What to do?

Tis no secret I have three kids.  Three healthy, happy and mostly mental kids.  They started to take over my life the moment they were born.  Most of the time I'm happy with that but sometimes it's bloody annoying.  One of those kids is now 9 years old so he's been around for quite a while.  In fact, I don't think I can really remember what life was like before he came along.  I often wonder what I did with all my free time.  Jesus, I obviously had loads of it, so what I do with it? 

I thought as they got older they would need me less and less.  That's turning out to be not true.  Okay, so they're a lot easier to marshall around the place and definitely no need for bags and buggies and bottles and other things that begin with B.  But still they can stop me having my life for my own.  Most of the time I don't mind but sometimes I do.

What I do mind though is people not understanding how life is not just me anymore.  Jesus, it hasn't been for ages but I've noticed that I'm getting looks now 'cos . . . I dunno.  Different things.  Don't have the money to go out because new shoes are needed (by three).  Don't have time to go out (because there is three of them and two of us and sometimes they have to take precedence).  Don't have the energy for phonecalls the way I used to.  Once upon a time I could spend hours on the phone talking about nothing but now when it rings I sometimes pretend to be asleep.  Mostly because I spend so many hours answering questions on things as diverse as "how do plants eat?" to "Please, please explain dark matter Mam, you've been promising to for years now".  Have been promising that for years.  Just afraid if I answer that question it will lead to another question and I've only read the dark matter bit of the book.  Thanks to the book I know far more about quantum physics than I ever really needed to know. 

So, I get tired.  Don't call.  Don't make it out for whatever reasons and I think it's making me a bad friend in some camps.  Should be brave enough to ask but not brave enough at all.  Can fight like a tiger for most things but for others, nah, just not worth it.  I think all friends with kids should be given a 'grace' period.  One of my favourite people fell out of my life a few (quite a few) years but I waited and then she waited for me and now we get to see each other again.

So, if you're friends have babies.  Give them a bit of understanding.  They still love you but other people have a tighher hold on their hearts.  And time.  And pocket. 

Time to re-begin the ironing.  Three loads and still going strong.