Karen Karn

My lovely daughter has just moved into her first proper home - her own place, a grown up, unfurnished, one bedroomed flat. We've talked about everthing a person needs when moving into their first home - the essential, basic stuff, like a bed and a duvet, scissors and a spoon (at the very least a spoon). So I looked to see if there was such a list online. I found some ridiculous ones, like this one , which lists for the kitchen measuring cups and spoons, but not a saucepan. So, I decided to make one, to print and send. The list isn't finished yet, but there will be an empty table on the back for adding items by hand.

This morning, before leaving for school, Noah said, "It's alright for you, you can just stay at home." Hm. I began to explain what it means to be a parent, that I am actually at work when I'm at home and that I don't get weekends or holidays or Christmas or even evenings. I explained, as many parents before me have explained, that I am at work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. He just looked at me, eyes wide. I had his attention, so I continued. "For example," I said, and I began to list a few of the chores and tasks I have before me this morning, "... and then when you get home, I need to help you with your homework and start preparing the dinner." I asked him then, "Can you remember some of the chores I need to do today?" He remember the first three. "That's why I need to write a list!" I said. Incomplete list of the days responsibilities. I can add, 'write blog post' to this list

Feeling pro-active, I decide to start the long process of setting up my Etsy shop, today. First step, think up a username, which will also be the name of my shop, I decide. I choose Kookichoo. It's taken. I choose Kookoodolls... then Kookoodoo. That's okay, but looks funny. I change it to KuKuDu. That's taken, so I settle on KuKuDo... bit like Sudoku - I love Sudoku. Yay! I set it all up, start editing the profile then realise something... translated from Norwegian means, KuKuDo means CowCowLoo - 'Loo' as in the informal (and most widely used) word for toilet. Not sure little humans will want to snuggle up to a CowCowToilet doll. Unfotunately, the username can't be changed... Time to start over then.