Wednesday 21 July 2010

Surplus to requirements

'I don't need my Mummy and Daddy anymore, I've got my friends,' Betty said to me on Saturday, while she was doing a wee in a hedge.

We have some friends who have recently gone into the pig-rearing business and they had a celebratory hog roast in a field at the weekend. After Betty's initial ten minute clingyness on arrival in the large stormy field with a pig cooking in a hole in the ground, we didn't see her again for the rest of the afternoon. Well, obviously we saw her, we were keeping a very close eye on her and making sure she didn't fall down the hot pig hole. What I mean is, she didn't see us for the rest of the afternoon. She had hooked up with her two pals, they formed an alliance, and they were gone.

They were playing proper games like dentists, tag, and hide and seek, as opposed to toddler games like pulling each other's hair, snatching, and making each other cry. And when they weren't drilling each other's teeth they just sat together with their pork rolls, whiling away the time under a tree in the distance, laughing and joking, and looking in our direction.

Later, at the children's suggestion, we all relocated to the nearby pub. It was a beautiful summer's evening and way past bedtime, but I had decided to let 'routine' go out of the window and it felt pretty liberating for a Gina Ford-ite such as myself. I felt that this was maybe the beginning of our Button adventures to come... Tom, myself and our two little ladies, staying up past our bedtime - there was no stopping us now... Next thing we'll be taking our children on an aeroplane and jetting off somewhere exotic (except we won't, because Tom is trying to save the planet).

Betty and her friends played for a long time in the pub garden. While I sat there full of nostalgia, remembering how my brother and I used to play here when we were little, Betty and co began throwing moss at some older children and shouting 'mucky muck' then giggling raucously. The older children (who could have even been teenagers) seemed pretty unfazed by the moss assault and continued with their game of chess.

If I hadn't been so stunned and overcome with how my sweet, precious first-born baby had suddenly grown up about twentyfold over the course of the day, I might have reprimanded her for her anti-social behaviour. As it was, I continued to sip on my beer and stop Dolly from eating stones, leaving Betty and friends embraced in a rugby type scrum and chanting 'WE WANT TO SLEEP IN A PINK TENT TOGETHER TONIGHT'.

PS If you fancy nominating me for the Cosmo Blog Awards, lifestyle category, click below!
Thank you!


13 comments:

Beccers said...

A lovely post, really reminds me of being little too and having those long summer days out as a family.

p.s. did they get to sleep in their pink tent?

Elsie Button said...

hi beccers, no they didn't but the offer was v tempting!

Polgara said...

My daughter is almost 2 and my next due in 5 weeks which means i will have the same age gap as your daughters.
Loved this post, couls almost imagine me and my hubby doing this as opposed to the mayhem and madness i have generally been imagining with 2 girls!
Great Blog!
Pol x

Pig in the Kitchen said...

I was reading all serenely and nodding and then you mentioned Gina Ford. REally?? Yikes!
Pig x

Elsie Button said...

Hi Polgara, having two girls has its moments, but mainly it's brilliant, specially watching their relationship develop, and dare i say it, them playing nicely together (altho not all the time!)

Hi Pig, fear not, it is true that i am a believer in routine (altho with second child am rather slacking), but not all that other mental stuff...

Victoria said...

You are a braver woman than me letting the routine go, even for a night! I can't actually remember the last time I was sipping beer in a pub garden but I sure as hell wish I was there now! As for jetting off somewhere exotic...alas, the back of our garden is as far as we'll venture for the time being!!

Elsie Button said...

Hi Mummy Bear, yes saying to hell with routine is rather liberating -try it, go on! (altho with a new baby about to make an appearance...)

Blissful Mum said...

Sounds like you had a lovely afternoon, I can't wait for the days when I can relax at social functions and let the boys run off to their own devices! Very happy to have nominated you for the blog awards, much deserved! Helen

Unknown said...

Aww what a lovely post. My son told me the other day that he doesn't like me kissing him any more. He's only 4! x

Elsie Button said...

Hi Helen, thank you very much for the nomination! Yes it's great when they can go off and entertain themselves, although dolly not quite there yet!

Hi clareybabble, arr yes the kissing thing - betty runs and hides if she thinks I am coming in for a kiss :-(

Froginthefield said...

Ah yes..weeing in the hedge..HaHaHa!! I don't miss all that, though the little one does have to do that occasionally (giggling while in the process)

It's a Mummys Life said...

I rarely let the routine go, because I'm loathe to deal with the consequences, but when I do wow it's so liberating! I feel like one of those laid back barefoot mothers who play bongo drums and sing with their offspring. Sounds like you had a really lovely afternoon. I love your 'about you' story. My girls are slightly closer in age so a bit younger than yours, so I will read your posts with the verve reserved for those trying to find ways of managing two v small girls (and mostly failing) x

Iota said...

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Jolly kids past bedtime, grumpy miserable kids all day the next day. Not what you'd call mother's delight at all.