make do and mother

I took this photo in October, I think, but I just found it in my draft posts folder and decided I wanted to blog about it nonetheless, as a reminder to my future (and present) self of my imperfectly perfect mothering style.  On this day, I was a couple of miles from home, pushing Dulcie around a few charity shops after toddler group.  Heading home, I was bursting for the toilet and a strange smell was emanating from the pushchair so, since we were passing and there are no public toilets anywhere in Glasgow, I decided we should stop off at the soft play place.  I paid for an hour's play and headed straight for the toilet and nappy changing facilities.  A sorry sight awaited us - the kind of nappy I hadn't seen since Dulcie was a 100% milk-heid.  Vest, trousers, socks, none of it could be salvaged.  Cripes.  And we are way past the stage of carrying spare clothes with us everywhere.  Frankly, we were lucky I had a nappy and some wipes for once!  After a moment or two of standing stock still and racking my brains for what my approach might be, I...carried on regardless.  Dulcie spent an hour haring around in and out of ball pools in just a nappy and a [Brigitte Bardot-esque stripy vintage] top while I sat and had a cup of tea.  And pretended not to be with her - ha ha!  When the hour was up, I fashioned a pair of trousers for Dulcie using the sleeves of my cardigan and set off for home.  Style-conscious Dulcie was less than impressed with her makeshift outfit, as you can see, but nothing bad happened.  In fact, a stranger even complimented me on how cosy my child looked!  Win in the end!  (That's one for the Teen Wolf fans amongst you.)

I'd say this story typifies my approach to everything in life.  I never have the right tools to hand whatever the situation and sometimes I feel bad about that, but I usually manage to muddle through and make things turn out OK, if not always (ever?) in an entirely chic/presentable manner.  And as I get older, I get less embarrassed when this side of me has to be trawled out in public, even if I am surrounded by the type of people who carry everything but the kitchen sink in a custom-made container stored in their 4x4, which is always conveniently parked right outside.*  I'm coming to accept I'll never be organised and I'll always have to make do with the pipe cleaners, sandwich bags and old underground tickets (for example!) that I might have to hand.  I'm OK with that, though.  The Girl Guide in me will always see me right! :)

* I hope that doesn't sound bitter/judgemental, I don't mean it to.  After all, I'm hoping to join the car-owning population myself soon, it's just that I know MY car will be full of useless items like mouldy oranges, old plastic bags and charity shop finds that haven't even made it as far as the house.