Parenting

I woke up very late.  Thankfully I didn’t have to be anywhere and BB is still off school.  That sent the pace for the rest of the day – quite slow.  BB appeared mid-morning and I was pottering, doing a few chores, but decided not to go for a run, as it is till far too windy.
 
I eventually got myself out of the house to go into town to pick up some lunch.  Our favourite sandwich shop was pretty much cleared out, but I got BB’s request, but left them to make me something from whatever they had left!  Both were very nice.  Later in the afternoon I popped out to the supermarket , taking a scenic route.  They didn’t have everything I needed, so I had to drive to the other one later.
 
Once home I baked a chocolate cake for BB’s birthday cake – as requested.  I also cooked a belated birthday tea, curried  chicken and a paneer and pea curry.  There would have been another dish, but I was running out of steam after my cake baking.   He said it all looked very nice, but then decided to go out with his friends before it was ready.  So there I was left with a birthday cake and a birthday tea and just TT and me.  The meal was very nice but we didn’t touch the cake.  BB appeared much later, asking if he could stay at a friend’s house.  He picked up a change of clothes and headed off.  Teenagers!!
 
When I was out this afternoon, my mind went back to the day after BB was born.  I had had a night of pretty much no sleep, but I must have dozed as every time I opened my eyes there was a nurse by my bed.  The lights were very low and it always seemed to be dark.  And she chatted – she chatted a lot.  I wasn’t really up for conversation.  I do remember in the middle of the night she asked me if I would like to order my meals for the next day.  She must have ordered something for me, as I am sure I was beyond choosing.  I also remember waking up properly in the morning, it was daylight and I couldn’t move, and there was no one with me.  I was attached to monitors and drips and was trapped in my bed.  Then a cheery person delivered a breakfast tray, which she left far out of my reach.  I hadn’t eaten for over forty hours, but I wasn’t hungry.  The next person who came in gave me a row for not eating my breakfast and then made me eat very soggy cornflakes which were repulsive.  There was a baby involved in all this, but I can’t remember much about him!  All in all it was a challenging start to motherhood.
 
And so my blip of a mother (I assume) sparrow feeding her baby, seems quite appropriate.  The baby was perched on a plant pot in the garden and was struggling to stay standing due to the very strong wind.