Reality Check

Do you know that I lay in bed last night and worried about my November smiles list? I lay there listing off all the amazing things I got to do lately, and wondered, does it look like I've been bragging? Have I given the impression that my life is so perfect?

Cos it's not, you know. And I'd hate for you to think for one second that it is. I have been incredibly blessed this month with some wonderful trips, birthdays, events, people and places. So blessed.

The reality?
Life as we know it still goes on.
Kids squabbling.
Parents agonising over whether we are totally crap and our kids will turn out to be selfish delinquents.
Eight year olds refusing to shower.
Six year olds punishing us for daring to go away by turning into Human Air Raid Sirens.
Two year olds discovering they can push back. And shout. Really really loud.

Marital Discussions. Oh Yes. Even in Business Class.
Panic Attacks. Meltdowns. Tears. In public.
Having your lovely mother in law witness your total lack of energy and your complete inability to clean or tidy or get the kids off to school on those bad days.
Being completely embarrassed to have a witness to your uselessness.

All of this winds through and in and under and over all the great stuff.
Which only makes the great stuff so much sweeter.
It makes "One Hot Mummer" sound like an orchestra playing in your heart.
It gives girlish giggling the sound of tinkling silvery bells.
It turns chubby little hands clasping yours and slobbery kisses into magic things.
It causes the shared wink across the rows in Business Class to swell your heart like SpongeBob in water.
It transforms the folded washing and magically emptied dishwasher into gifts from heaven.

So please excuse me if I have given the impression lately that my life is all rosey.
Roses, yes. But thorns too. Can't have one without the other, can you?
That's the Reality.

xx

PS: The pictures are from Sunday night at Motat Nights Christmas Lights (gold coin donation). The Victorian village is all lit up, the blacksmith forge operating, actors getting the kids playing Victorian games, a sweet-maker making candy (you can even make your own), mulled wine for sale...

My idea? Arrive home from the airport, pile everyone in the car and do something fun and spontaneous as a family. Er, yeah. I didn't check the times, the kids were grumbling and complaining, tired and hungry. We had to wait for it to open, parked in the wrong place and had to walk for miles... I nearly gave up on the whole darn idea. But we persevered and in the end had a magic night together. That's life aye??