Sarah from Operation Parenthood was selected by our BISS August panel and in her guest blog shares her interesting theory about being a parent ...
I could have killed him! I mean what will our new neighbours think! Every time they dare set foot out of their front door, he’s there screaming and bawling, stamping his feet and shaking his head.
No, I’m not talking about hubby (although it has been known!) but my little man who has just turned two. Relatively well-behaved most of the time, he seems determined to convince the neighbours that the Hillbillies have moved in next door.
So it was shortly after his latest public protest that I found myself desperately browsing the supermarket for some chocolate motivation. And lo and behold, perched on the shelf sat Revels, beckoning me over with their retro packaging and promise of nostalgia. Perfect.
As I drive home fantasising about my chocolate fest to come (I’m not obsessed, it blocks out the winging), it occurs to me that parenthood is like a bag of Revels – you never know what you’re going to get.
Days at home with the kids can veer from a horrendous, clock-watching nightmare to a harmonious Enid Blyton-esque fantasy. And today is no exception, with a peppering of both.
With the little ones (finally) snoring away, I eagerly open the Revels and without sneaking a peek, select my first offering.
Urgh! Orange! Yuk!
“Don’t know why you bought those”, mutters hubby, nowhere near as delighted by my Revels discovery as he should have been, “you’re just paying good money for sweets you don’t like”. Misery guts. He just doesn’t get it.
By having the less desirable orange ones, it makes those scrummy little nuggets of toffeeness all the more delightful.
Let’s face it, if we focus on the crappier orange aspects of parenthood, the poo, the tantrums, the projectile vomit, the poo, the relentlessness of it all, the poo… then parenthood would be a long and miserable slog.
But without them wouldn’t life be just a little too predictable and dull?
So ignoring Victor Meldrew in the corner, it’s back into the bag I go. Oooooh coffee. Delicious, rich, velvety adult moments. No kids allowed. These are your brief encounters of the adult kind, your guilty pleasures. (All those moments we took for granted pre-kids!) I nuzzle under hubby's papers. He raises an eyebrow but lets me snuggle in and kisses the top of my vomit covered shoulder.
A couple of chocolate bites follow, the everyday, ordinary ones.
And then finally, I am gifted with the ultimate Revel, the caramelly toffee one. Result!
Savouring every second, I flick on Bake Off and reflect on those treasured nuggets of family harmony we experienced today. Little man’s giggles of delight as we made his favourite chocolate cake and little lady’s serene little face as she went off to sleep in her little cot. I’m reminded why we had kids again.
Parenthood really is like a bag of Revels – you don’t know what you’re going to get and that’s ok with me. Because as long we create and focus on enough sweet toffee moments, then the yucky orange ones will pass. Now, I just need to find a way to convince the neighbours….
What kind of a Revel day did you have today?
Sarah was selected as a BISS guest blogger after entering our August linky. For your chance to write for GoodtoKnow, check out our Because I Said So platform.
