However it all sort of went Pete Tong, base over apex and a dash of catastrophic thrown in for good measure. I should be fuming, depressed or something but as I arrive in Sunday evening I'm actually quite chuffed about things.
Trying to leave by 9.15 on Saturday for the class, all going spiffingly until Mum walked into the edge of the dishwasher and took and chunk out of her leg that one look alone told you A&E at best... Now a bit of context: I cannot watch Casualty, Grey's Anatomy, Holby, Doc McStuffins - any of that. Anything more than a grazed knee and I feel quite queasy to say the least. This was quease-inducing of a fine order. The savlon wet wipe (my first attempt at stemming blood flow) was an embarrassing failure only accomplishing covering me further in blood, kitchen roll was not exactly much of an improvement. I eventually found some gauze (thank you EM for your 1st aid kit) but it was my 6 year old that came over took the gauze and knelt besides Nanny and held it down over the wound. She checked it occasionally and asked if Nanny was ok. Completely unfazed by her squeeling sister in the hall she was just at ease and did her thing allowing me to finally get some bandage, strap the wound and get Mum ready to go to A&E....
K did make her class and because I had to take the littlies with me, while waiting we discovered a fab retro coffee shop; so we raised beautiful chintz cups of tea to Nanny, ate chocolate cake and had a lovely chat and giggle. A&E was empty and by the time we got back Mum was arriving home too... Stoic and sturdy still not batting an eyelid she just got on with things and put us all to shame. She complained I wouldn't let her come with me to take eldest to haircut - "its only a flesh wound" - i think not!
And that was the pattern for the weekend. Everything just didn't go to plan, plans continued to crash and burn and then something good came out of them. The Tescos man failed me and didn't turn up - no pizza night. Then the youngest asked if she could make chicken goujons for tea so at the age of 5, apart from sharp knife and hot pans - she cooked dinner for 4 people... And on and on....
So whilst I don't recommend letting anyone gauge out her shin to the point they'd look good in a biology dissection class, I did learn that sometime Mummy's aren't the ones that know everything in the family. In fact, I'm blessed enough to be raising 4 girls that even at their young ages are demonstrating a strength of character and capableness that leaves me in awe and great excitement as to what they will be able to achieve in the future. So often we think of parenting as the stress of the moment, how to get through today, tomorrow or even this year; but time will pass and the older they get - how our kids need us will change as they become more independent, making their own decisions. As we often take pains to remember we are individuals and not "just parents" so our children are individuals and not "just our kids". And it is indeed the greatest privilege to be able to teach and nurture my girlies, giving them strong roots so they know where they come from but as importantly strong wings so they can fly....
And in the meantime I'm off to put tennis balls on the corner of any edges in my house. Stuff kiddie proof, I need to make it Nanny proof....
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