Crazy. That’s how I sometimes feel being a Mum. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s intense and sometimes utterly overwhelming, isn’t it? I try hard to keep all of the plates spinning successfully above my head, and the correct child in the correct place at the correct time. Sometimes it means, like tonight, we compromise on what to wear – the two little ones wanted summer jammies, and I happen to think it’s still too cold for that, so they wore them over their winter jammies, blue Elmo over pink ladybird jammies.
(mental note: check they’re not overheating before I go to bed!)
I win no awards for best dressed toddlers, or for myself for that matter, as I sometimes look in the mirror and wonder WHAT I was thinking this morning. But OH MY it’s worth it, isn’t it? Every single snotty nose, the sticky jam fingers, and one more time through Green Eggs and Ham, it’s so worth it. When you see them tucked up in bed at night – with two sets of jammies on, you just have smile.
I think that might be why I love images of children so much. It’s almost like that moment late at night when you can just look at them and enjoy them (without being asked for another biscuit!) They’re still, and that moment of littleness has been captured. I like that.
Meet Zoe and Lloyd. Just getting started on their adventure of childhood. Leona and Patrick are super amazing and calm parents, and these lovely kids echo their niceness. I like that too.
So my 14 year old has asked me for another baby brother or sister for Christmas. I happen to think six kids is enough, so I’ve told her I’ll buy her a necklace instead…