What's that sound? Is that laughter I hear?! OK - yes I hear you laughing...and you're absolutely right! Who came up with that theory anyway??! Confession time all you mother's out there...you came up with that theory! Think really hard...how many times have you assumed that just because you've been a spectacular mother on any given day, your kids would automatically follow suit?
Let's take a scenario we've all played out at some stage. A call comes, friends you've not met up with in ages want to meet for drinks DH discusses this with you & you both agree that yes we would like to meet said mates, spouses & associated kids for the evening. You plan the menu, do the necessary shopping & decide to get an early start on the day so that you have time for a cat nap, or at least some quiet time before the entertaining begins.
BUT - the phone rings again...this time DH is being called into work the next day - quite unexpected....especially being a Saturday! What do you do? You do what any good mother, hostess & supportive wife does: you suck it up & decide to get the planned early start anyway because boy will you need all the time you can get!
Morning breaks - deceptively calmly - C1 & C2 are being good...no really....quietly doing as they are told. You realise this won't last & look for a distraction to the imminent chaos. My kids like to paint - so I set them up with painting paraphernalia & begin the task of food preparations. Things actually seem to be going smoothly - you are pleased & had you been one of the seven dwarfs you may even have whistled while you work!
Then the trouble starts - C2 who is naturally precocious begins painting a canvas that is too irresistible - himself. Now covered in black, red & a garish deep maroon-brown he runs, paintbrush in hand, towards the kitchen door & out into the garden brandishing his paintbrush at every wall, plant & item along his way like some manic swashbuckling artist and letting out a glee-filled throaty giggle that can only mean one thing...MESSY TROUBLE!
Mummy sees the flash of grotesque colour fly past, drops the knife on the counter & leaves half-chopped ingredients to go chasing after C2 before more cleaning up is required. You are pleased that you have caught him relatively fast and determined that his antics are not going to mess with your mind & your nerves! C2 is threatened with the paints being taken away & given a new canvas - an outdoor cement floor that can be easily washed. Something he can have fun doing & mummy's eagle eyes can watch him from the kitchen window.
C1 decides he doesn't like his ordinary paper canvas anymore & heads out to commandeer a section of his younger brother's space. Invariably more paint ends up on C1's head than on the floor, this annoys the normally finicky-about-his-appearance, C1 who proceeds to thump on his sibling. Once again mummy is required to drop what she's doing - this time partly defrosted red meat hits the counter top with slightly more force than it would have done under normal circumstances & mummy rushes out to keep the peace.
So - you see where I'm headed with this? The entire day you are running around like the proverbial headless chicken but somehow at the end of the day - the kids are clean, the house is clean, the food is prepared, you are clean AND you have time to spare & you can almost feel that "S" glowing on your chest & your red cape billowing out behind you whilst you survey your domain, broom in hand.
THAT is until you walk in the kids room......do you finally lose your cool & yell screaming or do you decide "Screw that" & calmly walk out? It all depends on how frayed super-Mum's nerves are by this point - but on a day when you're feeling like the Super-Mum that you are you calmly call in C1 & C2, explain their friends will be arriving soon & get them to tidy up.....THAT is what happens on days that mummy realises she really IS SUPER MUM!!
Then the trouble starts - C2 who is naturally precocious begins painting a canvas that is too irresistible - himself. Now covered in black, red & a garish deep maroon-brown he runs, paintbrush in hand, towards the kitchen door & out into the garden brandishing his paintbrush at every wall, plant & item along his way like some manic swashbuckling artist and letting out a glee-filled throaty giggle that can only mean one thing...MESSY TROUBLE!
Mummy sees the flash of grotesque colour fly past, drops the knife on the counter & leaves half-chopped ingredients to go chasing after C2 before more cleaning up is required. You are pleased that you have caught him relatively fast and determined that his antics are not going to mess with your mind & your nerves! C2 is threatened with the paints being taken away & given a new canvas - an outdoor cement floor that can be easily washed. Something he can have fun doing & mummy's eagle eyes can watch him from the kitchen window.
C1 decides he doesn't like his ordinary paper canvas anymore & heads out to commandeer a section of his younger brother's space. Invariably more paint ends up on C1's head than on the floor, this annoys the normally finicky-about-his-appearance, C1 who proceeds to thump on his sibling. Once again mummy is required to drop what she's doing - this time partly defrosted red meat hits the counter top with slightly more force than it would have done under normal circumstances & mummy rushes out to keep the peace.
So - you see where I'm headed with this? The entire day you are running around like the proverbial headless chicken but somehow at the end of the day - the kids are clean, the house is clean, the food is prepared, you are clean AND you have time to spare & you can almost feel that "S" glowing on your chest & your red cape billowing out behind you whilst you survey your domain, broom in hand.
THAT is until you walk in the kids room......do you finally lose your cool & yell screaming or do you decide "Screw that" & calmly walk out? It all depends on how frayed super-Mum's nerves are by this point - but on a day when you're feeling like the Super-Mum that you are you calmly call in C1 & C2, explain their friends will be arriving soon & get them to tidy up.....THAT is what happens on days that mummy realises she really IS SUPER MUM!!
