Tired tweeting.

Feb 12, 2011

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Typing one handed and slightly tipsy over the head of a beautiful babe slowly going to sleep at my breast. On my breast? Whatever. She is definitely beautiful.

They all are. The gorgeous 11 yo who doesn’t fit under my chin any more. The slightly shaggy 7 year old just visiting from another planet. The beautiful babe.

It’s easier, in a way, to adore them when they are small. Before the failures to communicate become battles of will, when they are still just language errors – the time when you are learning each other’s vocabulary, before English comes between you. Atm Smallest is at the point and screech stage, though she does nod and say ‘ye’ if you get it right, and there are about 4 distinct signs, for want, milk, drink and bird, with sounds for bird, cat, mummy, daddy, milk, and tonight, drink (di).

I love this stage. I am loving enjoying this stage. Though I do wonder how such a small being could ever become the lanky pre-teen that Big is now. It doesn’t seem plausible. I can’t look at her and see the tiny babe, or remember the moments of her helplessness. I wish I’d had a blog back then to record them, but I’m not sure anyone did, really, back in 2000.

Such a long time ago. The blink of an eye and an entire lifetime all in one. If there is anything I could say to today’s crop of mummy bloggers, it’s this. You won’t want to look back on the reviews. Or the clever posts that get you lots of comments or RTs. You’ll want to remember when your babe walked, or talked, or did the funny thing with the mobile phone (walking around the house with her toy phone under her ear, ye, no, ye, no), or her favourite song before she could talk (anything by Cyndi Lauper). You won’t care how many readers there were on the day your child read her first book to you – you will want to know what the book was though (does it count if the only word she reads is Boo? Although we’re working on beep beep beep as well right now.)

Perspective, that’s what it’s all really about. She says, looking down at the sleeping baby, and going slightly gooey.

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Comments

22 responses to “Tired tweeting.”

Helen
12 February 2011
Lovely post 🙂
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1. Jax
  12 February 2011
  Thank you.
  Reply
Hannah F
12 February 2011
I love it!
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Hannah Thank you.
  Reply
Emma
12 February 2011
This is so true, and our children must be the same ages. I have Chloe just 11, Dylan 7 in two weeks and Erin 14 months. They are all amazing but I am finding the challenge of a pre teen so hard. I want to stop the clock!
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Emma Gosh yes! Big was 11 in January, and Smallest is just now 15 months – Small is 8 soon, but very very similar ages, and the same distribution iyswim. There are definitely days (weeks/ months) when I really could do with calling a time out on the growing and changing.
  Reply
ella
12 February 2011
I agree, the only posts I like from my archives are the ones that remind me of what daily life was like back when.
Lovely post.
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Ella I do enjoy reading through my archives from time to time, I must remember more often which posts I like to read.
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Scribblingmum
12 February 2011
SO true. I print all of mine off, apart from the sponsored ones. I do it to remind me of all the little things, things I know I will forget in time. Great post, spot on.
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Scribblingmum I hadn’t thought of doing that. There is a service somewhere I think that will turn your blog into a book for you, and I do consider that from time to time.
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Crystal Jigsaw
12 February 2011
Really enjoyed that post. Its so true; there’s one thing we will always do and that is putting our children first.
CJ xx
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @CJ Thank you, glad that you enjoyed it.
  Reply
Jacq
12 February 2011
It doesn’t matter how many times people tell you how quickly time goes, it’s always a shock when you take a really good look at your child and think OMG, they are so big. For me it’s when I’m folding washing and I look at the size of their clothes. I think how big it is and realise that my baby fits into it.
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Jacq yes, I did the clearing out the drawer the other day, and the handknitted cardigan that Smallest’s big sister gave her was there and looked so very small. Yet it was a bit on the big side when it was gifted – took me aback to realise how much she has changed.
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Lins
12 February 2011
Yep
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mamacrow
12 February 2011
‘Itâ€™s easier, in a way, to adore them when they are small. Before the failures to communicate become battles of will, when they are still just language errors â€“ the time when you are learning each otherâ€™s vocabulary, before English comes between you.’
yes, oh yes.
Am struggling with this a bit.
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Mamacrow I struggle with this bit daily 🙁
  Reply
Nicole
13 February 2011
I have a family journal that I try to capture the real day to day along with the milestones. I don’t write in it nearlybas much as I should. it’s a sketch pad that gets drawings, photos and ticket stubs glued in it. I like having a tangible document of our family life. but call me old fashioned.
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1. Jax
  13 February 2011
  @Nicole I am extraordinarily bad at taking photos and writing in paper journals, which is a shame as I do think they are very beautiful. I don’t think it’s old fashioned, I think it’s lovely.
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Blue Sky
30 December 2011
Beautifully expressed and I would just add that it’s not only children. I will always treasure the posts about the last year of my Dad’s life too xxx (over from #BlogMissionImpossible)
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Older Single Mum
30 December 2011
What wise words. Thank you for a timely reminder. I keep wanting to stop time while my 2YO grows before my eyes and it breaks my heart that I can’t! Good for you x
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Donna@MummyCentral
31 December 2011
Great advice for going forward Jax. And having seen her at the MADs, I agree that smallest is truly beautiful. Have a happy new year x
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