Just another day in pair-adise!

One thing you are forced to learn very quickly about being a mom is that your life is now no longer owned by you alone.  Ditto all your stuff, your food, your time, your energy and your abilities.  All becomes subservient to the goal of raising your happy and healthy children.  Guaranteed, the second you head into the loo for a bit of "me" time, a troop of little footsteps will follow in your wake, and piping voices start asking awkward questions like "what are you doing?" (I am never quite sure how to answer this one, by the way.  I mean, are they just being cutely conversational, or how literal do they want you to get?)


A prime example:  You will have just made your littlies a lovely meal, set it out on the table and called them for supper.  Everyone is eating peacefully, until little eyes start darting to whatever is on your own plate.  Your's looks better than what they have!  It's not fair!  Soon, the questions start:


Sam:  "Mama, what's that?" (pointing to my plate)
Me:  "It's fish.  Look, you have the same on your plate."
Sam:  "Please can I have that bit there?"
Paddy:  "I don't have enough chips - please could I have those ones?"
Me:  "Why don't you eat what is on your plate first, then you can have some more?"
Sam and Paddy: "Mine is not crispy enough/is too crispy/doesn't have any salt/doesn't look the same,..etc."


The upshot:  I end up handing over all the food to them and start eating theirs instead.  Peace reigns for a few moments. Then:


Sam:  "Mama, what's that?" (pointing at my plate)...