Silent Sunday - May the Force Be With You

The things that kids say

I know its a bit of a cliche but son 2 whose 4 years old comes out with the best lines at the moment. A recent one was: "When I'm rich, I'm going to be a soldier and own a tank" to which his Dad replied - "so you're going to be a dictator?". Another one was "Is the second worst football player in the world the Queen?"

It makes me smile to come home to my gorgeous boys after work and hear their funny comments. Since having children I haven't laughed so much, I never realised how hilarious children can be and its not just mine, their friends, next door neighbour kids, they all make me laugh. The way they make such innocent comments without cynicism and find slapstick humour so funny - I love it.  

Silent Sunday

Girls will be girls

As a sort of feminist I try hard to ensure that my boys understand that women can do anything that men can do. That women don't necessarily have to conform to society's expected roles and responsibilities of women. Sometimes my boys have to endure my feminist rants, when son 1 was a small toddler he told me that girls were always princesses and that boys were always knights. This didn't go down too well with me and hence a lecture about how women could also be knights and were just as strong and brave as men - I was quite glad with the storyline in Shrek with Fiona the princess also being able to beat up Robin Hood (watch the film). However, recently my feminist comments backfired. We've had speed bumps put outside our house and the workmen asked me to move my car to put the road markings down. As I pondered what I would do with son 2 who was waiting on the pavent, the workman kindly asked if I wanted him to reverse my car. My response, "I do know how to reverse a car" and then under my breath "women can drive cars". I then got in my car and mounted the pavement in front of the workmen, how embarassing - maybe most women can drive cars but not me under pressure.  

Being 17 again

As I was going out with some old school friends I went back to the suburbs on Saturday night and stayed over at my parents. It felt like I was 17 again with no responsibilities, no money and no kids. I arrived at my parents house to be greeted with the TV too loud (they're both hard of hearing) and my mum trying to get me to eat even though I was going out for a meal. I managed to take borrow £30 for my night out as I have no money until payday (my husband hates me asking them for money but I'm cheap compared to my brothers and I don't ask v.often). My mum kindly gave me a lift to the pub and when we arrived at this lovely gastro pub there were lots of youngsters drinking out in the summers' sunshine, so my mum thought I needed dropping off around the corner to which my reply was "I'm not 17 anymore, I'm concerned with walking too far in my shoes rather than what someone else thinks about my mum dropping me off". Later on back at my parents, I was really pleased to see my cat Keisha who has been on a sabbatical since son 2 came along. But the cat then proceeded to be sick on the bedroom carpet, ah come on my words were "I have no kids with me I want a break from cleaning up horrible substances". So I called for my mum to clear it up, but as she can't hear me I had to become an adult again. The photo from Silent Sunday is where I grew up, where I spent Saturday night and where I become 17 again.

Silent Sunday

Sleeping babies

My friend once said about children (especially young children) that they need to sleep the whole night through so that parents' tolerance and patience can be charged back up. It gets depleted and worn away during the day (with tantrums / unrealistic demands etc) but once they're asleep you stare at them and are filled back up with tolerance and adoration. After I've put them all to bed - then found whatever piece of plastic tat toy they want to sleep with, closed / opened the door at the right angle, and have the right music on at the right volume I then let out a sigh of relief that my tolerance / love can be charged back up. I often find myself in the evening, going to check on my 3 boys and just staring at how calm, peaceful and obviously gorgeous when they're asleep. Its a habit from when they were babies to check that they were still breathing. I think the threat of cot death was so drilled into me at the hospital with son 1 that I'm still scared they won't wake up. Even when one of the boys sleeps in the urge to check on them is quite strong (its v.rare with son 1 to sleep in, not so much with son 2 and the baby) and often leads to me waking them up. Its a habit that means the other night at 4.50am I suddenly realised I hadn't checked on the baby (ok not a baby at 19 months) so woke up hubbie to check whether had (he hadn't) so jumped out of bed to check on him and woke him up in the process. Will I ever learn??    

Silent Sunday / better late than never