Today I took the vacuum cleaner in to be fixed, which seems about the most responsible adult thing I’ve ever done.
Young’uns buy or borrow vacuum cleaners, but it seems like only grown ups who make a (considerable) investment in household appliances and then spend money on the service and maintenance of said items. Truth be told I’d probably never have bothered if the damn thing didn’t break twice, rendering me vacuumless – never mind that we bought it less than three years ago. So dropping it off this morning, I felt like I’d really hit those middle domestic years.
Following this, I bought a babycino and a very strong coffee.
I also took a preschooler to the supermarket, bought bananas in bulk (it always seemed to my kid-free self mums in the shops were buying extraordinary amounts of bananas, I could see that would one day become my fate), and got talked into buying a packet of choc-topped rice crackers that weren’t on my shopping list. Couldn’t quite come to terms with how much the grocery bill is these days, in my head I still think it should be what it was 10 years ago and feel like I’ve always “gone over” when really, this is just reality now. Shit’s expensive.
I forgot the bread.
I loaded up on kids’ clothes because apparently one grows an inch every day and doesn’t fit into her clothes from last week, let alone last year. I bought sunhats, bulk felt pens that will have each and every cap left off by week’s end, and a bath mat. I then heard a call over the loudspeaker that a small child was looking for their mother, the description of which matched mine, who was happily browsing the toy section. I popped my head from around the corner and the aforementioned child trotted over and asked could I please buy her this Peppa Pig plane?
Purchased a metre of very realistic dog fur so I could make the eldest’s book week costume for tomorrow. She’s going as Topsy from Bimbo and Topsy. Grateful she didn’t want to go as Bimbo.
Had to forfeit my trolley dollar because there was nowhere to clip my trolley in and the other bays were miles away in a crowded carpark. Enjoy that dollar, fellow shopper.
Listened to a three-year-old singing a song about butts and trips to the hostible.
Put on dinner early (like at lunchtime) which seems to be another extraordinarily organised domestic thing to do and I tell you I don’t do it every day. If you’re anything like me you’ll want to know what it was – we’re having spicy black bean tostadas with sweet potato. Which only two of us will eat.
Argued with preschooler about her wanting to do something she wasn’t allowed to do and uttered the words “if you don’t want to play with those brand-new Shopkins you just asked me to buy, I’ll take them back to the shop”, which of course I have no intention of doing.
Watched her cry over the purchased felt pens that were clipped together in a circle and that she broke and couldn’t get to go into a circle again, so proceeded to pull every pen apart and throw it onto the coffee table in a huff.
Listened to much whingeing. MUCH.
Realised one of the dresses I’d bought won’t fit anyone and will have to be returned to the shop.
Watched the preschooler go through the pantry and complain about everything and then ask for Weet-Bix then just walk off and start playing, leaving the Weet-Bix on the floor.
Had to answer 87 “mama?”s and was required to “look at this mum” everything from a drawn rainbow to her putting a toy CD in the DVD player and respond in the pleasant affirmative.
Tried to do some work, please note the aforementioned everything.
Realised how fast the day was getting away from me and I’d hardly got anything done.
Like just now I’ve realised I haven’t hung the washing out.
It’s now school pickup and I look forward to:
- The schoolkid not remembering what she did that day, rendering all my attempts at parental interest conversation useless
- She’ll probably cry about something
- Sibling arguing at some point
- Wrestling with a sewing machine trying to make a dog costume and probably either drinking or crying
- All children complaining about dinner
- Trying to fit more work in where it’s really just not going to fit (not with that sewing machine business anyhow)
- Waiting for 10 minutes at bedtime while the children dither about what book they want read
- Swearing at the sewing machine a bit more
- *Insert obligatory but I love them and truly I do, I get a real kick out of being a mum and having (mostly) pleasant domestic days like this but that kind of talk isn’t half as amusing*
- Eating half those chocolate rice cracker thingies after the kids go to bed
- Passing out early with only half my to-do list done
- Finally remembering I never ended up hanging out the washing
Ready to wake up tomorrow morning and do it all again with added gymnastics.
potentialpsych says
Sounds remarkably like my day. I got to go to a 4 year old kindergarten excursion to the Library that involved a bus trip, despite being 500m from the kindergarten. Sat on the floor listening to a children’s author read his stories while telling children to ‘sit down so the other kids can see’ x 120. Then my child decided that he didn’t feel well and had to come home with Mummy instead of staying at kinder for another three hours. He then described every Power Ranger ever invented for the 1km walk home and made a miraculous recovery upon his return. Now it’s school pick up then I need to collect the cat from the vet, then prep dinner and then take an 8 year old to gymnastics. Should any work get done today it will be done between 9.30pm and 11.30pm. As usual. x
Stacey says
Yo I’m tired just reading that
Tina Lacy says
I have to admit that I was wondering what you were making for dinner when I read that part. Would love to see Bigs costume when you are done, I failed year 8 sewing we had to make polar fleeces I stitched the arm of that thing to its body so many times! I have somehow mananged to get my small person to sleep by 730 without the obligatory 4-10 angry baby screaming fest, winning!
Stacey says
oh lord, polar fleece was so popular back in the day! I remember making an apron, an applique bag, and a bean bag. I was NOT a very good seamstress! Luckily I’m much better now though I”ve not had much experience. Nice mum win there for you! Hope it’s been going as well as can be as you adjust to your new little lady <3
Linda says
Oh man! Fun mum days. Life is never dull. You can do it, although some days are tough.
Stacey says
Yes, and funnily enough this was one of the less-stressed days. Just full of little stuff, you know? The tiring stuff haha. I had the best sleep last night so it was all helpful in the end!
AGrose says
You just described my life! And most of those bananas I buy just end up as cake
Stacey says
Ha that’s exactly where they’ve been ending up lately! They are going brown faster than I can keep up haha
Shari from GoodFoodWeek says
Bahaha – just made a banana and walnut loaf that everyone turned their noses up at because of the walnuts. But it’s delicious and I am sick of bananas being requested and left. I don’t want to eat your brown banana – I wanted delicious banana and walnut loaf and it is not my fault if you don’t want to eat it. I haven’t had a hot cuppa in almost 4 years!