'It hurts like hell'

My boy, all seven and a half years of him, fell out of tree today. 

"Mum I was up 2 foot or 3 foot high.......and the knot in the rope wasn't very good......I fell on my back.....and my tummy hurt......and I think I hurt my foot, it looks swollen.......and it hurts like hell'

Of course I restrained my giggle at the last comment and gave lots of Motherly concern instead.

As much as I'd like to prevent all falls, scrapes, hurt and loss of blood I know that I can't.  Well I could but it wouldn't make him the person he is.  Long term all of those things add character.  They brace you for the world at large. 

And although I fear for his wee body if he decides to play tackle rugby next year, it is the next step for him, I know to prevent him from doing it will only cause more hurt....and possibly alot of Mummy resentment!

The hardest thing about parenthood is the letting go.  Knowing when to hold them close, praise and support them and when to let them learn from their mistakes, try....fail and try again.  The more I watch my boy grow up, the more I know he's ready for a bit more space. 

Mum loves you Master 7 and a half

xoxox

(incidentally this was not taken today!!)

Setting the bar high - 5 things you should know

It's incredibly important to have some goals in life.  Something to strive for.  A dream, idea or a wish. 

I am a planner.  I like to know where I'm going, and what I'm doing....... and what the outcome will be.

Yes, I'm one of 'those' people.

I also, rightly or wrongly, set my standards high.  By keeping the bar high I feel like I'm always being the best I can be.  But here are some things you should know about that........

1. Having the bar set high means your always reaching to be really good at whatever you do.  I would call this personality building.

2. It some times means that your view on the world and others view on the world is different.  Obviously their view is wrong......

3. Sometimes going for that really high bar means you get a hell of sore neck looking up at it all the time.  Make sure your medical insurance is up to date.

4.  While going for that bar you sometimes need assistance.  It takes a humble person to ask for help.  But when the contents of a wine bottle doesn't help, you might to rethink your plans.  Although it does make for a nice break.....

5. When the bar is totally out of reach, good friends will know just how to knock that son of a bitch down.

In conclusion, I have tailored my bar to a height where my averagely sized person can attain it without too much injury, with moderate success and a considerable amount of fun.

Repairs and Maintenance

Yesterday was a day all about repairs and maintenance.  And perhaps a hint of indulgence!

I had booked myself in for facial and a haircut.  Given my last facial was er.... years ago and my last haircut got bumped when I got called into work and I never rebooked, I was more than looking forward to it.

Of course my darling Miss 4 and a half gave me her cold so my brain was clogged and some of the excitement waned.  However I off I went.

The lovely Andrea looked after me and for over an hour my face was treated to creams, lotions and some lovely steam to help clear my head.  She was more than amazing and I was really very impressed.  It was well worth the money spent (who needs groceries anyway?!) and all of sudden that light bulb went on..... I could see why people would do this regularly.  She told me what my mother has always told me "you have very good skin" which is good news considering how badly I look after it!  Perhaps I should start looking after my skin a bit more....perhaps even myself in general?!

I trotted off to the hairdressers (Andrea had kindly applied a bit of makeup for me, facials feel nice but sometime make me look like a red faced spotted serial killer) and rocked up to the hairdressers.  I explained that I thought my hair was very mullet like, so after a rectifying that fashion error, a cup of coffee and paying the bill I was off again feeling like a new person!

Our cars are given a warrant of fitness and must pass a set of tests to be road worthy - we get them serviced to keep them in top shape but why don't we do that for ourselves?!

Expense is probably the first thing and the time a close second.  It feels far to indulgent to be pampering oneself, but the thing is no one else will look after us apart from us.  I'm not saying that the Farmer would trade me in for a better looking model.....well not with all his man bits attached he wouldn't......I digress......the reason I think we need to keep up repairs and maintenance on ourselves is ourselves.  I feel refreshed!  And not a bit guilty for looking after myself.

I woke this morning with Miss 4 and half's cold still bubbling around but I still felt well.  And the reason I think I am feeling good when I should be feeling poop is because of yesterday.

So treat yourself, even if it's soaking your feet, putting a leave in conditioner on your hair while watching a movie or giving yourself a "mask treatment" at home, do something for you!  You'll feel better for it!