Look what I've got to look forward to...

For years I couldn't get Holly to spend any time in her room. As a toddler her separation issues were at night and I would usually have to pretend to go to my bed in order to get her to sleep! By the time she was 6 things had eased up a bit but I still wasn't allowed to shut her bedroom door or the living room door as she needed to hear me going about while she was upstairs.

Then when her Dad and I separated, she became a permanent fixture in my bed until about 5 years ago when, in desperation, I bought her a double bed for her room. Finally she slept in her own bed and in the last two years has spent more and more time in her bedroom, with the door shut. WTF?

Lately, she has been coming home from school, having her dinner then either disappearing upstairs to her bedroom or shutting herself in the kitchen, singing away at the top of her voice.

Then when it's bedtime, she decides that she has so much to tell me and I am bombarded with information and stories that she just has to tell me at that exact moment.

Last night was no exception. I have been trying to go to bed earlier because I am feeling pretty exhausted so at 10pm I told her it was bed time and tramped up the stairs to my bed.

No sooner had I gotten into the room than in she comes, full of beans and wanting to talk as if her life depended on it! The first comment out of her mouth was " god, you are so small without your wedges on! You're like a Oompa Loompa!" as she kills herself laughing.

I am spluttering with indignation at this comment coming from the girl who is about 5ft 7 or so, with legs up to her armpits and who has towered over me for at least 4 years now. I am all of 5ft 3 and a half and have always hated being small! Then she added "soon Jack will be taller than you and when you lift him he will tower over you!". This is causing her no end of amusement and as I mutter under my breath she comes around the side of the bed, grabs me in a hug and launches us both on the bed.

As we are lying there giggling like a pair of school kids, I moaned that " oh god, as I age, I am only gonna get smaller and my mum's mum was a dinky little old lady and we thought she was so cute. Oh no I am going to turn into Mrs Pepperpot! ". At this point, Holly blurted out " ha ha, when I have kids, they'll have to get out of their buggy to let you in cos you will be so little by then that I'll be able to fit you in my bag!!!"

I used to love these books as a kid

As we howled with laughter at this, my face suddenly became very serious and I blurted out "oh god, what am I gonna do when I can no longer wear wedges? Aaaah I am gonna have to be someone who wears sensible shoes! I'm gonna be a frump! A little dumpy old lady ".

I looked over at Holly who is crying with laughter by this time and she stated "Mum, you will never wear sensible shoes cos knowing you, you will find a way to jazz them up by gluing jewels, flowers and fairies on them and when I visit you in the mental institution, there you'll be, a little midget, gluing things on your shoes, happy as larry".

"Mental institution? WTF?" I spluttered through my tears of laughter. "what happened to the Old Folks Home?" Seems my daughter thinks I would fit in better there!

"How did we get from "you're so small to me being a dumpy little midget who glues things on her sensible shoes"? I asked and we just looked at each other and howled with laughter. Finally I managed to get a grip on myself and said in a cutey little voice "now, about this staying in your bedroom half the night lark, I don't like it". "I miss you and I am getting lonely for your company so I suggest that you are only allowed to disappear for an hour a day up there, ok?"


"Aww Mum, your really lurve me don't ya" she said as she cosied into me.  I kissed the top of her head and said "yes, more than you know". 


I just love these moments with Holly.