Its never to late to learn more gratitude! So I, like thousands of others have been without power for the weekend...again. We had no power over Christmas so when it went off again on Friday evening we were more or less prepared. However what it does do is give you a very stark reminder of how much we rely on electrickity, as it is referred to at our place (yeah thanks Peppa Pig). Not only were there no lights, we had no heating, hot water, our phones didn't work as they were all singing and dancing ones that need power. Our mobiles didn't get any reception not that we could charge them (along with ipads and latops) combined with no internet. So what's the big deal i hear you cry? Man Up!
Well frankly it was the whole kid thing... We tend to be a bit annoyingly smug about how moving out of town means our kids watch way less TV and are out in the garden etc etc blah blah blah blah. Well ok.. smug rules in Summer, in winter our kids are right up there with TV, ipads, laptops and a whole host of charged handheld units and general mind numbing electric items... All gone. At Christmas time we were lucky in that we had the novelty factor, kids loved the candles, the party games, the eternal pasta (gas hobs rule!), talking about olden times... it was indeed an adventure. This time they arrived en masse Saturday morning and announced that they did not want to play Victorians again. Weather was too atrocious to do anything so we were trapped. Every suggestion of something to do involved power. I held off letting them use any remaining charge on laptop knowing it would be more needed for when it got dark. At evening time I proudly produced said laptop to find they'd watched a movie on it earlier when I was out and now it was as dead as a dodo....
Now this isn't to say the weekend was a disaster, in the end they had a good time... especially when the sun came out today so out came the bikes. But as a busy mother you forget how much you rely on your routines and your conveniences. At one awful moment there it looked like I wouldn't get my morning coffee - no power would be the least of peoples worries! Without power - new routines are required, you have to switch off autopilot and think. Your stock answers for "I'm bored" are just not applicable and I was left standing looking at the girls looking back at me, each with that look that just said "Well???"
So what I did do was spend a whole heap of time with the girls, we coloured, I filled the sink with water and soap and they had great fun washing up . We tidied (less fun), we went out to Smith and Western for food (way more fun). When it go dark, we lit candles and they danced around to music making each other giggle and when they went to bed they all set off with their little lanterns and all piled into our beds and we slept in one big bundle so no body got scared. I couldn't be sidetracked by the laundry or working or phone calls or texts or emails or television or ... or... or...
So whilst I don't recommend disconnecting yourself from the mains and living a humble existance off the land I do think perhaps I should take time to be very grateful for those things in life I take for granted. I have continual gratitude and appreciation for the miracle of hitting a switch and light coming on, turning a tap and hot water coming out, of cold fridges, efficient washing machines and Tescos online,. However what I am even more grateful for are my beautiful little girls that, at the end of the day, can amuse themselves for hours blowing raspberries at each other, by arranging little lanterns around the house, that will sing you songs and put on little shows and at the end of the day, have their absolute worst horrific fears in life be completely taken away by being able to curl up and sleep in bed with Mummy... if only life were truly that simple.
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