BC - Before Children, my life was pretty cruisy. When I wanted to go out, I could grab my bag, get in the car, and drive straight to my destination pretty much without any distractions. In fact, I took it for granted. Why would it possibly be any other way?
When I became a parent, the other ways reared their ugly head. Because when you have a child, you need to:
a) get out of the house (Where are your shoes? Where is your drink? Where are your shorts? Why do you smell? Do you have a dirty nappy already?)
b) get into the car (C'mon, let's get in the car. Please - I am counting to three. No, we are not playing chasey now. No, I am not going to run around and chase you into the car. Get here now! Yes, now! Grrr!)
c) bring with you with all the appropriate appendages ie. shoes, drinks, snacks, clothes, hats, sunscreen, nappies, wipes... aaah, you get the picture!
And so that alone takes like 1/2 an hour (when you're organised of course). And that is if your child is willing and able.
And then there is the actual trip. Having my license for... well, some time now, I have forgotten that when you drive, you don't notice everything you pass. But when a child is sitting in the back seat near a window, they see EVERYTHING.
Every McDonalds playground, every pub playground, every park, every playground, every brightly coloured thing that a child would be attracted to because it has been designed that way because it is for a child! Oh, our little consumers...
So, getting back to going out... it's hard just to get from A to B without a winge, cry or excited little word from the back: "Swing." It's only a small word, but says plenty.
It means that usually there is a need at least twice (or more) a week where we need to visit a playground.
And getting there is just half the problem.
Eventually, we will have to leave.
And that's the other half of the problem.
It's so much fun being a parent.
Above: January - Ringwood Lake, February - Lillydale Lake, March - Croydon Park
So true! Now multiply that by two and imagine Lae potholes and you really have an interesting perspective. At least everything here is very close (which sometimes is more annoying as it takes an hour to prepare for a 5 minute trip to the track or supermarket) Love the pictures. Madison has grown so much. The comments at the office is that Mathias looks a lot like Madison!!! Everyone remembers you and there are pictures of you and Maddy at the ED office
ReplyDeleteI think part of the problem there is that you're doing too much. You are being what is commonly referred to as a "good parent".
ReplyDeleteIn our house, if the boys want to be entertained they just pull the couch out from wall, lean over the back of it and play Eye Spy for half an hour.