For the past three years, since I had my daughter, I've been looking for a place to vent my frustrations, express my joys and simply brag! I've tried Facebook, but my friends really don't want to hear about every new word, funny anecdote and dirty nappy. My partner works and although, bless him, tries to sound excited, he's really not overly fussed that she told a new joke that he missed. And I think my poor next door neighbour probably avoids me at all costs now.
I thought I'd always managed to do quite a good job as a mother. I work hard at doing the 'right thing'. My intentions are usually there, at least! However the last few weeks I've found her a really struggle. I think the 'Terrible Twos' is the child equivalent of 'morning sickness'. It's a lie. Morning sickness is false advertising, it can spring on you anywhere and for as long as it fancies. Midday doesn't strike and all of a sudden that horrible queasiness disappears. The terrible twos are a bit like that. Niamh is 3. THEY HAVEN'T DISAPPEARED!! If anything, 2 is just a prep year for the 'Sorry mum, I'm a teenager' threes. Almost over night she's become this whining, door slamming, screaming banshee. When she doesn't get her own way her body goes all rigid like she's had a staring competition with Medusa, her face goes a lovely strawberry colour and she just screams. There's no way to describe it, it's piercing, eardrum perforating and fairly psychotic. And it grates me no end! She does it and I can barely react without wanting to throttle her (disclaimer: I'd never physically harm her but, my God, there are days she tries me).
So now I'm patiently waiting until the day she turns 18 and decides to be my friend again.
