In my introductory post I mused about whether who I am or what I am should come first. Five years or so ago I would never have thought this would be a dilemma. Don’t get me wrong, I have always wanted to have kiddies – I remember tipsily saying so to a senior director over dinner (one of those fancy ones where you’re still hungry after five courses). What I didn’t realise is just how all-consuming it is.
Before we get properly started, I want to reassure you that this will not turn into a debate about stay at home mums vs. working mums. There are enough hurdles, social know-it-alls, ‘experts’, etc who have waded into this discussion with passive-aggressive commentary and guilt-ridden drivel on both sides.
I am a stay at home mum because I want to be. We make it work through the three Cs – compromise, communication and Cabernet Sauvignon. I say ‘we’ because this is a parental choice that WE made together.
Some days I love it…seeing the milestones, unlimited cuddles, spending sunny days in the park, the list goes on. But there are also days when I would give anything to squeeze into an uncomfortable pencil skirt, cripple my feet into stilettos and shout at an uncooperative procurement system whilst sipping a hot (aaaah) coffee.
This doesn’t make me a bad mum (just like fancying Jamie Dornan doesn’t make me a cheater) but yet I still feel a tad guilty for my little man cubs. Their incessant chatter, lack of personal boundaries and erratic sleep patterns drive me to despair sometimes, but without these adorable traits, my boys wouldn’t be my boys.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may I introduce you to the Lord and the General (nicknamed so by Mr. British Maple, due to their ability to rule our house and hearts effortlessly!).
The Lord is about to turn three and is a feisty, chatty, energetic little whirlwind of loveliness. He loves anything with wheels and will talk to anyone about anything.
When the Lord arrived, he turned our world upside down and inside out! We had a couple of hairy moments (most probably because we too were newbies!) but we’ve all survived relatively unscathed.
And now to the General. As he approaches his sixteenth month in existence, his adorable cheekiness is coming to the forefront. He is beginning to communicate his feelings with unparalleled clarity (read this as lots of screams and pointing) and charming the pants of every old lady we meet.
By the time the General joined our crew we were seasoned professionals *ahem* and he just slotted in. In part, this last statement is true because life had to continue. He got wrapped to me and the Lord and I went about our usual routine. Embarrassingly, I didn’t even realise he could sit unaided until a friend asked me how long he’d been sitting (I hastily made up some guff about Bumbos and cushions…)
So this is the British Maple tribe. We have lots of adventures, a few tears and oodles of fun. We are a unit, we come as a package and I wouldn’t change anything for the world (actually, I’d trade my iPad for more sleep but nothing’s perfect!)
Thank you to the amazingly talented (and patient!) CopperRed Photography for the great photos.
The British Maple 