A poem I read today...

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth, 
Hang out the washing and butter the bread, 
Sew on a button and make up a bed. 
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking? 
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking. 
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue 
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo). 
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due 
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo). 
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew 
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo 
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo. 
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue? 
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

3 under 2 to 3 under 3

This weekend my big girl turns 2yrs old! Which means people will begin to pity me less as I can now claim to have three children under 3yrs instead of three under 2yrs. Probably people will still say things to me like "I'm in awe of you" and "You're a brave lady!" A) What is my alternative? B) They should ask my husband if I am really that brave, or worthy of their awe!

Reasons to be cheerful

* We're having a birthday trip out on Sunday and I'm very much hoping my best friend can come. Haven't seen her for ages

* I've made a decision about the twins routine which I hope will be liberating. Explain in another post.

* I am just about on top of my to do list

* I lost 1lb this week when it was feasible I wouldn't loose anything.

Reasons to be cheerful

* The twins have had two really good nights in a row now

* It's sunny

* I'm going to have a go at a new recipe tonight. I like cooking.

* I have a nice week ahead with a couple of visitors coming to see us.

* I've finally managed to get organised to Ebay some unwanted bits. They're all photographed and ready to go on, during their free listing, tonight.

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow is my birthday. To be honest, it's never been such a non event! In my 20's it was a BIG deal. I would take the whole week off, it became know as my birthday festival and I had something planned every day including dinners, shopping trips and theatre outings. I spend a lot of money, but then I still lived at home. It was also a chance to invite some uni friends to stay as to be honest they all waited for me to organise us to get together. I don't see them so much these days. Of course their lives have changed too, two of the four of them also have children, making weekend gatherings harder.

My mum is cooking lunch and DH and I are taking the girls round there. My sister and her family will also be joining us. I am just hoping that the babies will have a sleep when we put them down in my old bedroom. I hate social gatherings where babies won't settle and we have the dilema of leaving them crying and seeming mean or getting them up and seeming weak!

I don't know whether to be sad about my birthday festival or not. I've wanted to be a mother since as long as I can remember, more than I ever fancied any job. But right now it is quite tough. I guess the fact is that as I turn 33 tomorrow I will have to remember that I had a really good long run of birthday festivals.

Reasons to be cheerful

• We met one of my NCT (DD1) friends and her son today at the park near their house and the babies slept, parked up, not moving for nearly an hour while we chatted and the toddlers ran around. It was fab.


• The babies slept well (again) at lunchtime and I read my book


• There's a substantial pile of presents on DH's office chair


• The babies are really smiling and trying to talk to us now

Reasons to be cheerful

* Last night was the first night, since the babies were born, that neither DH or I got out of bed because neither of them needed feeding!!! "Sleeping through would be a slight exageration as they both woke us up occassionally grumbling but WHAT a development!

* DD1 is so funny, I love her observations. Todays was "Mummy push buggy. Lady push dog!"

*It didn't rain when we went out today

Misery Guts

Man in tescos queue looking at monster buggy: "Have you got three in there?!"

Me: "Yes"

Man: "That must be hard work"

Me: "Yes" [thinks: what's really hard is fending off idiots like you when I just want to buy a pint of milk!]


Yes it is hard work, some days more than others. Like today. And on those days I am not convinced that I am ever coping. Sometimes I think the bad days are the only time I am actually thinking clearly. Maybe when I think I am coping I am just kidding myself? I actually thought and said to DH today "I don't deserve twins, I am not a good enough mummy!" And I meant it.

• The twins often don't feed well when I feed them and DH has to take over after he's finished his baby. Yesterday on of them was sick three times when I fed her, that's how rubbish I am.


• DD1 is being a minx and not eating the food that I spend time cooking her and I can't make her behave any better.


• Worst: My babies are probably less trouble put together that some single babies and yet I still want more from them (mostly longer, quieter naps please).

Reasons to be happy:

• It's my birthday on Thursday and DH and I are having our first evening out for six months


• I just ordered myself a bag and a pair of shoes


• I have now lost half a stone


• There were no nappies downstairs when we ran out.

I want to be a Yummy Mummy!

Since DD1 was born I feel I've been floundering with my style. The kind of stuff I used to wear (A line skirts, wedges and big earrings) no longer seem practical but I don't want to live in jeans and trainers.

I've only allowed myself to buy a couple of pairs of jeans and tops to get my through these first few months as I try to shed the baby weight. I hate buying clothes I hope I won't wear long. Consequently I have no idea what I am going to wear to my sisters for lunch on Sunday. I have one dress but it seems a bit formal and I probably don't have any good tights. I used to always know what I was going to wear for 'occassions' sometimes weeks in advance. It's also my birthday on Thursday and I am invited to my parents for lunch and DH and I are going out for dinner in the evening. Absolutely no idea if there's anything I have that would do. Also I don't want to make do, I want to feel good, like I used to.

Totally sorted the girls outfits in my head though, I always solve their fashion dilemas before mine now :o(

Must be positive though, have so far lost 7lb. Even if I did have a sneaky bit of chocolate after lunch.