Mummy Uninterrupted

 

Quite often I will leave a coffee morning or meeting with a friend and feel like I have returned from a tipsy night out and I am experiencing that morning after feeling of half conversations. You know, you remember starting them but you cannot remember how the conversation ended. Well, I often find this is the case now for entirely different reason. My children, their children, someone else’s children or our own parental paranoia meaning that we have one ear on the conversation and one on what’s happening with the little ones.

 

‘So, your husband’s looking for a new job and when is the interview?’

‘On Wednesday but he’s not…oh Josh honey give the train back to Charlie, yes it’s his turn….he’s not really sure as….OK Josh love, let’s go for a wee wee…one minute..’

 

By the time we return from the toilet, the conversation has evaporated and so we start another forgetting where we were prior to the train or the toilet

 

‘I hope the catchment area is the same as last year as we’re hoping to get Simone into the school and…..Poppet, hold your drink up as it’s spilling, oops, on the carpet, no, no don’t worry’

 

Once again forgotten as the next conversation begins with

 

‘The carpet? Oh, no don’t be silly, we’re planning to rip these ones up at the end of the year because….oh dear, it’s ok, it’s only a scratch, oh darling, it’s ok, Chester didn’t mean to hit you with the train’

 

And then that one is discarded onto the increasingly large pile of half sentences..

 

‘’Oh yes, the sight of blood always give me a turn. One time, oh it was so funny, I was on my way to…..Yes, my lovely, you want a cuddle, ok lovely come on up, oh such a lovely song…he’s such a good little singer, one time we were at this restaurant and the music came on and he recognised the tune…..oh dear, who is that? Archie?’

‘Yes, I think so…hang on, let me go and check’

 

And so it continues…starting and stopping, half conversations, half finished stories and a very enjoyable social catch up although a side dish of non - stop interruptions. I have developed a much faster speech rate due to this ‘HowmuchcanIgetoutinonegobeforeweareinterrupted?’

and I rush through any conversation until I realise it’s OK to slow down and pointless rushing as nobody will understand me anyway.

 

I thought of this because last week I had the opportunity to experience not one but two, count them- ONE, TWO – uninterrupted girl times. First up was a coffee morning with the mums from my son’s school and it fell on a Friday. Friday is the only morning I am childfree as my daughter is at playgroup from 9.30-11.30am. 

It was so strange to sit with the mums and chat without looking over shoulders or stopping and starting. I had never actually done it before and I still chatted way too fast but came away feeling like I had heard so much more than normal. I could see the plate of chocolate biscuits and think ‘yum yum’ and not ‘potential toddler sugar high run for the hills’. I could sit back and listen with both ears and watch with both eyes. I think I may need a few attempts to get used to this as the feeling was quite alien and without your children to protect you, the mummy world is a very scary place at times, but I am already looking forward to the next Friday meeting!

 

 The second was something I had been waiting, in excited anticipation, for a while. I had my little big sister for a full night all to myself.

 

We planned an evening together and I knew it would be wonderful and special and it lived up and exceeded my expectations.

I was so happy to spend some proper and uninterrupted time with her for the first time in too long. She has two small children as do I, we live over 200 miles apart, we try to get a decent chat in weekly but there is nothing like a night devoted to each other. She came to stay at our house alone and over a bottle of champagne, a lovely dinner out (and a further bottle of wine) and then a cup of peppermint tea on the sofa afterwards, we properly chatted.

 

Having spent that time with her, I appreciate her even more and I feel a better person for having been in her company for that time. Yes, she’s special.

 

My sister is one of those women who are aware that there is enough to go around everyone and she celebrates the successes and happiness of all of those around her. She is the first to tell you that you look fantastic, your hair is great and your clothes look fabulous. She can’t wait to hear your good news and she picks out all of your strengths and highlights them whenever she can. Your celebration is her celebration and she makes a huge fuss of you to prove it.

 

I cannot thank her enough for granting me that and it was the best birthday present she could have given me…her time.

 

Can you get some uninterrupted time with someone special this month? Give it a try, it will make you feel closer than ever!