Gotta Be Done - A Bluey Podcast

School's in, and Mary's been researching for the occasion. Or at least, furiously Googling "steiner school + gnomes" - and it's turned up some fascinating facts about what seems to be the education model at Bluey's school, and why there are so many gnomes everywhere. 

Small spirits aside, we're both in awe of how all-wise Calypso brings out the best selves of all the kids, with the lightest touch - can you believe we both struggle to take a back seat in play?!

And we congratulate Megan Washington (who plays Calypso) on becoming a mum last year, and wonder whether Dave McCormack (Bandit) actually has kids - surely, right?! (Literally a week after we recorded this, this great interview in The Guardian confirmed it for us. We knew it!)

(Also after we recorded this, amazing Bluey creator Joe Brumm revealed that Calypso was his favourite episode. Argh, pressure! Hope you like this ep too, Joe!) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

High-flying Fruitbat inspires Mary and Kate to compare notes on how end of daylight savings is impacting kids' sleep patterns (or lack thereof) - Panadol and warm milk anyone? (Please note, Kate is not a medical professional.)

Then there's how we maintain identity as a parent, and who gives up what to have kids: shout outs to rugby dads, soccer vs hockey mums, roller derby mums, and of course podcast mums - um, podcasting is a sport, right?!

Finally, we forget to mention the pop-up Croc Dundee game the Heelers are playing at the start - can someone invent this game for real life, stat please?! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Um, did we just use "dichotomy" in a sentence? Well, Mary did - but Kate is name-dropping Jacques Offenbach and Ludwig van Beethoven by the end of this very musical episode, so perhaps we're both getting a bit pretentious??

Don't worry! We're also sitting in a backyard with an under-groomed Schnoodle and a cranky baby, and confess we're now calling cash "dollar-bucks" in all our financial transactions - so fancy! 

We also compare the play styles of boys and girls - is there a difference? And we wonder what sort of school the kids all go to, with convenient on-site bush clearings and pure play curriculum. Hope there's no looming NAPLAN!   

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Okay, a couple of confessions up front. 

We recorded this episode before Mary's bloke Adge helpfully pointed out that Jean-Luc was French CANADIAN. (In fact, we're still dubious - don't those Quebecois all speak English?? And surely some French people are partial to maple syrup?! Are we overthinking this a bit?!?) But if we've incorrectly stereotyped this (handsome!) Canuck dog as a Frog, apologies!

And that leads us to the second error contained within (and this one's entirely down to Mary's weird brain): on Neighbours, Delta and Irish Connor were never a thing. He is definitely Irish though. 

What on earth are we talking about? Camping! Extended exposure to the great outdoors makes everyone go a bit barking mad - you'll just have to listen to find out how much!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Following last week's new-episodes high, we roll back into old favourites, and analyse different creative play styles with Wagonride. 

(Like distracted mums, we also forget to shout out to the most romantic exchange in recorded history:

Kids: Monkey bars??

Bandit: Argh, Chilli!

Chilli: Asleep!

Bandit: Okay, let's do this!

Us: Swoon!)

Mary appreciates a little old lady-dog's approval (or any approval she can get, really), while the attention to scenery detail has Kate dreaming of Brisbane. 

Also, are the new Blueys getting a bit, ahem, "cinematic"?? We almost get technical with talk of soundtracks and "camera angles" - um, cartoons do use cameras, right??

Finally, we get a bit excited about hearing from Bluey art directors Catriona and Costa - and discovering bit of treasure hidden in the new eps, check out our Insta @blueypod to start hunting too!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

New Bluey episodes have dropped - excuse us while we hyperventilate! 

And first up the mainsail, Pirates! With new stories comes new character directions - but are we right to feel just a little bit betrayed?? (We still love you, Bandit-perfect-husband-dog-of-our-dreams!)

When it comes to park antics turning awkward, we've got a tan-bark-load of stories (it is edible, right??), and some pretty good reasons to lose the attitude and embrace the crazy!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We need a day at the beach after this session - prepare for vomit explosions, peeing pippies, menacing waterfowl and more!

Join us to celebrate a celebrity cameo, cry foul at the Heelers' easy-breezy transportation choices, and take the podcast to new literary heights as we discuss Tim Winton's The Swimming Chair. Why? Why not?! 

The Beach is even an excuse to reveal our winter holiday plans - Bluey, we're coming your way! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Academy Awards are free-flowing as Kate and Mary rate theatrical performances in Taxi - seriously, does Bandit have a secret past at NIDA??

As free-ranging as Bluey's driving (or Chilli's navigating), this episode sees us let fly on unachievable Play School craft, unsympathetic frequent flyers, and anyone else who gets in the way. And we get there in the end - but where are we going again??

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

First deep dive into a Bluey episode - and how appropriate, it's in The Pool!

Kate and Mary compare their childhood water-based games, ask tough questions about Uncle Stripe's Bali-hopping lifestyle, and demand to know why THE BAG is always Mum's responsibility! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Ever watched so much of a show you need to debrief? We're there - with Bluey!

ABC TV's adorable family of blue heelers is haunting our dreams, and putting our parenting to shame - so we're taking our obsession to the podcast-waves. 

Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta: @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast and use #blueypod to join in.

PS - We talk Bluey from a parent perspective - but don't panic! We keep it clean so little ears can overhear (and yep, it's definitely a challenge!)