Getting Ready To Go Out Is No longer Glamorous

Like most people if I am given the opportunity to go out and have a good time it is very rare for me to say no, and whilst I am out it's great, but quite often the time before you leave can make you wonder if it's all worthwhile.

Last night I was fortunate to be invited to a function and whilst it was amazing when I was there, before I left I still needed to make sure supper was on the table and the boys were organised, know that homework was being done and that I was sorted for the school run the following morning. I do like to think I am quite organised but even I began to panic when I was still cooking at 5pm and was meant to be leaving at 5.30!  It is hard to be glamorous when there is never more than twenty minutes, and if I am undecided about a dress or accessories it spells big trouble!

This is compounded when there is a  family event where everyone has to dress up. A few months ago I had bought a new shirt for one of the twins and asked him to try it on.  He told me it fitted perfectly, but somehow when it came to wearing it a week later it was too narrow and the sleeves were too short! Obviously we had a deadline to get out of the house, were already running late and I hadn't even thought about getting dressed so what could I do?  Could he swap with Duvet Boy?  Definitely not!  Hell would freeze over before they shared clothes so I wasn't even going to attempt asking.  Instead, with the minutes ticking away we had to start trawling in his wardrobe hoping I had missed something or praying the clothes fairy visited whilst I was asleep.  In the end as the clothes fairy had been on a day off we had to go with a white school shirt and hope for the best.

Dress disasters are nothing new and in our home definitely not limited to me.  A hem that has come down on trousers or a growth spurt that means they are too short is always a worry.  The older boys are very specific in what they like to wear but not always happy to go shopping.  I gave up buying clothes for them on my own a long time ago because either they didn't approve or the items just didn't fit, but knowing you have a function to go to it is hard to know when to drag them out shopping.  Too early and they may grow, too late and they make not have the size or colour wanted.

I always find that no matter how much time I think I have it is never enough.  This is probably because everyone wants me for something and for some reason I become the focal point of the whole house.  The youngest needs me to get his clothes as he isn't sure what he is wearing, whilst my middle one knows what he is wearing but cannot find anything unless it is literally under his nose.  Meanwhile Duvet Boy is incapable of moving at more than a snail's pace but takes the longest time to preen himself and even my other half will be asking me if his tie matches or his hair is ok.

When I finally get round to sorting myself out I choose my make up on the basis of what can and cannot be finished off in the car, check my legs don't need a last minute shave or that I haven't found a previously unseen ladder in my tights and then ensure that I can hide in the bathroom for long enough to put my clothes on in peace.  Naturally by the time I am in the bathroom my other half is ready and nagging me to leave, but being a dutiful wife I ignore him.

Finally everyone is ready and although not necessarily eager, still clean and tidy enough to leave.  A last minute toilet run for the youngest, and a final check in the mirror from the older ones and we can go.  This just leaves the pleasures of the Sat Nav and traffic on the M25, but that is another story.

Party Time

Although I know you don't get to pick when your baby arrives, it does make life quite difficult when all four of your boys have their birthdays within a three week period.  In fact as I was being induced with my middle one I remember asking the rather bewildered registrar to change the planned date so I could ensure I was home and organised for the twins 3rd birthday party!  To be fair he did oblige, my middle one arrived safely and I was able to be at the party and make sure the twins had a good day.

As there is a bigger gap between my middle and youngest, by the time he became old enough for a party I had been out of the loop for quite a long time.  Walking into the first nursery party he had been invited to I felt a sense of dread seeing all the food out on the side, and that was only for the parents! The idea of starting again with loads of pre-school children and their parents did not inspire me with joy, but once he was in an environment where all his nursery friends were having them it is almost impossible to avoid it yourself.  As my youngest got older he became far more aware of his birthday.  It is not that he is precocious and wants lots of things but he loves having all his friends with him and although his birthday is not until November he has already mentioned the possibility of a football party.  With six months to go I refuse to discuss it.

However what happens as they grow out of the entertainer and soft play parties?  Bowling was popular and we have done a few cinema trips with the older ones, and this was fine.  Now the big ones are fifteen there are no more parties unless I am feeling particularly warm and loving when they hit 21, so you would think everything was easy.  Well it was until last week when one of the big ones told me he had been invited to a party, and more importantly he said that there was going to be alcohol there.  Although I was really pleased he had told me I was also nervous and rather naively hadn't expected anything like this yet.  What could I do?  As he had been mature enough to tell me I had to treat him in an adult fashion.  We discussed mixing drinks or having too much and what would happen if he was sick in my car!   What drinks would they have?  Would it be beer, spirits or so perhaps cider?  

At the end of the evening when we collected him he was fine.  He was had enjoyed himself and told us what he had drunk.  Thankfully it wasn't much and after ensuring he had a big glass of water we sent him off to bed for a good sleep.  Perhaps you think I should have stopped him from going but if I did this would he be upfront with me in the future?  At this age it is so hard to know what is going on in a teenagers life that I am pleased that he is happy to talk to me and he needs to know that I trust him. Although we would not have a party where there were drinks it is almost inevitable that they will start going to places where they will have access to it.  They are growing up and now I wish my only worry was what to put inside the going home bags.