Crombie Jardine PUBLISHING LIMITED Office 2 3 Edgar Buildings George Street Bath BA1 2FJ www.crombiejardine.com This edi...
19 downloads
671 Views
4MB Size
Report
This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book. If you own the copyright to this book and it is wrongfully on our website, we offer a simple DMCA procedure to remove your content from our site. Start by pressing the button below!
Report copyright / DMCA form
Crombie Jardine PUBLISHING LIMITED Office 2 3 Edgar Buildings George Street Bath BA1 2FJ www.crombiejardine.com This edition was first published by Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited in 2007 Copyright © Crombie Jardine Publishing, 2007 All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN 978-1-906051-01-3 Illustrations by Bob Gibbs Designed by Ben Ottridge Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cox and Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire
Mother_what-a-day.indd 2
07/02/2007 15:57:56
INTRODUCTION
Once upon a time there was a young, free-spirited, beautiful princess. She wanted for nothing and all who saw her adored her. One day her prince came along, the beautiful couple fell in love and were married. A year passed and into this world came forth a bouncing, gurgling, squeaky, belching, forever-hungry pooing-machine of a baby boy. Things were never the same again…
Mother_what-a-day.indd 3
07/02/2007 15:57:56
WHO’D BE A MOTHER? JOB: MOTHER PAY: NONE HOURS: ALL HOLIDAY: SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATION EXPERIENCE: PREFERABLE DRIVER’S LICENCE: ESSENTIAL PATIENCE: A VIRTUE
4 Mother_what-a-day.indd 4
07/02/2007 15:57:57
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY SO, TELL ME... DO YOU SHAG?
NOT UNTIL NOW, YOU SMOOTHTALKING BASTARD...
THE COURTSHIP
5 Mother_what-a-day.indd 5
07/02/2007 15:57:57
Familiarity breeds children.
6 Mother_what-a-day.indd 6
07/02/2007 15:57:57
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
RIGHT, BARRY... THAT‛S ENOUGH. TIME TO PUT MY LEGS UP...
THE CONCEPTION
7 Mother_what-a-day.indd 7
07/02/2007 15:57:57
For adult education, nothing beats children.
8 Mother_what-a-day.indd 8
07/02/2007 15:57:58
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY YES! YES! YES!
PREGNANCY TEST (CAN BE TRICKY)
9 Mother_what-a-day.indd 9
07/02/2007 15:57:58
Mum-to-be: How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu? Doctor: If it’s the flu, you’ll get better.
10 Mother_what-a-day.indd 10
07/02/2007 15:57:58
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SORRY ABOUT THAT...
MORNING SICKNESS (SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLE)
11 Mother_what-a-day.indd 11
07/02/2007 15:57:58
Prenatal: When your life was still somewhat your own.
12 Mother_what-a-day.indd 12
07/02/2007 15:57:58
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
ARE THERE ANY MORE CHIPS, DARLING?
FOOD FADS
13 Mother_what-a-day.indd 13
07/02/2007 15:57:58
Who’d be a mother when... You spend an entire week wearing a tracksuit. (Why bother with anything else?!)
14 Mother_what-a-day.indd 14
07/02/2007 15:57:59
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY I NOW NEED WING MIRRORS TO FIND MY FANNY!
THEN THERE’S THAT NEW FIGURE...
15 Mother_what-a-day.indd 15
07/02/2007 15:57:59
Those who say they “sleep like a baby” obviously haven’t got one.
16 Mother_what-a-day.indd 16
07/02/2007 15:57:59
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY SO WE AGREE THEN... MISSIONARY IS DEFINITELY OUT!
SEX CAN BE AWKWARD... ESPECIALLY IF HUBBY HAS BEEN OVER-CELEBRATING THE IMPENDING BIRTH...
17 Mother_what-a-day.indd 17
07/02/2007 15:57:59
An alarm clock is a device for waking up people who don’t have small kids.
18 Mother_what-a-day.indd 18
07/02/2007 15:57:59
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY OH NO! PEOPLE WILL THINK I‛M HAVING A WEE!
WATERS BREAKING... IDEALLY OCCURRING IN FRONT OF STRANGERS MILES FROM HOME WHEN WEARING LIGHT GREY.
19 Mother_what-a-day.indd 19
07/02/2007 15:57:59
“I never met a kid I liked.” W.C. Fields
20 Mother_what-a-day.indd 20
07/02/2007 15:58:00
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY BRING IT ON!
LABOUR (CONTRACTIONS) BEST SOLVED WITH EVERY PAINKILLER KNOWN... STARTING WITH EPIDURAL, PILLS, ALCOHOL, GAS AND AIR...
21 Mother_what-a-day.indd 21
07/02/2007 15:58:00
“If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold yourself up as a warning and not as an example.” George Bernard Shaw
22 Mother_what-a-day.indd 22
07/02/2007 15:58:00
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
NO! I‛M NOT COMING OUT!
NOT LONG NOW...
PUSH...
GIVING BIRTH... WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOU HAVE PRODUCED A PROTEGEE.
23 Mother_what-a-day.indd 23
07/02/2007 15:58:00
“When my husband comes home, if the kids are still alive, I figure I’ve done my job.” Roseanne Barr
24 Mother_what-a-day.indd 24
07/02/2007 15:58:00
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY HOW LONG HAS HUBBY BEEN LIKE THAT? AND WHY?!
ABOUT HALF AN HOUR... HE LOOKED UP TO SEE THE UMBILICAL CORD BEING CUT AND THOUGHT IT WAS LITTLE JASON‛S WILLY!
POST DELIVERY...
25 Mother_what-a-day.indd 25
07/02/2007 15:58:00
The Golden Age: When the kids are too old for a babysitter and too young to borrow the car.
26 Mother_what-a-day.indd 26
07/02/2007 15:58:01
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY HELLO, MRS JONES. THIS WON‛T TAKE MORE THAN A MINUTE OR TWO.
POST DELIVERY... WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT ‘ONLY ONE LITTLE STITCH’ MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC...
27 Mother_what-a-day.indd 27
07/02/2007 15:58:01
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUMMY. THE ONE MOST VISUALISED AS BEING PERFECT IS...
28 Mother_what-a-day.indd 28
07/02/2007 15:58:01
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SCRUMMY MUMMY
29 Mother_what-a-day.indd 29
07/02/2007 15:58:01
HOWEVER, NOT EVERYONE CAN BE PERFECT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER KINDS OF MUMMY. HERE ARE A FEW...
30 Mother_what-a-day.indd 30
07/02/2007 15:58:01
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
IMPURE THOUGHTS...
BUMMY MUMMY OFTEN ENDS UP INITIATING THE SECOND CHILD.
31 Mother_what-a-day.indd 31
07/02/2007 15:58:02
Who’d be a mother when... If you can’t find your cordless phone, you ask a friend to call you, and you run around the house madly, following the sound until you locate the phone downstairs in the laundry basket.
32 Mother_what-a-day.indd 32
07/02/2007 15:58:02
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY DO I KNOW YOU?
CHUMMY MUMMY AFTER NO ALCOHOL FOR NINE MONTHS, IMBIBING CAN OFTEN LEAD TO BEING OVER-AFFECTIONATE.
33 Mother_what-a-day.indd 33
07/02/2007 15:58:02
Who’d be a mother when... You’re so desperate for adult conversation that you cling on to the caller from the telemarketing company and he hangs up on you. .
34 Mother_what-a-day.indd 34
07/02/2007 15:58:02
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
DUMBY MUMMY NOT QUITE GETTING TO GRIPS WITH MOTHERHOOD.
35 Mother_what-a-day.indd 35
07/02/2007 15:58:02
Who’d be a mother when.. Your idea of a good day is making it to the evening without being peed or puked on.
36 Mother_what-a-day.indd 36
07/02/2007 15:58:02
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
AND IF YOU ASK WHAT IT IS, YOU‛LL GET A SLAP!
CRUMBY MUMMY NOT EXACTLY RELIABLE...
37 Mother_what-a-day.indd 37
07/02/2007 15:58:03
Who’d be a mother when.. If the kids start fighting, you threaten to lock them in a room together and not let them out until someone’s bleeding.
38 Mother_what-a-day.indd 38
07/02/2007 15:58:03
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY OH NO! WHAT THE BUGGERY ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!
MUM! WHERE ARE MY SOCKS?
MUMMY MUMMY THE LAST RESORT FOR PEACE AND QUIET... OR MAYBE NOT!
39 Mother_what-a-day.indd 39
07/02/2007 15:58:03
Who’d be a mother when... Your favourite film is a Disney one.
40 Mother_what-a-day.indd 40
07/02/2007 15:58:03
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY IF THEY‛RE LATE BECAUSE OF DETENTION, I‛LL...
NUMBY MUMMY OFTEN FOUND ON COLD AFTERNOONS WAITING TO PICK UP THE KIDS FROM SCHOOL...
41 Mother_what-a-day.indd 41
07/02/2007 15:58:03
Who’d be a mother when... Your feet stick to the kitchen floor... and you don’t care.
42 Mother_what-a-day.indd 42
07/02/2007 15:58:03
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
FILL HER UP, BARMAN... ANOTHER TWO AND I‛LL HAVE FORGOTTEN THE KIDS!
RUMMY MUMMY TO BE FOUND ON HOLIDAY DRINKING VAST AMOUNTS OF RUM AND COKE.
43 Mother_what-a-day.indd 43
07/02/2007 15:58:03
Who’d be a mother when... You find yourself shouting things like, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out!”
44 Mother_what-a-day.indd 44
07/02/2007 15:58:04
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
BLOODY HELL, WAYNE. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?! IF YOU WANT TO CUT TIDDLE‛S TAIL OFF, USE THE BLOODY SCISSORS. AN AXE WILL ONLY DAMAGE THE BASTARD CARPET.
SCUMMY MUMMY NOT CONSIDERED TO BE QUITE UP TO THE JOB.
45 Mother_what-a-day.indd 45
07/02/2007 15:58:04
Who’d be a mother when... You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into cute shapes.
46 Mother_what-a-day.indd 46
07/02/2007 15:58:04
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY PINCH AN INCH... I WISH!
TUMMY MUMMY WITH THAT ‘ANNOYINGLY HARD TO MOVE’ SPARE TYRE.
47 Mother_what-a-day.indd 47
07/02/2007 15:58:04
SO NOW YOU’VE ACHIEVED MUMMY STATUS, WHAT DOES LIFE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU? THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO THE VARIOUS UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A MOTHER...
48 Mother_what-a-day.indd 48
07/02/2007 15:58:04
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
NEW INNOVATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THAT ‘POSSIBLE’ NEXT CHILD... AN AUSTRALIAN BIRTHING POOL.
49 Mother_what-a-day.indd 49
07/02/2007 15:58:04
Who’d be a mother when... You stop criticising the way your mother brought you up.
50 Mother_what-a-day.indd 50
07/02/2007 15:58:05
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY HAS MUMMY‛S LITTLE SOLDIER DONE A LITTLE POO POO?
51 Mother_what-a-day.indd 51
07/02/2007 15:58:05
Who’d be a mother when... You used to look forward to a night out on the town. Now you long for a night in to yourself.
52 Mother_what-a-day.indd 52
07/02/2007 15:58:05
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY YES, IT‛S A BOY. HOW DID YOU KNOW?
THE CASUAL APPROACH
53 Mother_what-a-day.indd 53
07/02/2007 15:58:05
Who’d be a mother when... Cleaning the house whilst the children are at home is like raking the leaves during a blizzard.
54 Mother_what-a-day.indd 54
07/02/2007 15:58:05
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
BAD DAY?
HOW DID YOU WORK THAT ONE OUT?
55 Mother_what-a-day.indd 55
07/02/2007 15:58:05
You can learn many things from children... like how much patience you have.
56 Mother_what-a-day.indd 56
07/02/2007 15:58:06
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
GOOD GRIEF! THE BABY‛S FLOATING IN PISS!
YES, I KNOW. BUT WHAT I SAY IS, IF YOU CAN‛T BEAT ‘EM, JOIN ‘EM...
57 Mother_what-a-day.indd 57
07/02/2007 15:58:06
Amnesia: A condition that enables a woman who has gone through labour to have sex again.
58 Mother_what-a-day.indd 58
07/02/2007 15:58:06
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY HI, HONEY! I‛M HOME. FANCY A SHAG?
YEAH, SURE! BUT NO MORE THAN TWELVE HOURS AND, OH YES, MAKE IT ROUGH...
BRINGING UP KIDS - TIRED DOESN’T EVEN COME INTO IT AT THE END OF THE DAY...
59 Mother_what-a-day.indd 59
07/02/2007 15:58:06
Weekend: Those two days when Dad plays golf while Mum catches up on the washing, ironing, cleaning and food shopping.
60 Mother_what-a-day.indd 60
07/02/2007 15:58:06
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
HONEY! THE MILKMAN WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU WANT SOME?
NOT TODAY... I‛LL HAVE EXTRA ON FRIDAY...
61 Mother_what-a-day.indd 61
07/02/2007 15:58:07
“There is no such thing as ‘fun for the whole family’.” Jerry Seinfeld
62 Mother_what-a-day.indd 62
07/02/2007 15:58:07
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
NOW, DARLING, GIVE MUMMY BACK HER NIPPLE...
TEETHING...
63 Mother_what-a-day.indd 63
07/02/2007 15:58:07
Precocious: A child who is more talented than yours.
64 Mother_what-a-day.indd 64
07/02/2007 15:58:07
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY WHAT‛S THE SECRET THEN, MARG? YOU‛VE GOT YOUR BABY SO BEAUTIFULLY QUIET.
65 Mother_what-a-day.indd 65
07/02/2007 15:58:07
“Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.” Bill Cosby
66 Mother_what-a-day.indd 66
07/02/2007 15:58:07
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
DO REMEMBER TO SWAP BREASTS WHEN FEEDING A HUNGRY BABY...
67 Mother_what-a-day.indd 67
07/02/2007 15:58:07
Who’d be a mother when.. You’re up each night until 10:30 p.m. doing chores - vacuuming, dusting, wiping, washing, drying, loading, unloading, cooking, ironing, sweeping, cleaning, tidying, sewing, gardening, painting, and walking the dog. You get up at 5:30 a.m. and you have no time to eat, sleep, drink, or go to the bathroom, and yet... you still managed to gain half a stone.
68 Mother_what-a-day.indd 68
07/02/2007 15:58:08
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY NOW THERE, DARLING, YOU GO TO SLEEP FOR MUMMY...
GETTING BABY TO GO TO SLEEP CAN OFTEN MEAN THE NEED FOR A LITTLE ‘ASSISTANCE’.
69 Mother_what-a-day.indd 69
07/02/2007 15:58:08
Feedback: What you get when your baby doesn’t appreciate the mashed banana and avocado.
70 Mother_what-a-day.indd 70
07/02/2007 15:58:08
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SLIMLINE BABY FOOD - THAT‛S THE ANSWER...
YOU WORK OUT THE CALORIES IN BABY FOOD AND REALISE WHY YOU’RE PUTTING ON WEIGHT... BY FINISHING OFF ‘THAT LITTLE BIT’.
71 Mother_what-a-day.indd 71
07/02/2007 15:58:08
Bottle feeding: An opportunity for Daddy to get up at 2:00 a.m. too.
72 Mother_what-a-day.indd 72
07/02/2007 15:58:08
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SHOULD‛VE HAD QUADS...
EVEN EXPRESSING MILK CAN’T KEEP UP WITH SOME WOMEN...
73 Mother_what-a-day.indd 73
07/02/2007 15:58:08
Grandparents: The people who think your children are adorable - even though they’re sure you’re not bringing them up properly.
74 Mother_what-a-day.indd 74
07/02/2007 15:58:09
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
OH! HE THINKS IT‛S A GAME...
PARENTAL CONTROL
75 Mother_what-a-day.indd 75
07/02/2007 15:58:09
TOILET TRAINING FOR A LONG PERIOD, ONE’S OFFSPRING INFLICTS AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF CRAP ON ONE’S LIFE. FINALLY, THERE’S A GLIMMER OF HOPE WHEN TOILET TRAINING STARTS. HOWEVER, IT DOES HAVE ITS UPS AND DOWNS...
76 Mother_what-a-day.indd 76
07/02/2007 15:58:09
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY NOW FLUSH THE TOILET WITH THAT HANDLE...
TOILET TRAINING - ‘THE REVENGE’
77 Mother_what-a-day.indd 77
07/02/2007 15:58:09
Who’d be a mother when... You find yourself asking dinner guests if they’d like a ‘drinky-poo’.
78 Mother_what-a-day.indd 78
07/02/2007 15:58:09
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY NO! YOU‛RE NOT COMING OUT.
79 Mother_what-a-day.indd 79
07/02/2007 15:58:09
“I like children. Properly cooked.” W. C. Fields
80 Mother_what-a-day.indd 80
07/02/2007 15:58:10
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
WHAT A CLEVER LITTLE BOY WE ARE...
A DINNER PARTY IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST TIME TO SHOW OFF THE LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS...
81 Mother_what-a-day.indd 81
07/02/2007 15:58:10
“A king, realising his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties. A father can do neither. If only his sons could see the paradox, they would understand the dilemma.” Marlene Dietrich
82 Mother_what-a-day.indd 82
07/02/2007 15:58:10
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
IMPRESSIVE, OR WHAT?
83 Mother_what-a-day.indd 83
07/02/2007 15:58:10
Family planning: The art of spacing your children enough to keep you on the edge of financial disaster.
84 Mother_what-a-day.indd 84
07/02/2007 15:58:10
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
DIDN‛T MAKE IT, THEN.
ONLY HAVING THE ONE TOILET, UPSTAIRS, CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
85 Mother_what-a-day.indd 85
07/02/2007 15:58:11
The weaker sex: The kind you have after the kids have worn you out.
86 Mother_what-a-day.indd 86
07/02/2007 15:58:11
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
NAPPY? OH YEAH! EVERY TUESDAY...
THE ‘SCUMMY MUMMY’ APPROACH...
87 Mother_what-a-day.indd 87
07/02/2007 15:58:11
Laisser-faire: When the tendency to want to ignore all behaviour - not just the bad - is overwhelming.
88 Mother_what-a-day.indd 88
07/02/2007 15:58:11
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY AFTER THREE DAYS, IT BEGINS TO SLOW HIM DOWN...
OFF THE WALL OR WHAT?
89 Mother_what-a-day.indd 89
07/02/2007 15:58:11
The Joy of Motherhood: What a woman experiences after she’s put the last little bugger to bed.
90 Mother_what-a-day.indd 90
07/02/2007 15:58:11
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘WHERE‛S JOHNNY?‛
SEAT RESTRAINTS ARE ADVISABLE.
91 Mother_what-a-day.indd 91
07/02/2007 15:58:12
Whodunnit? None of the kids in your house.
92 Mother_what-a-day.indd 92
07/02/2007 15:58:12
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SO, MR AND MRS MARKS - YOU WANT TO CALL YOUR SON ‘SKID‛...?
93 Mother_what-a-day.indd 93
07/02/2007 15:58:12
Independent: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say.
94 Mother_what-a-day.indd 94
07/02/2007 15:58:12
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY WELL THAT CERTAINLY SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF HIM.
CONSTIPATION - SOMETIMES A LITTLE HELP IS NEEDED.
95 Mother_what-a-day.indd 95
07/02/2007 15:58:12
BRINGING UP CHILDREN IS FRAUGHT WITH PROBLEMS. WHETHER IT BE FROM YOUR OWN MOTHER OR FROM A PROFESSIONAL HEALTH VISITOR, YOU’LL GET PLENTY OF ADVICE ON ‘MOTHERHOOD’. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO GET YOU BY SOME OF THOSE AWKWARD MOMENTS...
96 Mother_what-a-day.indd 96
07/02/2007 15:58:12
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
97 Mother_what-a-day.indd 97
07/02/2007 15:58:13
“When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.” Rodney Dangerfield
98 Mother_what-a-day.indd 98
07/02/2007 15:58:13
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
DON’T DRINK AND BREAST FEED...
99 Mother_what-a-day.indd 99
07/02/2007 15:58:13
“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.” Oscar Wilde
100 Mother_what-a-day.indd 100
07/02/2007 15:58:13
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY POWER AT LAST! NEXT!
CONTROL KIDS BY THREATENING TO CUT THEIR HAIR...
101 Mother_what-a-day.indd 101
07/02/2007 15:58:13
“In spite of the seven thousand books of expert advice, the right way to discipline a child is still a mystery to most fathers and... mothers. Only your grandmother and Ghengis Khan know how to do it.” Bill Cosby
102 Mother_what-a-day.indd 102
07/02/2007 15:58:13
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
YES... AND THE GLUE EFFECT APPARENTLY WEARS OFF AFTER 20 MINUTES...
CONTROLLING KIDS WHEN OUT SHOPPING...
103 Mother_what-a-day.indd 103
07/02/2007 15:58:14
“Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life.” Robert Byrne
104 Mother_what-a-day.indd 104
07/02/2007 15:58:14
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
PLACE ‘FALSE EYES’ UNDER THE BED AND INFORM THE KID THAT THE TROLL WILL GET HIM IF HE UPSETS THE BABYSITTER...
105 Mother_what-a-day.indd 105
07/02/2007 15:58:14
“All God’s children are not beautiful. Most of God’s children are, in fact, barely presentable.” Fran Lebowitz
106 Mother_what-a-day.indd 106
07/02/2007 15:58:14
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY AND IF YOU FUCKIN‛ SWEAR AGAIN, I‛LL CUT YOUR BOLLOCKS OFF!
DON’T OVERDO THE REPRIMAND.
107 Mother_what-a-day.indd 107
07/02/2007 15:58:14
“The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children.” Clarence Darrow
108 Mother_what-a-day.indd 108
07/02/2007 15:58:14
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY BORING OLD TROLL!
AND THEN HE FELL OVER...
ETIQUETTE... MAKE SURE THAT YOU LET PEOPLE THINK YOU’RE LAUGHING WITH THEM, NOT AT THEM.
109 Mother_what-a-day.indd 109
07/02/2007 15:58:15
SCHOOL DAYS SENDING THE KIDS TO SCHOOL CAN OFTEN GIVE MUM THE BREAK SHE SO BADLY NEEDS. HOWEVER, THIS BENEFIT IS OFTEN OVERSHADOWED BY EVEN MORE PROBLEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. AS WITH LIFE, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT MAKE COMPARISONS...
110 Mother_what-a-day.indd 110
07/02/2007 15:58:15
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY SO WHEN HE SAID, ‘SHALL WE PUT THE CAT OUT?‛, I DIDN‛T REALISE HE‛D SET FIRE TO IT.
YOU DISCOVER THAT IT’S NOT JUST YOU WHO HAS AN ARSEHOLE FOR A SON...
111 Mother_what-a-day.indd 111
07/02/2007 15:58:15
An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.
112 Mother_what-a-day.indd 112
07/02/2007 15:58:15
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY BET HIS SHIT DOESN‛T SMELL, EITHER.
OF COURSE JOHNNY LEAVES THIS TERM. HE‛S OFF TO UNI.
NOTHING LIKE THE SCHOOL GENIUS TO PISS YOU OFF...
113 Mother_what-a-day.indd 113
07/02/2007 15:58:15
Who’d be a mother when.. You end up doing things like counting the sprinkles on each child’s fairy cake to make sure they’re equal.
114 Mother_what-a-day.indd 114
07/02/2007 15:58:15
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY ...OF COURSE, POOR OLD RAY CAN ONLY LAST FOR FOUR HOURS THESE DAYS... RECKONS HE‛S GOING TO NEED VIAGRA.
WHEN A KID OUT-DOES YOURS, GET IN A LEVELLER.
115 Mother_what-a-day.indd 115
07/02/2007 15:58:15
Who’d be a mother when.. You have time to shave only one leg.
116 Mother_what-a-day.indd 116
07/02/2007 15:58:16
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
HILARY? NO! THAT‛S DEFINITELY NOT HILARY!
SO IS THAT YOUR LITTLE HILARY?
THE LITTLE SHIT...
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO DISOWN KIDS.
117 Mother_what-a-day.indd 117
07/02/2007 15:58:16
If you have trouble getting your children’s attention, just sit down and look comfortable.
118 Mother_what-a-day.indd 118
07/02/2007 15:58:16
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
HELLO, MRS JONES... SO HOW IS YOUR... LITTLE TROLL... ER... I MEAN TOBY...?
YOU’RE SO GLAD YOUR KID IS NEARLY NORMAL.
119 Mother_what-a-day.indd 119
07/02/2007 15:58:16
“Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.” Anon
120 Mother_what-a-day.indd 120
07/02/2007 15:58:16
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SO, JUNE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT JOHNNY‛S PARTICULARLY INTO THESE DAYS?
LET‛S JUST SAY HE TAKES AFTER HIS FATHER...
121 Mother_what-a-day.indd 121
07/02/2007 15:58:17
There are three ways to get things done: 1) Do it yourself 2) Hire someone to do it 3) Forbid your kids to do it
122 Mother_what-a-day.indd 122
07/02/2007 15:58:17
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SO, SUZ, YOU‛RE GOING TO HAVE TO STOP EATING... AND JOHNNY, YOU‛RE GOING ON THE RACK...
YOU FIND THAT THE PRACTICALITY OF ‘HAND-ME-DOWNS’ DOESN’T EXACTLY DO THE SIBLINGS ANY FAVOURS.
123 Mother_what-a-day.indd 123
07/02/2007 15:58:17
It is during the first week of the summer holidays that a mother totally appreciates how grossly underpaid teachers are.
124 Mother_what-a-day.indd 124
07/02/2007 15:58:17
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
WELL, THAT‛S OVER FOR SIX WEEKS. WHERE‛S MY MUM?
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ARE A FACT OF LIFE - THERE’S NO ESCAPE.
125 Mother_what-a-day.indd 125
07/02/2007 15:58:18
THEN THERE’S THE INEVITABLE SCHOOL PET SYNDROME, OFTEN REQUIRING TEMPORARY ADOPTION DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD. THERE IS A CASE, HOWEVER, FOR CERTAIN PETS...
126 Mother_what-a-day.indd 126
07/02/2007 15:58:18
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
A WELL-TRAINED LARGE DOG CAN BE AN ABSOLUTE BOON, TAKING THE KID TO SCHOOL.
127 Mother_what-a-day.indd 127
07/02/2007 15:58:18
“Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age.” William Feather
128 Mother_what-a-day.indd 128
07/02/2007 15:58:18
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
MUM! CAN I LOOK AFTER MONTY FOR THE HOLS? I‛M SURE THAT WILL BE FINE, DEAR...
129 Mother_what-a-day.indd 129
07/02/2007 15:58:18
“Childhood is a disease - a sickness that you grow out of.” William Golding
130 Mother_what-a-day.indd 130
07/02/2007 15:58:18
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
MUMMY! WHERE‛S THE BUNNY?
TEA‛S UP, DARLING.
131 Mother_what-a-day.indd 131
07/02/2007 15:58:19
There are only two things a child will share willingly: communicable diseases and their mother’s age.
132 Mother_what-a-day.indd 132
07/02/2007 15:58:19
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY I‛M SURE HE‛S JUST ASLEEP, LOVE...
YOU LEARN THAT EVEN A FART CAN KILL OFF A GERBIL.
133 Mother_what-a-day.indd 133
07/02/2007 15:58:19
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
DOC, YOU‛VE GOT TO HELP.. I‛M SUFFERING FROM THE RUNS.
NO PROBLEM. A COURSE OF IMODIUM WILL SORT IT OUT.
134 Mother_what-a-day.indd 134
07/02/2007 15:58:19
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
NO, DOC... IT‛S THE SCHOOL RUNS... I NEED PROZAC.
135 Mother_what-a-day.indd 135
07/02/2007 15:58:19
“The trouble with children is that they are not returnable.” Quentin Crisp
136 Mother_what-a-day.indd 136
07/02/2007 15:58:19
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
SO HE INSISTS ON HAVING A PACKED LUNCH EVERY DAY AND WON’T HAVE SCHOOL FOOD. SURPRISE HIM.
137 Mother_what-a-day.indd 137
07/02/2007 15:58:20
...AND SO FOR A MUM, LIFE GOES ON WITH THOSE LITTLE INCIDENTS THAT PUNCTUATE ONE’S EXISTENCE... NORMALLY LEAVING THE MUM IN QUESTION EVEN MORE PERPLEXED. YOU FIND THAT...
138 Mother_what-a-day.indd 138
07/02/2007 15:58:20
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
BLOODY HELL, JEN, DID YOU EVER SMELL ANYTHING LIKE THAT?!
WELL, HE‛S YOUR SON, YOU‛LL HAVE TO SORT IT OUT!
EVERY NOW AND THEN JUNIOR COMES UP WITH A DUMP THAT IS A HEALTH HAZARD.
139 Mother_what-a-day.indd 139
07/02/2007 15:58:20
“Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children.” George Bernard Shaw
140 Mother_what-a-day.indd 140
07/02/2007 15:58:20
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
MUM! CAN I KILL THE CAT?
YOU ARE WOKEN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THEN REALISE THAT LAST NIGHT’S FROLICS COULD RESULT IN ANOTHER WONDERFUL BUNDLE OF JOY...
141 Mother_what-a-day.indd 141
07/02/2007 15:58:20
“Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying.” Fran Lebowitz
142 Mother_what-a-day.indd 142
07/02/2007 15:58:20
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
YOU GET THAT FROM YOUR FATHER‛S SIDE...
MUM! THE BOYS KEEP PICKIN‛ ON ME ‘COS I‛M SO SMALL...
MUM! WHY AM I SO FAT?
NATURE TAKES THE PISS SOMETIMES... THE BEST EXAMPLE IS WHEN A BODY SWAP IS THE SOLUTION.
143 Mother_what-a-day.indd 143
07/02/2007 15:58:21
“There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters.” Alice Thomas Ellis
144 Mother_what-a-day.indd 144
07/02/2007 15:58:21
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY THAT‛S IT! NO MORE CURRIES!
YOUR HUSBAND IS COMPETING WITH THE KIDS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO SKID MARKS.
145 Mother_what-a-day.indd 145
07/02/2007 15:58:21
Hearsay: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word.
146 Mother_what-a-day.indd 146
07/02/2007 15:58:21
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY NOW, CAN YOU ABSOLUTELY ASSURE DADDY AND MUMMY THAT THERE ARE NO LEPERS AT SCHOOL?
IF THERE’S A DISEASE OUT THERE, YOUR KIDS WILL FIND IT...
147 Mother_what-a-day.indd 147
07/02/2007 15:58:21
“Madam, there’s no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.” W.C. Fields
148 Mother_what-a-day.indd 148
07/02/2007 15:58:21
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
AT LEAST I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET UP WITH YOUR FAMILY, GO TO THE FRIDGE...
149 Mother_what-a-day.indd 149
07/02/2007 15:58:22
Woman pre-children: Thankful for holistic medicine and natural herbs. Woman post-children: Thankful for pediatric cough syrup guaranteed to ‘cause drowsiness’ in young children.
150 Mother_what-a-day.indd 150
07/02/2007 15:58:22
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
BRINGING UP KIDS AND HOUSEWORK IS THE ONLY CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD...
151 Mother_what-a-day.indd 151
07/02/2007 15:58:22
Avenge yourself: Live long enough to be a problem to your children.
152 Mother_what-a-day.indd 152
07/02/2007 15:58:22
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
HELLO, DARLING! THESE NICE YOUNG MEN HAVE COME TO TAKE ME AWAY...
YOU‛LL FIND THE KIDS IN THE AIRING CUPBOARD, SIR...
153 Mother_what-a-day.indd 153
07/02/2007 15:58:23
Other books by Bob Gibbs
154 Mother_what-a-day.indd 154
07/02/2007 15:58:23
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
ISBN 1-905102-39-9 £4.99
155 Mother_what-a-day.indd 155
07/02/2007 15:58:23
ISBN 1-905102-81-X £4.99
156 Mother_what-a-day.indd 156
07/02/2007 15:58:23
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
ISBN 1-905102-82-8 £4.99
157 Mother_what-a-day.indd 157
07/02/2007 15:58:23
ISBN 1-905102-80-1 £4.99
158 Mother_what-a-day.indd 158
07/02/2007 15:58:24
MOTHER...WHAT A DAY
www.crombiejardine.com
159 Mother_what-a-day.indd 159
07/02/2007 15:58:24
Mother_what-a-day.indd 160
07/02/2007 15:58:24