Friday, July 13, 2007

Oi, Mush.

This blog is for me, to remind me when I need it.

It's school report time... Wib and Bonny brought theirs home this afternoon. Some choice excerpts...

- In a grey old world, Wibs certainly adds a little colour to the school. Not one of the crowd, she is 'happy in her skin' and I shall miss her.

- Wibs has been a pleasure. I can always rely on her approaching a task from an unexpected yet brilliant angle to produce work of a high standard.

- I hope Wibs keeps her quirky writing style - she is always interesting to read, and will certainly achieve a (rare) level 5.


- Bonny has great imagination. Her stories are a joy to read.

- Bonny is kind and has many friends. She has great empathy for others.

- when Bonny is not drawing or painting, she has her head stuck firmly in a book. No wonder her imagination is so vivid.


And this morning, I woke to this, stuck right where I'd see it -




And the point of this pile of braggardly mush, is this.

As parents, and especially as single parents, we beat ourselves up. We never have enough money to give our children the things we would wish to treat them to. We worry constantly that we didn't do enough, weren't there enough, didn't take sufficient notice. We rail and tear our hair, that we haven't done it right, that we could've done better and now it is too late. We see other children whose hair is neater, clothes are ironed better, shoes are polished more brightly, and we chastise ourselves and swear we will do better. I have a close friend who does exactly the same as I do. I am sure many of us do. Yet together, we have managed to raise, pretty much singlehandedly, (while working and often studying) six fantastically bright, happy, secure kind and imaginative children. So to all the other hardworking, loving, exasperated single parents, I say well done us. We are brill.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

And I second that wholeheartedly! Well done brilliant mum and your terrific daughters.
Have yourselves a great weekend!

Pesk said...

sweet flighty, thank you. I hope your weekend is also spectacular x

Marmite Breath said...

You sound like a wonderful Mum, and I'd be over-the-moon aswell, at getting such lovely reports. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to be a single Mum (although, I will say, that being a Navy wife sometimes feels like it, but I know, I know, it's not the same, believe me).
You've got my admiration, Pesk. Good on ya.

Pesk said...

Thanks Marmy (I hope I can call you that, my cat is called marmite, and that's her pet (hur) name. Being a forces wife must be an equally tough job, one which you evidently do very well, judging from your childrens broad grins. We're all good aren't we? :o)