A new era …

Yesterday, I took my eldest for a meeting with her new teacher, in preparation for her first day at school on Monday. Today, I took my youngest for her first morning at pre-school. Now, I’m feeling a bit wobbly! Don’t ask me why as there have been many moments over the past four and a half years when I’ve been practically counting down to the start of school! But somehow, now it’s here, I feel a bit sad and nostalgic. Of course, I’d never let my little ones see this. As far as they’re concerned, it’s the start of an exciting new chapter in our lives, in which they’re going to have loads of fun, make new friends and learn all kinds of new things. Which probably explains why my eldest leapt out of bed yesterday (not normal behaviour for her!) and went straight to get herself dressed (again, not normal behaviour – she usually stays in her PJs for as long as humanly possible!) and emerged, sparkling, in her school uniform and shiny black school shoes! Which she doesn’t actually need to wear until next week! How long this enthusiasm will last, who knows, but it’s very sweet to see.

So anyway, here I am at the office, wishing I’d spent more time at home with my girls over the last few years. How is it that suddenly, now, I can think of a million and one trips we “shoulda woulda coulda” gone on and craft projects we “shoulda woulda coulda” done together and tasty nutritious meals that I “shoulda woulda coulda” made?! At the time, it was as much as I could do to get them, and me, from one of the day to the other.

And of course, as someone who likes my freedom, I’m also wishing that school wasn’t quite such a rigid, inflexible commitment. I don’t want to have to pay exorbitant prices to go on holiday with hordes of other people for the next fifteen years. I would quite like to be able to just pick the kids up and disappear off to the beach one sunny Tuesday (if we ever have one!) without incurring the wrath of the local authority. And I’m utterly freaked out by the pressure of having to get two children to a specific place by 9 am every weekday morning! Is it just me, or is that a BIG ask?!

Still, there’s no point getting freaked out about it, I’ve just got to concentrate on making Mummo work so that I can fit it in and around school. Been reading this great book about women entrepreneurs called ‘Inspiring Women’ by Michelle Rosenberg, of Poppy PR. Most the women she features are mums, and most of them are now running multi-million pound businesses! Think Christian Rucker of The White Company, Romy Fraser of Neal’s Yard Remedies, Sally Fraser of Babylicious and Laura Tenison of JoJo Maman Bebe, to name just a few. I am determined that I’ll be part of that list one day! Not so that I can be rich (although I guess that would be quite nice!) but so that I can feel like I’ve really made a success of Mummo. Because, at the end of the day, if Mummo becomes a multi-million pound business, that means it’s working for the mums it’s meant for and it’s making money for charity. Then it will all seem worthwhile!

Friday night blogging!

Once upon a time I actually had a life! I mean, I used to go out on a Friday night. I used to have a few drinks, a good laugh, a bit of a dance (if I’d had more than a few drinks) and maybe even some sex! Then – heaven – a Saturday morning lie in, maybe some more sex, another doze, coffee, and a long leisurely breakfast with the papers! That, of course, was my life Before Children. Tonight, in contrast, my Friday night has consisted of:

• surviving the bathtime bedtime routine with two tired, fractious children … missing out the bath bit!
• coming downstairs to a maelstrom of toys, unfinished craft activities, half-dried washing, etc, all of which needs to be tidied away to who knows where!
• sitting side-by-side on the sofa with my partner, in silence, eating bangers and mash / omelette and mash with a side dish of frozen peas and a depressing property programme on TV
• doing jobs, jobs and more jobs
• and now, finally writing my blog … for the second time, as I just lost everything I’d already written when my internet connection went down!

This, of course, is my life After Children! And it’s like being a different person and living on another planet. Whatever happened to the old me, who looked and felt so much younger? Who actually had the energy for sex and a social life?! Could somebody please tell me, where has she gone and, more to the point, will she ever come back?!

In all honesty, I don’t think anyone could have prepared me for the reality of motherhood – the enormity of it all! The enormity of the love, and the enormity of the non-stop, never-ending, life-and-death responsibility. Once a mum, always a mum … no matter what happens. That’s a big deal.

I’d love to know how other mums find motherhood, so I’m doing a survey. How has it been for you? Have you taken it all in your stride or are you (like me) still trying to get your head around it?! How does your life AC compare with your life BC … or are they just completely and utterly incomparable? And what about the effect that becoming a mum has had on YOU? Are you still the same person? If not, how have you changed? Please sit down for a couple of minutes and do the survey. I’m hoping to get some really meaningful information that can be used to help provide better preparation and support for mums, and I’ll also donate 25p to charity for every completed survey (up to a maximum of £500). So once you’ve done it, copy the link below and send it on to all your mum friends … and then sit back and feel good for doing your bit! Thank you.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ur1svyprIetNzwNpHwsG_2bg_3d_3d

And now, for a little light relief, I recommend homeofficemum’s blog, which is all about the magic and madness of motherhood. It had me laughing out loud in my office, surrounded by lads and dads who just wouldn’t have got it! Go read it now … unless of course you’ve still got a life and are actually out this Friday night?! In which case, I’m not speaking to you!

Kitchen table dramas!

Well, here I am again, sat at my kitchen table … except it’s not actually mine, it’s a friend’s. She’s been letting me use it so that I can stay out of the way of the nanny and the little ones, for their sake as much as mine. I just kind of knew that work and kids wouldn’t mix, even ‘pretend’ work which is often what this feels like! (And, before you jump in, I do know, from three years’ personal full-time experience of it, that looking after children is harder work than anything else you could ever do … but you know what I mean!) Anyway …

This is it, just me and my laptop, a mobile phone and a fledgling business idea. It’s a lonely old place, really. In fact, the title of this entry is more than a bit tongue in cheek, as I could do with a drama to liven things up. Still, shouldn’t tempt fate and – knowing me – I can always create one if I get too bored! So what am I doing … and how long before I can go to Starbucks (again) for coffee and company?! I’ve been trying to sort out my research questionnaire, which I’m hoping to send out to lots of mums to get some background data to support my plans. I’ll be slightly gutted if people’s replies come back and they don’t tell me what I want to hear, because then all that hard work will just have to go in the bin! I’m offering to donate money to charity for every completed questionnaire I get back, so fingers crossed that’ll motivate everyone to help out. I did sensibly remember to say ’subject to a maximum donation of …’ just in case the whole thing got out of hand and ended up as its own viral marketing campaign. Talking of which … (but I’ll have to come back to that as the coffee urge has just got the better of me!) See you later!