Some things that were rubbish before children

....which now feel like a treat

 

 Life takes a funny turn when you become a parent. Getting out of the house can be a task akin to preparing for a two-week break. In the first few weeks after both my babies were born, having a shower and cleaning my teeth before 4pm was a major achievement.

So, with horizons shrunk and barely a minute to call myself, there are a number of things I now look forward to, which would make my previous self shudder with horror.

 

• commuting in London. A book, a coffee, a chance to zone out on public transport. Heaven.
• highlights done by a surly, uncommunicative hairdresser. You don't want to talk? Well, neither do I! Two and a half hours with the newspaper and my own thoughts. Bliss.
• housework. Only when the children are asleep, mind you. Wax on, wax off - zen tranquility is achieved.
• long visits from (grand)parents. Even though we love them dearly, we used to regress to stroppy teenagers precisely 2.5 days in. Now we're begging them to stay an extra night, and take the little darlings out to the park...again.
• a visit to the dentist. Or, more specifically, today's trip to the hospital to see if I needed to have my tooth out. The prospect of reading my book in peace while waiting was so exciting that I forgot to be scared.

Image by Eagleeye, courtesy of Stock Free Images