You’ve Got Your Hands Full

I’ve started this blog to help me achieve my goal of running, training and hopefully ultimately completing a marathon (in 100 days time!) I’m also hoping that this blog will help to boost sponsorship for my chosen charity : https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/FarrowRachel

However, as I am a proud mummy to Arthur (7) Walter (5) Nancy (3) and Clementine (2 in two weeks time) it seems only natural that the occasional post dip into observations from the day to day messiness of family life. So here we have my first non-running related post. Hope it’s ok!!

My boys are at school today and I’ve just come home from taking my girls to their happy-clappy-singing toddler group this morning. Once upon a time when I just had my two boys, I used to have a job, in an office with smart clothes and other grownups, unlimited tea and coffee which I was able to drink. Nowadays I find myself starting each working week, Monday morning stood in a swimming pool whilst Nancy pours water over my head from a watering can. 

Anyway, the subject of this post You’ve Got Your Hands Full (YGYHF - doesn’t really roll off the tongue with ease does it) is a phrase I hear A LOT. Even when out and about with just the two girls, someone says it to me and I think “this is literally just half the story”. I usually hear it at times when its all gone bat shit crazy, like when I’m trying to manhandle the two toddlers into a supermarket trolley and they have suddenly turned into little octopuses. People mean well enough - but over the wails and screams and hair pulling (the girls are real hair pullers!) what can you really say in response to YGYHF “er… yes, yes I bloody well have!”

It can be worse when out as a family with all 4 children. There have been times, mainly when eating out I think, that we can become akin to a freak show - people unashamedly gawking at the chaos that is us.

You do hear some really odd comments sometimes too. A favourite of mine was whilst I was in a cafe with my foursome  - a lady on the next table was watching us and leaned over “are they all yours?” “Er yes, yes they are” I braced myself for a “YGYHF” type comment, but what she said was “Well (pause) they don’t look neglected”. Now I like to think she was trying to be nice, but seriously wtf - what an odd thing to say!

It seems as though with a lot of things pregnancy and child related you find you are a open target for public scrutiny and comment.

It all starts when you announce your are pregnant, or your bump gives you away (which mine did in about week 7 - seriously in all 4 pregnancies I have been humungous!)

So there you are - the proud owner of a brand new bump which is clearly a baby bump rather than an ‘eaten too many pies belly’. You’ll often be asked “Is this your first?” With pregnancy #1 you reply “yes” and on the whole people are super delighted for you “oh how lovely! enjoy every moment!” all smiles and twinkly eyed warm wishes. When someone asks you if you are expecting your first the only answer they really want to hear is “yes”. With pregnancy #2 things shift slightly, when you respond to “is this your first?’ with “no it’s my 2nd baby” - you can guarantee that the person asking will look ever so mildly disappointed by this. This is usually followed up by an enquiry over whether you already have a girl or boy  - in which case the well wisher cheers up with a hopeful “it would be nice to have one of each!” type comment. In my experience, things take a more more …… interesting ….. turn when you announce it is actually your 3rd 4th pregnancy. My inner geek whist pondering this couldn’t resist the chance to sum this info up in the the following manner. Hopefully it will strike a chord with you too (if anyone has actually ready this far, and if you have thankyou!):