as glamourous as I will be with my boys.
I take a look at the parenting blogs out there, and their posts are littered with gorgeous photos, and the parents look damn fashionable lah. you know, you can see the time and effort they take to look good in the photo.
me? hah. the postman will probably be lucky if I wore a bra to the door (hubby’s all “must be decent!!” and stuff). eh, having said that, I am currently nursing a 4mo baby on demand, so screw saggy boobs and bras (for now). Then again, I have very poor fashion sense, and pretty much go for what is convenient and comfortable. My closest friends will attest to that.
so, one a rainy Friday arvo, on my to the dermatologist’s (damn you, eczema!!), I walked out of the train and saw a mom pushing a stroller with a kid inside, and with another kid walking behind her. I was in awe. Younger kid in stroller, and older kid walking behind no questions asked. Wow. At that point, I envisioned the same thing happening to me…
…except it will probably not be the case. *sigh*.
You will see a mom (me) pushing the stroller really quickly with poor QT inside and chasing after a runaway toddler, yelling “Oliver! Come back here this instant!!“. Super tak glam sight. Extreme auntified. Okay, granted the kid looked older than Ollie. Maybe about 3.5yo? So I can be slightly hopeful and maybe things will be the case when Ollie turns 3.5yo next July.
I mean I did wonder what life would be like with two kids, and even going out with two kids. Establishing a fairly rigid nap routine allows me to anticipate when things may go awry. Initially, I was a little apprehensive of taking two kids out. But now, hey, we are venturing out further and for longer periods as well. I’ll review this again when QT is mobile, but for now, I’ll take it for what it’s worth!! Only downside is poor Ollie has to remain mostly seated in the stroller because this mummy doesn’t fancy running after him with a baby in the carrier. There have been a couple of times where I allowed him out of the stroller so he can walk but the condition was that he would have to hold my hand. So far so good!
My realities as a SAHM so far are that:
1) household chores really take a backseat, until I can summon my ass off the sofa to go do it. It is WAY more fun to watch cartoons with monster #1 =P
2) I learnt to cook everything in one pot. veggies & meat in one pot. and you eat that for lunch and dinner. and it has to be toddler approved.
3) how I envisioned spending my time with the kids: spelling, reading, learning new words, Mandarin, numbers, puzzles.
what is actually being done: hey Ollie, Umizoomi is starting soon! (disclaimer: he gets to watch tv up to 10am and then we either read a book, some craft or playing, or he self-entertains)
4) I subscribed to food magazines so that I can whip up awesome food for hubby and the kids; totally not happening when you have kids. special meals have been relegated to once a week. everything else is basic & simple (i.e., should not take more than 10 minutes to prepare).
5) when monster #1 at 4mos fusses, he is picked up almost immediately. when it comes to monster #2….ah he can wait. (okay lah..not all the time. it’s like times when you have just ONE more pole of laundry to hang out, you know??)
6) finding excuses to cut down on craft time cos of the clean up after. I mean, I have to make sure monster #2 is fully fed before I can shower monster #1 after fingerpainting. And do you know how greasy homemade play-dough is and the prints it makes on the floor..and..and greasy toddler footprints all over the floor..argh.
aye. okay, to be fair, there are days where I feel I can conquer anything (i.e., the kids are not cranky, we had a good start to the day..etc), and we do more things together, and everyone gets a treat. monster #1 gets to do fingerpainting, mummy bakes some cookies/brownies/muffins, daddy gets a better than basic & simple meal. there are good days, and I think I am getting better at getting more of those good days.
at least until the third kid comes along and throws a spanner into the works. hah. till then.