A guilty pleasure of being a mummy...
Being a mummy is precious and rewarding, but, do we all need some me time occasionally?
When I was younger I always new I wanted to be a mummy, but, I guess none of us know what the future holds. I was very fortunate that I met the man of my dreams, had an intimate white winter wedding followed by our three beautiful boys. All of them have very different personalities, our eldest is very quiet, sensitive and extremely caring, our middle son is very laid back, affectionate and yet stubborn and our youngest is just full of beans, our little super hero who dotes on his big brothers and is absolutely football mad!
For the past 7 years our lives have changed considerably, our life is not just about us anymore, it is about us as a family. You can’t just do what you want when you want, you have to think about what is best for you all.
This weekend has been quite a new experience though, back to the life before kids...
My gorgeous hubby took our boys to the coast for the weekend (3 nights and 4 days to be precise!) to give me some me time. I will be honest I was an emotional wreck whilst I was packing their bags and placing their name tags on each with their little PJ’s and bed time cuddle’s (I couldn’t let them forget Dino, Fudge and George!). Saying good bye was much harder in reality (again there was tears), but, once I had composed myself I actually sat down and relaxed – for a moment!
I will be honest, I have had mixed emotions and I was very tempted to go with them, my husband even offered to come and get me if I changed my mind, all I needed to do was pick up the phone (and hope he had phone signal!). I love the coast (as they do!), but, I had work commitments and secretly the idea of having our home to myself for just a few days felt like a too good a opportunity to refuse, it was a novelty and it would just provide me with some quiet time to actually start a task and finish it!
The problem being is that as much as I am looking forward to this rare me time, I am also feeling very guilty about the prospect of enjoying it.
Should I really be craving this time on my own without my little men who are my top priority???
I never really appreciated the simple things in life pre-kids, i.e., having a lay in and undisturbed sleep, watching what you want on TV, eating in a relaxed manner, getting jobs done with no interruptions, just walking out of the door with little more than your handbag and keys, not having to raise your voice once during the day and not forgetting coming home to a very quiet and tidy home (just as I left it!).
I have heard from the boys (and yes that includes my husband, he is possibly the biggest kid of them all!) every day and they are having a fantastic time, paddling in the sea, building sand castles, jumping off sand dunes, marine life spotting, crabbing and much much more. So all in all the whole family has had a great weekend, but, I am very much looking forward to lots of kisses and cuddles and a noisy home again – I am sure they will not disappoint, a whirl wind of chaos to be expected.
Having children can have its challenges, but, it is so worth it when you get told down the phone from your youngest “I love you” in the cutest little voice, that your eldest son is collecting shells on the beach just for you (this is our holiday tradition) and then you go through your child’s school book bag and find a drawing that he has made just for you with beautiful birds and butterflies (and yes it got stuck on my wall immediately!) – happy days.
From one minute to the next you never quite know what you will be doing with the kids, but, they definitely keep us on our toes and we wouldn’t have it any other way and I am hoping that this may be made into an annual “boys” trip – us girls can dream can’t we!
On that note I have come to the conclusion that in reality a happy mummy is most often a happy child and just a little sprinkling of me time is healthy both physically and mentally, I felt better for it and refreshed, maybe a true guilty pleasure, but, one which I intend to enjoy now and in the future...
Last but certainly not least, I adore my boys, thank you for letting me be your mummy (and wife!) and giving me some me time x
