I started writing this blog on Thursday.
However, I found it difficult to type with one hand because on Thursday, my incessant need to sterile everything meant I ended up sterilising my left hand by mistake. I ended up pouring water that had just boiled from the kettle over James' tippee cup lid and the aforementioned hand.
It's times like this I'm so pleased that I have watched the embedded YouTube tutorials on the British Red Cross website.
I wrapped my hand in cling film after it spent 15 minutes under the cold water tap. Fair play, it looed like a sweaty half-eaten sandwich found in the bottom of Bethan's bag after lunch club at pre-school but at least it wouldn't blister like a bugger. The two brandies I consumed and the pain relief made me feel like I had a bionic hand and not a shrivelled one.
Bethan seemed positively disappointed when we told her there was no trip to see Dr Brown Bear at the hospital. She loves the toys in the a&e department.
Boiled hand or not, I was desperate to have a rant about that woman "who was on The Apprentice" (apparently that is what she is famous for) who, last week, wrote an article for The Daily Whale (sorry Mail). Now I know this not because I bought The Daily Whale (sorry Mail) but I saw it was being discussed on 'Lorraine' on ITV player whilst I was cooking the tea (prior to boilingwatergate).
The introduction to the article says,"'I won't let my children play with friends that I deem beneath them... that's what caring mothers do': Apprentice star admits she targets playmates who are a good influence".
When she says "good influence" she means those who have names that are traditional names; if their names are Latin-based that's even better; she doesn't like her children mingling with children who have invited them to soft-play parties (that's us out then); she doesn't like her children associating with children who have all the latest gadgets, blah, blah, blah...the article went on and on.
The inverted snob in me wants to say that if she and her children knew me when I was a child there is no way I would have been accepted into that circle of friendship primarily because of where I came from, where I schooled and what I got up to. However, my social background did not affect me or many of my friends from back home in Droylsden, Manchester from being academically rigorous or wanting to pursue our dreams. One Masters Degree in Literature later and being fortunate and proud to have friends from all walks of life who have all influenced me in one way or another, I wouldn't change anything.
That being said, the article got me thinking about trying to socially engineer my children as I am not totally innocent. I am not going to say that I let Bethan choose and do whatever she wants because I am totally guilty of living vicariously through her. Growing up with three brothers meant I was more likely to be 'Face' in the A-Team than Daisy from The Dukes of Hazard. Now I am blessed with a beautiful little girl, I do tend to veer on the cliched side of 'girlie things' which, at the moment, she seems to love too.
However, how long the pink bedroom will last is anyone's guess. I know that as she becomes a teenager experimenting with her identity is absolutely crucial to her development. Therefore I am quite prepared for the Emo stage. In fact, I'm quite looking forward to it. Moshing to Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, any Dave Grohl band really, will be right up my street too. I think after being an Emo I went on to being an Indie chick during Cool Britannia oh! and then there was my love of House music and wearing luminous clothing, and don't forget.....
