Keep Your Distance!

Before she left for her 6 week holiday my friend who I meet up with every month for coffee and good conversation, gave me a voucher for a coffee... you know cos we would miss April's coffee date. I used it today.... I felt I deserved a treat. I felt myself start to spiral downwards into a bad mood and self-pity.

So here I am watching two of my kids play and the baby chilling in the pushchair behind me. Yes, I know I could be pushing them on swings or running around the park with them, but I seriously just want to sit. Not exactly the purposeful parenting I'm a passionate about.

To get to the bottom of my bad mood I always ask myself what exactly is my problem in hope I can address it. So here are my issues... 1) I'm tired (what mother isn't)

2) I feel taken for granted (what mother doesn't)

3) I need some space (what mother doesn't)

4) My kids are too noisy (what kids aren't)

5) I have things to do bit can't find the time or space to do them. (Don't we all)

6) My house is a mess (I have 8 kids and it's the school holidays what did I expect)

7) Too many people want something from me (um...quite possibly self-inflicted...need better boundaries)

I have to cook dinner (nothing unusual there)

So, there you have it...my entire list of grumps. The thing is that this is my life every day...this list is not unusual but today it's made me grumpy and feed up. I know they are all minor issues.... issues that some would give their left arm for...I do know that. I often get told that I must have the "patience of a saint" or "you must be super mum" (both things I hate hearing) ....so here I am proving that I don't have unlimited patience nor am I super mum...I'm just a normal mum winging it with the rest of them. I know tomorrow I will feel better Lord willing.... but for now, today, nobody should talk to me