Monday 1 March 2010

Bringing up Boys: Mummy Monsters need their sleep!

I’m lying in bed exhausted and very, very grumpy. Why is it that whenever I get a free pass to have an afternoon kip my boys decide that it is time they played in their bedrooms – loudly?
I bellow at them from underneath the covers, which of course is pretty useless as the muffling properties of one 13 tog duvet, one 100 year old Eiderdown, a fake fur rug and a large green candlewick bedspread of indeterminate age and ancestry, is going to be hard to break through even with my fog horn of a voice.
My dad says I could stand at Flamborough Head and keep the shipping lanes free so loud and carrying is my voice. He’s also called me an Old Fish Wife and he meant it!
However, despite my bellowing and screeching, there is hardly a lull in their enjoyment. So crossly I haul myself from the double bed and stalk over to the top of the stairs, which acts as the entrance to my attic hideaway, and bellow again.
There is a petrified silence, and grumbling and muttering the Mummy Monster stumbles back to its nest.
Downstairs the bad rabbits unfreeze and start to move about again: hippity hoppity. Quiet at first then growing louder and louder as their game of Narnia starts to get more and more exciting. There are baddies at the door and quick they must charge: “For Narnia and Aslan!!” The door is flung open for the brave knights to advance - and I am standing there. The Mummy Monster is NOT pleased.
It orders them to retreat to the Playroom forthwith or suffer a variety of dire consequences ranging from “No more Telly!” to “NO Nintendo!”, “No Jelly Cat!” and even worse banishment to the green house – FOREVER!!!!!
One pair of very quiet sad rabbits troop away all of five feet before there is a push and a shove and they race down the corridor to the stairs yelling about who will get what when they reach the playroom.
The Mummy Monster glowers after them and returns to her pit to sleep.
It is warm and quiet – blissful.
Bog Boy: “Mummum? Do you want a huggy?”
It’s a question I hear from far away down the bottom of the stairs.
Bog Boy: “Mummy? Do you NEED a huggy?”
I hear the pad pad pad of feet tramping up the stairs and I cannot say no can I?
I emerge from the depths and hold out my arms and get the biggest Hug. And the tears start to roll. There he is all of nearly four years old and he is hugging me, the Mummy Monster. The Boy appears from downstairs, curious.
The Boy: “Why are you crying?”
Me, drying my eyes: “Because…”
Because Bog Boy will be the one who holds me when I am old and alone, he’ll be the one to dry my tears, making it better. You’ll be the one organising everything longing to get closer but not knowing how, scared of rejection, being brave and carryingon.
I open my arms wider to dispel these nonsensical prophecies and we all hug and then the Mummy Monster has a quick tickle and there is a squeal of laughter and much giggling before a romp takes place on the bed with duvets, eiderdowns and fake fur rugs.
The Mummy Monster will just have to get some sleep later or perhaps tomorrow when they are at school and nursery….

17 comments:

Jude said...

Oh you're making me cry now....

Maggie Christie said...

Poor sleepy Mummy Monster. It does sound such a comfy bed though, I'm tempted to say move over! I'm glad you all had a hug. I love a happy ending.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I had lots of little boy huggles last week too . Had to stock up till I go back in the summer . But they do have a remarkable restorative quality .... if you ignore the occasional bumped nose or flattened foot .
That and a tickle !!

Dorset Dispatches said...

Got to love boys. They are fab. Loud, but fab.

Trish said...

Your post ties in so nicely with my own post today about not getting hugs from my teenage son so much. Can you send bog boy to me for a cuddle please?!

Expat mum said...

You big softie you.

Tattieweasle said...

Jude - no I don't want anyone to cry! We all had such fun romping on the bed even the dogs joined in!
Preseli Mags - I loathe beingin other beds - it's just teh right size for all of us though when the whippets join in it can get a tad cosy for all that it's a king size!
SmitoniusAndSonata - he gives the best huggy's ever and his elder brother isn't half bad too!
Britin Bosnia - yep it's the loud bit no volume control at all!
Trish - Bog Boy sends the most enormous huggy, I couldn't bear it if they stopped...I'll be pleading with them! Maybe I'll be able to use that as a bargaining tool on the embarassing Mummy front as they hit those teenage years?
Expat Mum - You saw through me!!!

Molly said...

Tattie, I loved this blog. It made me laugh but also brought back poignant memories

diney said...

Your boys will always want to hug their Mummy xx

Ladybird World Mother said...

Oh I so know that DESPERATION for quiet... and those tears... hope you get a nice sleep sometime. You sound like you deserve it. xx

Anonymous said...

Can I have a huggy too please?

Tattieweasle said...

Mollygolver - Glad it made you laugh! Feel terrible I made Jude cry...
Diney - I certinaly hope so...
Ladybird World Mother - the sun is out so I don't need to sleep!!! Long may it last.
Mud - {{{{HUGE HUGGY}}} winging it's way all round the world....

Jude said...

Don't feel bad at making me cry - really it doesn't take much, and it's crying in a good way, like at a weepy movie. You see I'm just a big softie too!

Tattieweasle said...

Jude - Good to know it was a good cry! Even better to know you're a great big softie too!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Definitely later; huggies have to come first!!

CJ xx

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

The innocent all engulfing hug of a child is the best of all. It can heal so much with its strength that it is quite overwhelming. Wonderful story, I am quite quite envious!

Tattieweasle said...

CJ - yep great minds think alike: I couldn't resist the siren call of the freely offered huggy!
MOB - It is totally overwhelming and I fear I am getting a little smug about it but hey they grow into teenage boys don't they? And as I have just been cleaning the bathroom you can imagine how much I am looking forward to everything getting bigger including the damp patch around the loo: dear lord please make sure they learn to aim soon....:)

Go on you know you want to...

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