great fun.

Alphabutt Giveaway

Dear Olive,
Way, way back, on one of my obligatory uni summer holidays overseas trips, Mel and I entered a little bar in New York. We were sharing our dorm room with a sumo wrestler who was keeping us awake all night with his snores/bursts of lolly gorging. With his limited grasp of english leaving him unable to understand our yells of roll over, and us unable to communicate our request in Japanese, we decided our best bet for a good nights sleep was get as drunk as humanly possible. (Logical? Entirely. We were 23.) I took my gloves off, not knowing it was the last time I would see them (the downside to getting that drunk is, of course, the likelihood of losing personal items), and we sat down with our drinks and watched, as the only audience members bar one other table, the most bizarre set I've ever had the awkward pleasure of seeing live. It turns out it was Kimya Dawson's first band, The Moldy Peaches. And just what does this have to do with the banana chilli's in my fruit bowl? Well, nothing really. Except my great friend Chris at Popfrenzy, wants to give away copies of Kimya Dawson's kids album, Alphabutt, to four lovely dear olive readers! It's fast become one of your favourite record with it's fun, silly, catchy songs and I'm excited to share it with some other kids out there. Leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a winner next Sunday, May 6. 
(Anyone offended by fart songs, need not apply!)

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Dear Olive,
Secretly, I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one who suffers from shameful dark moments in the middle of the night. Which in no way makes them ok! Just, more bearable somehow. I'm not a monster.  Or, even if I am, at least I'm not alone. On my way to Aunty Sar-Bears house to pick you up yesterday afternoon I heard this song. I turned it up loud and it lifted up my spirits. There is beauty out there.
PS Been at work since 5.30 this morning. Suffering delirium.

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Dear Olive,
It's fr-fr-fr-freezing here today and I can't get warm in our chilly little flat. I'm having to administer hot chocolate and tea purely as an anti-hypothermia remedy. I think I grossly underestimated the delightfulness of a week spent indoors with you. It would have been relaxing if it were just me! But I forgot about the wildly unstoppable you. Was reminded of it the hard way with this mornings painting session. Conducted indoors. I can now, with confidence, assure you that indoor painting is not recommended for the under 18's. Luckily most of it came off, and I'm sorry for getting cross after you walked on the paint and stomped it everywhere. The paint on the fridge and the walls, however, is a different matter entirely. You know it only goes on the paper! Anyway, I know now. Painting is exclusively an outdoor activity. Listening to the new Belles Will Ring album, very befitting for this wintery, bordering-on-melancholic day.