When we think about the things we want for Christmas, we start perusing the shops or searching online, we look through catalogues or even scour gift guides, constantly searching for that perfect 'thing' to pop under the tree. But what if the ultimate gift isn't something you can wrap up, in pretty craft paper with a lovely red bow. What if it's something that means a bit more than a bath bomb or a bottle of gin? Of course those gifts are pretty damn important too, but I think we all have those 'things' we want, that simply can't be wrapped into a neat package and quite often because they're not physical we don't ask for them, except this year, I just might.
The gift of sleep.
The most obvious gift to any parents of young children, but one that's so invaluable. I feel like I can conquer the world on a solid 10 hour sleep, even just 8 would be pretty fantastic. Patrick sleeps through, almost. It's not like we're up watching Peppa Pig at 3am as he's night time calls are only usually for a quick cuddle or because he's suddenly forgot how to turn back onto his tummy where he is most comfortable in the midst of his tired tears. However he does still wake, it's sporadic with little to no pattern which means our nights are very restless. Oh how I long to sleep for a solid block, I'm always a firm believer in being able to handle a day on five hours sleep, as long as it's five continual hours, as it's the intermittent calls in the early hours that throw havoc to my life the next day. I function daily, with great thanks to coffee and I would, just for one day, two if I'm lucky like to be able to depend on my own nights sleep to get me through the following day as opposed to caffeine.
Speaking of coffee, I really can't remember the last time I finished one whilst it was still warm. I usually fall into one of three scenarios; completely forgetting about my drink and thus remembering an hour later that I never did even start it, queue tuts about what a waste that was. Or, I get half way through my mug, have to deal with two tantrums and a poo explosion before I return to find it's the temperature of my car windscreen in the mornings, the worst is when I actually don't realise until the cold coffee is halfway down my throat. *Shudders*. Lastly, and more often than not, I boil the kettle and then that's the end of my coffee situation. No cop is laid out, no sugar added, not a coffee in sight, yet I'll make the mistake about three times over before we end up in one of the first two situations. Oh how nice it would be to sit, with a coffee and finish it, seeing the bottom of a cup that I haven't seen since 2013.
To not always be in such a rush.
I know this one is self inflicted because there is absolutely no need to be rushing around constantly, but I can't help it and mum guilt has a large part to play in this one. If we're heading to the shops for a browse, I feel like we have to be as quick as possible because it's not interesting for the boys and that makes it unfair. Or if we want to go to the supermarket and it's near lunch time, then delaying lunch by an hour will definitely have negative impacts on their entire life, therefore I must rush! It's silly I know, ludicrous even, but I feel this pressure that everything has to be just so and it results in rushes. Even in the mornings, I don't want to get them out of bed at 6am when they're still sleeping, I prefer to leave them as long as possible so they aren't so tired, thus meaning our mornings are rushed. I can't win, and I'm hoping I'll be gifting this to myself by working from home in the new year.
Time to get ready
I know I'm not alone in ensuring I get ready in the fastest time, I'm not sure if there is a Guinness book of record set for the quickest time someone got ready for the day with a toddler in tow - but I think I could rival it. The time I spend to get ready depends solely on what my children are doing, especially if John isn't around. It's either praying to god that Moana works it's magic for fifteen minutes, or that the youngest decides it's been enough of a tough morning for him to nap. I don't get the time to mull over moisturisers or primers and heck my hair hasn't seen a set of heated hair tools in months, usually because they take longer to heat up than my allocated time slot to be ready in. It would be nice to have a glimpse of previous me getting ready again, starting at five when I'm not leaving till seven. Oh how complacent I was about it all.
It's quite apparent that most of these gifts, wouldn't be necessary if I wasn't a Mother of two. I'd more than likely be jotting down the latest make-up brush collection or mac lipstick as opposed to things that I once took for granted. It's safe to say, if I ever received any of these, I'd be one happy girl and I would relish every single moment of them. There are occasions when my boys will throw me a lifeline and surprise me with an unexpected lie in, or behave well enough for me to drink my coffee in peace. But those moments are definitely fleeting and I think this Christmas I'd like some more of them.
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