I had a really lovely Mother’s Day this year, Tips & Toes being a highlight. I admit that it’s not quite the same as being in Australia – there were no Mother’s Day school craft or activities to attend and I saw the photos from the annual Mothers Of Boys event with a little pang of regret. Still, it was pretty good.
It started on Thursday night with a beautiful bunch of flowers, so that I could enjoy them for the weekend. I was woken Saturday morning (Saturday being the new Sunday in Dubai) with coffee and presents, along with a couple of beautiful homemade cards, delivered in bed with the appropriate number of hugs and kisses (lots!).
Then, after I had enjoyed my coffee, reciprocated the appropriate number of hugs and kisses and oohed and ahhhed over my cards, I was treated to a very nice breakfast buffet at the Westin JBR. The celebrations even stretched into Sunday morning when I got a farewell “Happy Mother’s Day” from the boys as they left for school.
To top it all off, my own very special and thoughtful mother, gifted me with a Tips & Toes voucher for a manicure and pedicure. A very welcome treat indeed.
So, after a very busy week (so far), I decide that tonight, is the night. I have gotten the kids to bed, finished off a couple of urgent things for work and Jason is still stuck in the office. Rather than flopping onto the couch (tempting!), I decide this is the perfect opportunity to duck out for a little mid-week pampering.
The pampering is indeed delightful. They really know how to do a mani-pedi in Dubai as I have two ladies looking after me – soaking, filing and buffering. I choose a colour called peaches & cream (who can resist?) and settle in to enjoy. An hour or so later, I step out feeling pretty dreamy with my cuticles oiled and nails all the same shape and length. A very rare thing for a mother!
As I pull into the driveway I vow to myself that tonight I will make the most of my relaxed mood and go straight to bed for a good night’s sleep (no browsing FB or checking work emails). I pat the cat, grab myself a glass of water and head upstairs.
Sometimes, life does not go to plan. Especially it seems, if you’re a mother who thinks that you can relax and let your guard down, even for one night. The universe is about to remind me what being a mother is all about.
As I top the stairs, Harley is standing in his bathroom whimpering. “Oh no”, I think “he’s wet the bed again”. He’s four and a half and still has the odd accident but despite my flashback to an extra few sips of water at bedtime, it’s too early for that. I head into the bathroom to scoop him up and assure him everything is alright.
And then it hits me. The smell. I feel my newly buffed toes squish into something on the floor, I look down, and realise that we are both, literally, standing in sh*t. How can he be standing right next to the toilet without having actually gotten any of it in there? It’s everywhere!
I rinse him off and hose down what I can, cleaning up the floor in the meantime and get him into fresh pjs. As I reach to pull the covers back, my pristinely oiled cuticles sink into a pile on top of the doona. I take a closer look. Just like two of the turd emojis sitting side by side. My mind boggles at how he managed that without streaking it all over the bed and into the bathroom. And how so much has come out of such a little body all at once! It completely defies logic.
I whip the doona off and thank my lucky stars that the sheets have been spared. I grab a spare blanket and tuck him back in then return to clean up the bedding.
My pampered Mother’s Day bliss bubble is now completely burst I tip toe into my bathroom to get myself cleaned up. I have been duly reminded about what it is to be a mother. Tips and toes indeed!
Would I Return?
Yes. I’m a mum, I don’t have a choice!
