DD1 had spent my birthday putting little ‘presents into mummy’s work’

(and a special thanks also to the lovely and very CALM ladies at the poisons information centre for helping to ease me through last week’s KAOS!)

Pour in the Baileys.. no probs.. pour in the milk …

my Mummy brain kicks in and I have diluted it 1 part baileys, 10 parts milk ….

We kept asking where they heard it and they kept telling us "the ‘Cars’ movie", still we had no idea.  Having absorbed the ambience of it at least once a fortnight since June we consider ourselves quite familiar with it! (Of course, no where in the league of ‘Wiggledance" which both of us can repeat word for word in it’s entireity ie: songs and playful banter, with correct pauses and emphasis on each syllable even )

Monday night they were singing it in the tub and we asked "where in the Cars movie do they say it?" Before the race! OK now we’re getting somewhere we thought, while the kids just looked at us like we were plain silly for not having heard it before.

Finally my husband couldn’t take it any longer (afterall, it’s been bopping around in our heads for ages now too!), this morning during my weekly lie in (that was until 9:00am!) I heard him ask if they’d like to show him where they say ‘Sa Boom Me on the Bottom Like Luigi’ in the movie. Naturally they jumped at the chance to watch it.

My son paused the DVD for him and called him over to watch and listen:

(Lifecouldbeadream) shaboom me oh la bop bop( Lifecouldbeadream)  shaboom me oh la bop bop

Yes, not only was it there in the soundtrack (in a fashion) but  about 40 times over !

So now we all understand their little song’s origin (and quiziccal looks we’ve been getting)!

I have run out of people to vent to much to early  because my friends and family work and use child care either through understandable necessity or lifestyle choice.

here is the cause of my cross-ness:

My absolutely wonderful but geographically distant sister in law called  last weekend and said she’d love to have my energetic angels 3, 2 & 1 over to play with her nearly 5 year old daycare raised son during the last week of the school holidays. I had just started to enquire what time we shoud arrive when she hit me with it:

"I was thinking of taking them all to the Museum and giving you some time-off, go shopping or watch a movie while you’re in town"

I casually replied,"Thanks for thinking of me but No Way - I’m not comfortable with it" (as you do!) and there, remarkably, in an instant, I started to feel one very longstanding friendship disapearing into the ether!  I tackled the stoney silence by quickly explaining how  my 3+ &  2+ were masters in the arts of

A: escaping in an instant

B: escaping in an instant in opposite directions

C: Insisting falsely that they need to use public toilet facilities just to check them out ("- ooooh look at the little basin - can I use lit?&quo

(not a such a problem with one or two kids but a major operation with 2 walking kids, 1 adult and 1 pram-bound-and-unhappy-about-it-kid: let alone 3 walkers, 1 adult and 1 pram bound toddler (one of  the considerations behind delaying the arrival of baby number 4 I might add!)

I added truthfully that myself and my husband or mum when we are out have a difficult time keeping everyone present and accounted for, that I really was not comfortable that they would be safe.

The considered response from my sister in law was cutting:

"Well you know, if you don’t let go now it will only get harder later on. You’ll never have any time for youself." 

Let go? They’re only 3, 2 & 1! Why on earth would I want to "let go" of them! (least of all in a big, uncontrolled "easy to lose children in, god knows who’s lurking about" city museum?

My husband is a huge fan of our WAHM SAHM family situation so it was equally confusing for him when she called to tell him she thought I needed a break and "was he aware that I wasn’t yet emotionally ready to step back from the kids?"

Anyone else keeping  those apron strings tight until primary school starts?