It Could Be Worse!

So if any one happens to have a Donna Doll that they are sticking pins in – enough! Please Stop! I need a little rest from bad luck! It’s only February and so far, my partner spent a week in hospital, he is anxiously contemplating a serious surgical solution to a chronic illness, the kids are full of vomit, runs and snot (though nothing too serious thankfully), the baby has been up all night for a week writhing in pain with his back teeth and me? Well I was watching Dexter last night you know the show about the serial killer and looked across at my raised black calved leg being iced (though technically spinached would be  more accurate!) and thought, ‘actually yes, I look like an extra on the show – without the Miami tan of course!’

Then the icing on the cake yesterday, my partner came home with the dreaded letter – he is on notice of redundancy...........

I’m reminded of the (lovely but young and naive -  probably still lives at home or at least takes washing there!) Speech and Language Therapist who told me a couple of weeks ago how important my 4 year old was (more important she said than my class) and how if I needed to take time off work every week for the foreseeable future, which was peeing off my boss I really had no choice I just needed to do it..........at the time I thought.’ You have no idea......’

My family is the most important thing to me but that means being responsible. You don’t give your children everything they want all the time, how could you? Life is full of limits and rules and choice – well that’s what makes civilisation and we all want civilised children don’t we?! (You know ones we can safely take to pizza express!)

We understand Mums have to make choices all the time, every day, every blooming second. Breast? Christening? Bedroom? Organic? Co-sleep? Schools?

 We look at the pyramid of needs and try and get as high up there as we possibly can, so most of us get warmth, shelter, food and then if we’re covered we try for the arts........

I just heard on T.V. - Lorraine (so it must be true) it costs two hundred and ten thousand pounds to raise a child, gulp, I really hope we don’t have to do it on one wage or of course even worse no wage, but if we do, we’ll still making choices and trying our best with what we’ve got.......

So at bedtime last night I read, ‘ It Could’ve Been Worse’ to the four year old- it’s about a mouse who amongst other close shaves trips unaware and falls just as the snake is about to pounce.........

........and as my big boy snuggles in I feel lucky and count my blessings and say to him, ‘Give us a kiss!’ which he does on my nose – which is his new way and makes us both laugh and snuggle some more!