![]() Followed by this was the realisation that Wilf had half-eaten a label and also managed to lose a shoe. Then came the checkout palava where Theo kept leaning on the scales alerting us to yet another unexpected item in the bagging area, in which the self-scanning process became painfully slow and frustrating. Having eventually got what we needed, the hard part was over. And as for looking forwards, I just hope that shopping trips get easier. So as I was there, explaining to my four-year-old that we didn’t really need water balloons, Elsa sandals or a Batman costume, I couldn’t help but think back to the days of really being able to just nip in somewhere to buy exactly what I needed. Instead of looking back, it recommended looking forwards – advice which I thought was great, but easier said than done. In a book I am reading at the moment, it says that as parents we often think back to what life was like before children and the ease at which we travelled through life. ![]() So off we went, the usual routine unfolding of trying to keep Wilf strapped in and happy with snacks, and deterring Theo from all the things that we didn’t need. I now come as a package – it’s me and the boys – and wherever they or I need to go, we all do. But I now know that this is because parents in fact have very little time to themselves. My pre-child self always wondered why parents dragged their children on shopping trips. But of course, there was no nipping about it. Today, I nipped to the shops to buy the boys some new clothes. Little people certainly bring a great deal of uncertainty – there really is never a dull moment. A meltdown can ensue simply because it’s raining. A nap that usually happens like clockwork can suddenly be refused. A meal that is enjoyed one day can cause such a problem the next. It’s hit and miss as to what the day will bring, what the battles there may be and what curve balls might be thrown. I am now well accustomed to the rollercoaster life that is parenting: some days I feel like I know what I’m doing(ish), whereas others are a complete case of winging it and hoping for the best. There are other times though where things aren’t as calm or adorable. It might have been because they were both tucking into their tea without fuss, or because I knew that bath time was on the horizon, or might have been because there are times, just like that, where I feel so incredibly lucky to have them. ![]() In that moment, for no particular reason, I couldn’t get over that they were mine. So much so, I got up to squeeze each of their little faces in turn, gave them a big kiss and told them I loved them. Yesterday whilst giving the boys their tea, I had one of those moments of suddenly feeling like I was oozing with adoration for them. But it’s also the most I have ever laughed. Without a doubt, this is the most tired I have ever felt, the most plates I’ve spun at any one time. ![]()
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