I am super hard on myself. I'm not a great cook. My two will never know the joy of a handmade birthday cake. I also despise messy play and play doh is banned in my house (THEY TREAD IT IN THE CARPET). But this morning? I was up at the crack of dawn googling 'guinea pig Christmas decorations' as I knew it would make my daughter smile (and my husband scowl - double joy!).
"I'm Batman" (you just did the voice when you read that didn't you?)
As a Mum you could spend your whole day worrying you aren't doing enough. And nights could be spent beating yourself up about one thing or another (the birthday cake things pops into my mind every year a few weeks before the main events). But it's silly. It's a waste of time. We should be embracing the things we can do. Highlighting to ourselves the many and varied ways we rock.
Each week when I drop my son off at nursery he weeps as he wants to be with me. He doesn't want to be with me as I will spend the morning playing with him in sand and the afternoon painting hand prints. He wants to be with me as I have a superior knowledge of dinosaurs (I make them up. He has no clue) and occasionally my magic Mum bag will produce a tiny pack of Buttons. What more can a two year old boy want?
If she had her way? She would tie this guinea pig up with string and strap her to the Christmas tree
So next time you are at a birthday party of epic proportions and a cake is revealed that you know you could NEVER bake in a million years. Gasp at their amazing efforts (and inwardly be really jeal) and then turn to your son, whisper in your best Iron Man voice "I'm going to buy you a Spiderman one" and watch his little face light up with glee.