Call Me Mummy

I remember being devestated when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I was on my Gap Year so The Big Reckless Free Love Life Plan such as it was had to be scrapped as SP (X-Husband 1) and I scrambled to reinvent ourselves as parents in waiting. But actually, retrospectively at least I rather loved the whole experinece. Travelling with children beats travelling with other grown ups. Locals take you to the bosom of the tribe. You're an instant insider. The Mummy/Child bond is a skill exchange - I taught them to read, play poker and hold cutlery, they've taught me how to use electronic equipment, shop online and pretend to speak foreign languages. Most of parenting involves sleepless nights, worry, hand-wringing helplessness, powerlessness and doubt interspersed with grand moments of paralying pride and wonderment. My youngest son's graduation from Oxford was one such day of paralysing pride and wonderment. Standing side by side with his father (fine figure of moral fibred man)surrounded by my other children (stunning examples of the best of combined gene pools) - my life as Mummy rocks.