A breath of fresh air....

or two!
Had a lovely day today. It started (after dropping off BB at nursery) with a brisk stroll with a friend and our two youngest in their prams for about an hour. Boy did it feel good (I did get pretty out of puff!) and since it was back to hers for a cuppa, the cake intake was also restricted.....

After lunch we headed back to Brechin with the plan of action - as BB needed to know - of going to the bank, then going to the shop (to exchange a heater) and then having a trip to the library. He repeated this mantra to me during the car journey there and I was impressed at how he took an impromptu itinerary change when we arrived just after the bank had closed for lunch. Changes as such can cause a bit of a strop in my eldest 'but I wanted to go to the bank, and then the shop and then the library Mummy.......' he was quite happy though to go with the flow with the change of schedule (shop/library/bank) - I think it's because all three destinations were still to be visited then the order didn't matter so much?

We walked to the library from where we'd parked the car - which is quite a little distance for little feet such as LL has - but bless, he is loving walking right now, and even keeps up the pace quite well! We made it there in one piece. The nice librarian pointed us in the direction of the children's section and we made ourselves at home. BB and LL did some puzzles and chose some books for me to read, then we got some company. Unbeknownst to me there was a story telling session starting in about 20 mins so we decided to stick around (the bank could wait and we'd already been to the shop!) A rug was laid down and toys were dispersed on it, BB took a keen interest and LL had great joy running up and down the ramp which leads to the children's area! I encountered my first 'super mum' who - loudly enough for me to hear - made a show of asking her eldest what she'd had for lunch. The reply being 'salad!' (On a cold winter's day - surely that amounts to child abuse! - unlike the soup served with Naan Bread (don't ask!!!) which my two had!) the components of the salad followed - cucumber etc (to be honest I'd switched off by that point) I was soon awoken from my daydreamy slumber by the mutterings in the background of same pushy mum - 'so dear - you can speak french can't you? Which words can you say in French?' *silence* (ha bloody ha!) Her performing puppet had given up on her.
THEN arrived Mother Earth herself!!! A woman who looked to be around forty, wearing what can only be described as a stereotypical hippy uniform - including technicolour cardigan to the floor, long cord skirt and handknitted woolly jumper - with her three kids in tow (one in as car seat) I double took when I turned to see middle child nursing from her mum. I was gauging her size - similar to LL but more petite, but once she was on the move her vocabulary etc made her much older. Hmmmmm appears Mother Earth listens to the WHO guidelines on breastfeeding our children. I enquired later and her two eldest were 4 and 2. I know lots of women do this, but personally I find this a bit wrong, this child is fully able to drink from a cup! THEN about 15 mins later poor baby in car seat (who I'd forgotten about) got latched onto the same boob (it was noted that Mother Earths obviously think bras are for the evil........)poor little buggar was getting big sisters dregs. Surely there can't be enough in there for a growing child? Wrong wrong wrong!!! When she finally went on to proclaim that 'of course it's okay for your 4 year old to still be in nappies' (because hers was - and indeed that it would amount to child abuse to try and remove them sooner) to another mum who was obviously trying to get her son dry. I realised that much as the boys had fun - they may not be returning to this particular storytelling session anytime soon. It all seemed to be a bit of a stage for showcasing who was the best parent.

The lady reading the stories was very good - so I suppose it's always an option on a rainy thursday afternoon - so long as I get to sit at the back and not have to listen to it all...

Did I mention yesterday that BB's arm has seriously swollen after his jabs? He hasn't mentioned it before tonight (even when I outwardly cringe every time I've taken his top off!) but he did inform me (at the strangest moment whilst straining out a poo!) that his arm still hurt, and when I gave it a (very gentle) kiss better he told me he didn't like getting 'jections'. He told me he'd been really brave though.

That you had son, that you had.