September 2008 Archives

I've just spent the evening baby sitting. You might think this is just swapping one set of kids for another, but I've actually had a nice relaxing evening! Had the pick of the fridge, choice of music, and two and a half hours to read, do nails and generally chill out.

Yes, until about twenty minutes before mom and dad arrived home the household was a quiet, happy sanctuary. It was about then the little man decided to wake up.

Today, I have mostly been thinking about my good friend Lucy Henman-Hill.

Her maternity leave has finished and tomorrow is her first day back at work after spending (more or less) 24 hours a day with her baby for the last 9 months.

Some women really struggle with the return to work, while others relish going back a matter of weeks after their babies are born.

Remember when having just three hours sleep meant you'd had a great night out? And it's fine because you can just chill out the next day?

After having kids it's more often the mark of a rough night in, and the following day you have to be responsible for at least one small person.

I'm really angry.

I am irrationally angry about some woman in the park earlier, smoking whilst pushing her young child on the baby swing.

I was pushing The Kid, when I thought I could smell cigarette smoke. I dismissed it out of hand - I was in a children's play park after all, no one smokes in children's play parks, do they?

All new parents wonder how they will react if and when their offspring is ever hit by another child. I recently found out exactly how I react. I discovered that I (quite embarrassingly) take the 'fish wife' approach.

When my sobbing boy was presented to me on the door step by a tribe of young girls, all eager to tell me that he'd been hit by Josh, I lost all rational thought.

Displaying adverts targeted at young children in school is sickening.

Children are almost constantly bombarded with TV commercials, slogans and Internet 'pop ups', but until now I felt safe in the knowledge that this stopped at the school gates.

Not so. Posters are supplied to schools by a company called School Panels. Usually they supply pictures promoting healthy eating, exercise, books and the odd age appropriate film - all fine so far, but now it appears that blatant, commercial adverts are being allowed to filter in.

Nothing brings home our own mortality than producing a new life. Since having children my thoughts about shuffling off this mortal coil have altered significantly. I just wish I could say the same for my significant other.

It's all a bit morbid, but I've done the sensible thing and made a Will - and it's a good job too. I have failed on numerous occasions to seriously talk to The Other Half about what I want to happen when I've popped my clogs.

The two caterpillars both escaped from their home on our mantelpiece! I told The Boy not to bodge airholes in cling film using a biro!

I was tidying up when I noticed something strange in The Other Half's trainer. Turned out it was the smaller of the two caterpillars. I returned him to his jar and realised his mate had disappeared too! I was looking round for ages.

While worrying what's going into one child, I'm still concerned about what's coming out of the other.

The Boy doesn't eat enough to feed a sparrow. I'm having so many problems getting food down him - the dinner table is turning into a battle ground. Unless he's presented with a bowl of plain pasta he picks and fusses until everything on his plate is stone cold. Then half an hour later he complains he's hungry, asking for biscuits, toast or cakes.

I don't give in, and offer him any of this rubbish, but then I feel guilty that he's starving.