Eight years ago I was in the UK, in labour, tired and scared. My husband had popped out of the hospital to get food and for reasons no one will ever understand, he stopped off on the way back at B&Q to buy light fittings. To be fair we needed those light fittings, although likely not urgently. So I spent an hour or two, no idea how long, alone apart from the machines that go ping. 40 minutes before my 40th birthday small person arrived. Face scrunched up, with lines across his brow as if to say " what did you wake me up for, I was asleep". Within two days the nurses on the Mat ward informed me "he's got a temper!" And so it began...the journey into parenthood.
On his third birthday we had Jo Jingles sing and play, so sweet. By 4 it was super heroes with the real Spider-Man. The muscles on that guy were very pleasing to the mums at the party. For his 5th birthday they ran screaming around Manic Monsters, slides, football and sausage and chips. Off to Canada we went, so his 6th was a Star Wars art party in Ontario, with his whole class as we tried to help him make friends. The kittens actually helped there but they came the following March. For his 7th we went to Chuck e Cheese, which was the loudest, purplest party ever. He loved it. We loved that he loved it. This year, for 8th, we took the kids to Lazer Tag on a school night. It was "awesome" but a struggle to get him up and dressed the next day, for school.
Today, on his birthday, he went to school in his pyjamas, (they spell that pajamas!) as a celebration that the class "beat the teacher". It's like Harry Potter- they get house points for being good, quiet, kind etc. So a very excited 8 year old borded the bus today, at minus 2 degrees, in his pjs.
The house is now silent. The cats have gone to sleep, likely together as they do like a cuddle. I am off to work, back into a busy and fast changing workplace. Reorganization sees colleagues and friends leaving at the end of today. This time around I get to stay, like last time, and that is a bitter pill as you see yourself catapulted into a reality that you didn't choose. Weeks ahead of working out what your role is; lots of emotions crammed into every work day spilling out into home life unless I'm super focussed on that. Health report back from my annual medical. Not "sick" but not "well". Too heavy, too round, lacking iron, needing exercise...no more wine, liver not happy. Hoping the iron tablets will kick in soon...a slimmer fitter me is coming to this town soon.
Namaste
