Time to Chill

This week I finally cashed in my Mother's Day voucher and spent a day at a health spa with my lovely mum.

It was bliss. We were well and truly pampered - pedicure, massage, 3 course lunch and time to unwind in sauna and steam rooms.

But, true to form, nothing is ever perfect. Mainly the lockers - rather than the coin and key version we are all familiar with in gyms and swimming pools we were given a card with our locker number on and instructions on how to programme them. We had to press several buttons and add our own 4 digit 'personal number' into the mix. I loaded my locker and tried to put in the code, it didn't lock so I tried again, it beeped but didn't lock so I checked the card, tried again and then it emitted a loud, high pitched tone which reminded me of the bit in films before the bomb goes off. After appealing to the assistant for help she declared she'd not seen that before and I'd have to get another locker (which she locked for me).

The blissful day was punctuated with trips to our lockers - to fetch a towel, a book, to check the mobile or to change into a swimsuit - and we usually needed assistance to either unlock or lock the lockers (sometimes both) and we weren't the only ones. You couldn't even give up and leave it unlocked as they automatically locked if it was left closed and unlocked for any length of time and you needed to get an assistant to unlock it again for you. What is wrong with the old key method?

I couldn't quite get my head around wandering round in my dressing gown in front of complete strangers. The first one I was given was a Small when I am most definitely XLarge - in the end I was given an XXXXL which must have been specially made for Geoff Capes to visit and I had to roll it up at the sleeves. After lunch we wandered into a conservatory area to have our coffee and it was littered with sleeping bodies in white gowns, which reminded me of depictions of the aftermath of Roman orgies, well didn't they invent the spa?

I had imagined having a day spent without the worries of everyday life, a little 'me time', where I could be myself rather than someones mum. To an extent that was true but as the place was full of women all of the conversations seemed to revolve around childbirth stories, potty training, tantrums and the naughty step - I could have been at a toddler group really!

A few days later and I have lost the chilled out feeling I gained at the spa, I'm back to the tension headaches and the feeling of being at the end of my tether BUT I do have beautifully painted toenails and a hole in my bank account to remember the day by.

Just say 'no'!

Picture the scene. Been 'at my desk' for 4 hours working on an almost late project. Just broken for a quick lunch before picking DS up from nursery, taking him to get together at his friends house where I've agreed to meet a new mum to our parents group as well as 'look after' another friends' 4 year old and 1 year old before dashing off for a swimming lesson at 4! Phone rings and it's know it all mum

KIA: 'Can you do me a favor?'

ME: ' Sure'

Inner voice: Say no! for once in your life stop being a doormat!

KIA: 'Oh great, I've just done a poster for the group tomorrow but our printer's not working and it needs the new logo that I know you've got could you just print off a few copies and take them the the get together for me?'

ME: 'Erm'

IV: NO! No! NO! you've got 10 mins before you've got to pick DS up, it takes 15 mins to crank up the computer, let alone print it. SHE's got the logo too AND she's been using the printer excuse for 6 months now - remember the fundraising posters?

ME: I can't see it in my inbox and I'll have to crank up the PC to print anything and it's a bit slow and I need to pick DS up in 10 mins.

KIA: 'Oh well you know the sort of thing we need, but could you do it on A5? Thanks, Bye.

ME: Argh why didn't you just say NO!!?

Result was 10mins late to pick up DS from nursery and logo wouldn't print so had to listen to KIA tell everyone how we couldn't have the sign up at the group (which I no longer go to because DS is at nursery) because I couldn't print it - I did point out to a few that I only had 10 minutes notice!

Which reminds me I must ring the new mum and check she's okay and is planning on coming back. KIA was in full force but Super Mum was a little subdued, and I was a little distracted by a 4 year old who was sulking, a 3 year old who was HUNGRY MUMMY! and a 1 year old who can move very, very fast! - I hope we didn't put her off :-)