Being a parent is a full time job.  I never quite understood the reality of that statement until I had two young children.  It is a full on non-stop all day long job with no rest.  There’s always something to do in every room and children to constantly entertain.  Believe me it’s very rewarding and the best job in the world, but also very frustrating and trapping at times!

With a hyper three year old and an inquisitive one year old keeping me on my toes each day, these are the seven things I currently miss the most:

A full night’s sleep

It is very rare that I get a full night’s sleep and when I do it is usually just the once.  Two nights in a row is obviously asking a little too much at this point in time!  Reuben loves his sleep.  He’s pretty much like clockwork going down at 7pm and rising at 6am.  It’s Bella, three, that gives us the most trouble!  Whether it’s growing pains, a nightmare, wanting a light on or sneaking into our bed at 2am, there always seems to be something wrong or a wail that wakes us up.  Hopefully this stage will pass as I’m not sure I can continue to fund the endless pots of under eye concealer!

Being alone

I never used to like being alone.  In fact I hated it.  I much preferred to be around people and craved company.  Oh how the tables have turned.  Now I’m craving time alone.  Even just a few hours by myself in total quietness would be bliss!

Making a phone call

I do much prefer the convenience of texting and emailing.  Being able to pick these up at a time that suits is most ideal, but every now and then a phone call is the only way.  I’ve recently had to call my orthodontist and renew my car insurance and there is never a good time to do such a thing with two littles.  You can guarantee, even if they are being angelic and playing nicely (and quietly), as soon as I make an important phone call they will both start screeching and clambering all over me!  The receiver will usually understand, but by this point it’s just impossible for me to continue the conversation as I can’t hear a word they are saying let alone concentrate on anything important!  If only everything could be done via email!

Having a lie in

What’s a lie in?

Holidays

It’s been four years since I went on holiday.  I mean a h-o-l-i-d-a-y.  Not visiting family.  Not just away for one or two nights.  I mean a proper full blown jump on a plane get me out of here to somewhere foreign and warm holiday.  Oh how I miss holidaying.  It’s mostly been because we bought our house which needs doing up in every single room, so all spare cash has funded this project for the past two years.  Then Ben needed a new car.  Now my quest for perfect teeth is swallowing spare funds.  But aside from all that, could we really have a ‘holiday’ with a one year old and three year old?  When I start thinking about it I start realising it might just be a nightmare and not holiday like at all.  Perhaps it would be better to wait until they are a little older anyway?!

Leaving the house

ONE HOUR it took me to get myself and both littles out the door to the soft play yesterday.  Reuben had two poos.  The change bag needed restocking.  Bella ran around with no trousers on hiding from me.  I almost gave up and stayed home.  I miss the days when I want to go somewhere and within two minutes I’m in my car driving there.  Leaving the house with two littles sometimes seems impossible.

Having a conversation

So I do still talk and have a conversation, but never properly.  Sometimes Ben and I are trying to talk but both littles are in such a high volume, we just give each other a look that says ‘what’s the point, I can’t hear you, you can’t hear me, let’s just be silent until they go to bed’.  If I do manage to have a conversation that isn’t drowned out then I’m usually trying to half concentrate on what Bella or Reuben are up to, so I’m only ever half listening anyway.  And, if I do have the luck of having a conversation kid free then I’m usually super tired with the attention span of my three year old!