What kind of parent am I?

Quite some time ago, pre-Whirling Dervish days, Wise Best Friend said to me “I’ve always thought if you had had children, you’d be one of us.”

This tickled me and actually made me feel quite pleased with myself.

I do hope Wise Best Friend won’t be offended by the broad generalisation of cloth nappies, baby wearing, breast feeding, lefty leaning, hemp and spelt eating (may have made the last bit up, although she does make her own bread which is yummy).

So yes, if I’d gone down the motherhood route, I would, most likely be a ‘natural mama’ (I think I’m getting a rash just typing about this), or at least started out with those intentions (WBF also says she and her sister wish they’d made lists of all the things they said they would never do when having children, and then cross them off as they did them).

Hey girl, don’t feel badly about having to choose

Hello neglected blog and lovely readers!

I think it is important for Whirling Dervish to have some time on her own with her Dad.

I also think it’s good for the two of us to get some ‘girly’ time now and then (when I say ‘girly’ I mean pretending to be pirates, discussing dragons and descending into mild hysteria over farts).

Are we ‘Wicked’?

I got very excited. ‘Wicked’ is coming to a theatre near me and it coincides nicely with Whirling Dervish’s birthday.

I saw it a few years ago in the West End, having been neglectful of my theatre-luvvie self in recent times, and was just blown away by it.

Now, and I’m aware I’m venturing in to a very sensitive territory here, Whirling Dervish’s Mum and husband attend a local church with her that, let’s just say, has some interesting views of the world. There will be a post on this at some point, but not today.

I knew the very title of the musical would instantly get Whirling Dervish’s Mum’s ‘invoking the devil’ radar up, so asked Husband to speak to her about it, explain it is the pre-story to The Wizard of Oz and it’s no more/ less magical/ opening a doorway to evil than ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, ‘Percy Jackson’ or ‘Scooby Doo’ (these days features actual monsters, not just the caretaker in a mask), all of which are standard viewing fare for Whirling Dervish!

The initial response was a sucking in of breath and an “ooh I don’t know about the sound of that, I’ll have to ask the church.”

Taxi!

I hear and read a lot about parents feeling like they are their kids’ chauffeur so I assume it comes with the territory, but, of course, when parents are apart it gets a bit more involved.

Carol concert – Not just mums and dads.

It was lovely. Lots of turning round from her pew from Whirling Dervish to wave up at the balcony to meeeee!

Carol concert – I have a solo performance

Oh no, I’m going to have to go through the WHOLE Facing the Christmas Fayre wardrobe crisis, paranoid being judged (all in my head) nonsense again tonight for Whirling Dervish’s carol concert.

Reviewing my 30s

I turn no-longer-in-my-thirties next week and, unlike no-longer-in-my-twenties, I’m not freaking out (too much). It helps that my birthday has, so far, lasted about five months with some amazing experiences that friends, family and my Husband have given me as presents (Elbow in concert, spa weekend, Halloween horror weekend in London, West End show) over that time.

It seems time for a bit of list-based whirlwind retrospection to link up with #TheList hosted by Mums’ Days and You Baby Me Mummy.

What has being going on in the last decade?

Facing the Christmas Fayre

I went to Whirling Dervish’s school’s Christmas Fayre.

I don’t think I’ve been to an event like this since I left primary school *mumble, mumble* years ago.

My, how times have changed.

Advent calendar bad behaviour

Hurrah, it is December. Our office already looks like Christmas has been sicked up on it and I’m sat here in my ‘Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal’ jumper.

My Mum rang at the end of last week to see if MY advent calender had arrived (that’s what I heard anyway).

Asking my advice. Yay… and also Yikes!

I was having a good old chops with Whirling Dervish this week (post-germs) while her Dad was pottering about doing man-stuff.

She was telling me all about a not very nice situation she’s got going on with her group of girls at school. Let’s call the others Grace, Rachel and Olivia.

Grace has decreed that Rachel and Olivia can’t play with Whirling Dervish anymore. Rachel especially is allowed no one-on-one time with Whirling Dervish.

FFS, they’re seven! Surely this crap shouldn’t kick in for at least another five years.