Miss M clambers onto my knee, her eyes not moving from the screen as she angles her small body into my arms. Miss E kneels behind me, her hand light on my shoulder, then heavier as she leans in closer. Then they are still.
Miss M: ”Ooohhhh Mummy.”
Miss E: ”Wow. There are two of them, look, that’s amazing.”
Miss M: ”They’re dancing Mummy, wooooaaaah.”
Miss E: ”They’re holding his flippers and pushing him Mummy. I don’t know if I’d dare do that. But that’s my dream job so they’d train me wouldn’t they?.”
Miss M: ”Ahhh Mummy I love them. They don’t let them go near the killer whales do they Mummy? The killer whales are much bigger aren’t they? Do they eat dolphins?”
Miss E: ”I wish I was there.”
Miss M: “I wish I was there. I’ve never seen a real dolphin. Do they have dolphins in France?”
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Today would have been the first day of our blogging trip to Orlando. (Blumming volcanic dust.)
But as we’re still lucky enough to have the trip to look forward to, I decided to check our intinerary and have a browse round the SeaWorld site and youtube. Miss E and Miss M decided to have a browse with me.
Big mistake
BIG
I only watched one clip. I tried not to let them see, but oh my Bob it was just so lovely seeing the looks on their faces. Seriously, I completely filled up because both my girls had actual tears in their eyes. Can you believe that? The only time I’ve seen them fill up before was when we watched Monsters Inc at the end. They were so happy. (With the ending, not because they were glad it had, you know, finished.)
So yep, the Mummy guilt is heaped high on my shoulders right now, and there’s at least a whole month before we go. By the time I get to the airport it’s quite possible I will be so shrunken by the burden, that a small child will mistake me for a ‘rather hard headed but otherwise very squishy doll,’ tuck me under her arm and I’ll end up in deepest darkest Mongolia or on a train to Skeg, while lovely Laura @ Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy, Becky @ English Mum, Erica @ Little Mummy, Linda @ Have A Lovely Time and Liz @ Living With Kids head off to the sunshine.
Part of me thinks that’s kind of what I deserve, but seeing my little monkeys faces today I have decided to start saving, because one day I am going to take them.
One more thing…
In reply to the person who goes not by a name but by a ‘term’, this blog is not a place to make snide comments regarding my knowledge of my children, or what I teach them, in an attempt to further your cause. You know nothing about me or my beliefs, and it is extremely patronising to attempt to dictate to myself and my readers about how we ‘raise our children’. I will not allow my blog to become a forum for your anger, believe me I know it is not the place, which is why I haven’t published your comment.
I am an intelligent, caring and careful adult and I have the right to make my own judgements and decisions, which I will do when I visit SeaWorld. Perhaps another time you might word your comment differently. You never know, it might create an opportunity for a civilised discussion. Then maybe you’ll make a difference instead of causing anger and offence.
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April 22nd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Oh bless them. I totally get the Mummy guilt thing but at least you’ll have the benefit of experience – you’ll be able to check out EXACTLY which rides are best for them and EXACTLY which parks they’ll enjoy the most. Think of it as a Mummy recce xxx
April 26th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Liz that’s true. I just can’t imagine it happening any time soon. You never know though. I might get all well and then publish my book and sell the film rights and all that. ;D
April 22nd, 2010 at 2:05 pm
There’s nothing to say you won’t be invited back with the two of them, don’t fret it
Certainly this has been the case with other trips so far. I cried at Dynasty once when someone chucked a doll off a roof. Just thought I’d mention this.
April 26th, 2010 at 2:52 am
Linda you never know. But I will start to save. I might get one of those jars where you have to smash it to get at your dosh. Then I can fill it with pound coins or something.
And that Dynasty episode sounds so weird. I would quite possibly have cried too.
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:31 pm
i liove within aN HR OF THE FLIPPERS SANDY
April 26th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Wow I bet you’ve seen them then lovely. Fancy a brew?? xx
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:21 am
Oh lovely, I know how you feel it’s why I didn’t go on the Disney trip last year. But you will have an amazing time and then you’ll know exactly where to take them when you all go back together. Have a wonderful trip x
April 26th, 2010 at 2:55 am
Me too Liz. I couldn’t leave them when we’d only been on our house 2 weeks after mine and their dad’s split. It would have been completely wrong. I just know how much they’d love this though. They’re anima mad. Miss M watched that clip again last night and then went on to the killer whales on youtube. They’re so beautiful.
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 am
aww bless them. am sure you’ll have a great tine though, even with a bit of mummy guilt
April 26th, 2010 at 2:55 am
You’re right I will. It would just be even better with them.
April 24th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Awww, they’ll love it
Go Jo!
Also, you’re a wonderful mum, it’s a shame that some people have nothing better to do than troll. Silly sods.
April 26th, 2010 at 2:56 am
Thanks lovely. I will get saving. The first coin is now in an empty Options Hot Chocolate jar.
April 27th, 2010 at 4:05 am
I’ll be honest – I couldn’t do it. When K&A were little and my OH was running school trips to Alton Towers or Disneyland Paris we hid it from the kids altogether. Now they are at secondary school and he takes them on school trips to Alton Towers and Disneyland Paris and all is right with the world – but we hide it from the 4yo
My Mum was the same – she still feels the need to confess evenings when we were small and in bed spent with a Pot Noodle – she has no idea why she felt (still feels) guilty, it wasn’t as if we were sent to bed starving! But she saw it as a “treat” and for her having a treat meant us not having a treat. Though I have to say, denying oneself a Pot Noodle is probably taking Mummy Guilt just a tad too far! I have been known to steal their chocolate
May 7th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Well I’ve thought about this some more and it is obviously WRONG.