Aye, what?

My life has been so blissfully chaotic. There is so much noise and and fun, but its all good stuff (mostly) so its enjoyable. (I think)

We have survived the summer holidays so far with nothing particularly ridiculous happening. I have also recently noticed that I care a lot less what others think, so no matter how embarrassing something usually is, I definitely haven’t noticed. I feel like I look like a dafty no matter how hard I try anyway. 

We have spent so much time surrounded by good people and learning random stuff. For example, I gave my therapy friend a message because I hadn’t seen her in weeks. She replied and told us to come meet her at the beach and we would go paddle boarding. It was not what we had planned for the day, but it was fabulous. It also turned out it was her birthday and we of course had to go for a celebratory ice cream. If I was a good friend I would have remembered it was her birthday and would have brought cake. I aspire to be that person one day, that remembers birthday and names and crap, but for now I will just be the one that shows up. (sometimes)

I realized how much older my kids were becoming as simple magic tricks fade away. Nothing too dramatic as the tooth fairy still exists and of course the big red guy is still a motive for good behavior, but it was a simple rock. A rock we had decorated on the beach with paints which included the Batman symbol and a little script that read “To Michael Love (mum) Batman” the mum of course was scored out and it was believed for years that it was infract a gift from Batman. 

Now my kid can read and my crap attempt to forge Batmans signature has been foiled. I wonder how much longer we have before everything is questioned. Hopefully a lifetime, but these are things you never really know about. You know it happens but its best guess scenario on how to keep the magic alive for as long as possible, so that is my next quest I think. Filling in the gaps of unanswered parenting questions like this. .It should also include life skills that you are just expected to know like how to erect a wind break or how to deal with you kids shitting themselves in public. Whats the most handy things to keep in your car. How to tell other kids to politely fuck off . 

The list is literally endless. No more guessing. There would be a guide full of random crap. It would also contain all the amaizing things about being a parent that make it so damn unique and amazing. We are all well aware that it is not a bundle of laughs all the time, in fact most of the time I think im going bat shit crazy, however a little reminder of the moments I get to experience because of the monsters in my life, would probably serve well on a shitty day.

• Like, their beautiful sleeping faces
• the first time they say “I love you”
• the sleepy cuddles in the night because you are their comfort
• when they shout at you a million times to watch what they are doing, all because they want to entertain you
• the first time they make a friend
• the pride when they try something new
• the cuddles. Always.

Now I know some of this is impossible to be happy about sometimes and certain days can make you sink to all new lows of exhaustion and self esteem, but really where else would you be. My kids can be massive pains in the butts, but it tends to make up for it with the moments as long as I am paying enough attention to notice them as they fly by. 

We had some times through the holidays that just flew past and it was hard not to try and be productive and just be in the moment. As soon as I noticed these moments it was also too late and we were right back into survival and planning. Which of course just sounds like normal life, but because life has taken a hop skip and leap into normality again, it just  becomes rather overwhelming. So many people I know are struggling to remember anything, myself included. I don’t know if it was the dreaded Rona or a mix of having less to think about on a daily basis with life being shut down. Less to think about isn’t the right phrase, its possibly more like less choice of things to comprehend. It has been a bonus and somewhat of a quieter life, but now we are in full swing of activities and appointments, our brains are struggling to catch up.  (Im speaking for myself at least, im sure im not the only mad one.)

One ridiculous thing this week though has been spiders. Its been slightly colder (either that or I am very sunburnt and cant feel my skin anymore) so the big tarantula size house spiders have been appearing. My friend had messaged and said about one zooming under her sofa the other night, and of course the immediate and only solution was to burn the place to the ground. 

Whilst this was ongoing at her house, I was in my hallway fixing the floor (a mistake I made previously) when I suddenly felt someone enter the room. I thought it was a sleep thief coming to steal my peace, however noticed this beast bolting across the landing. Me, being brave as the only adult in the house looked for the cat to grab to help me hunt it down, but even he was keeping his distance. I did manage to find an empty tub of grout and trap him on the wall. Feeling like a pure hero, I have the biggest grin on my face, but also the realization hits that I am now stuck in the hallway with this monster. If I move, hes gone and I would then have to try and be charlies big balls again. 

No one tells you how to deal with this kind of situation.  A Hoover as a wedge though did the trick to trap him long enough to grab a bit of paper and move him to the bathroom. I need to also add here that I am a massive sucker and great believer in karma. So I cant kill this monster, but I do allow him the chance to climb down the plug hole (whilst still contained within the tub of course). This is a proper terrible description but I also forget to mention what I did to Shaun as he finally arrives home late evening for a bath. Luckily he doesn’t scream much and absorbs all the bad karma by flushing the monster. 

What even.>? 

My kids also jumped into a freezing paddling pool for a quid. So you know.. the future is bright.