About 4:30 this morning, I stood shivering at the back door while Daisy drank more water than is decent for a dog her size, snorted for about a minute (in that weird, hacking, snorty way that Cavaliers do), and went off for a jaunt to find the perfect spot to relieve herself in the back yard. Meanwhile, Maisie Mouse was having a good yell because I was not cooperating with her. She was quite insistent that it was time for a cuddle and perhaps a little light refreshment (she's quite partial to a midnight breastfeed at the moment, as she is teething), and I was having none of it, so the cries of indignation were loud and persistent. Jack was snoring like a chainsaw on 'roids, Phoebe was mumbling in her sleep, and Daddy? Well, Daddy was so fast asleep that even the cacophony of noise in our house could not penetrate his slumber...
Being the school holidays, I would normally have shrugged off the terrible night and had a little kip this afternoon (Let me just define 'little kip': a period of time spent sitting on the couch of approximately 15 minutes, with a baby on the boob, a toddler wedged next to me, and a Christmas DVD on the box that I have seen 15 times already - not the most restorative moment, but a 'rest', nevertheless!!). Today, however, we were off to the city to attend Truncle's office Christmas party, which was terribly exciting because this year the theme was 'Superheroes'!!!! Jack was all geared up to go dressed as Batman, and Phoebalina had already donned a second personality known as Supergirl (although she occasionally forgot this and thought she was Batman too...) So there was no nanna nap on the horizon for Mummy today!
We walked through the CBD early this morning, Maisie Mouse and Phoebalicious in the double pram, and Jack running alongside. It was astonishing the number of people who openly laughed at Jack in his baggy Batman suit - nearly every person we passed in rush-hour commuter foot-traffic smiled or giggled at our boy in delight. Some even stopped us and asked where we were off to, and wished us a lovely day! I must admit, Jack is a bit on the skinny side at the moment and the suit is still waaaaay too big for him, so his rolled-up sleeves and droopy drawers did look funny - but he was just so rapturously happy to be Batman, he was infectious.
Phoebs was dressed in Jack's old Superman suit (so beloved it is threadbare now!), and I had put her hair up into two little pigtails. Jack took one look this morning at her hair and exclaimed, "Hey! It's Super Shrek!" Poor Phoebs. Anyway, she too looked adorable, and drew many admiring glances from passers-by. It felt really nice to be making people smile at they passed us, and it was a happy little group who made their way to the party.
We had an incredible time with Truncle, watching a magic show and some super hero performers, and getting the kids' faces painted (Batman and a butterfly, of course!). Maisie had a lovely time rolling on the floor in various rooms and picking up bits of cotton and interesting fluff. After lunch and a rather hysterical visit from Santa, we took three very happy and rather hyperactive children back to the streets of Melbourne to grab a coffee before the drive home. Phoebe was asleep in the pram before you could say "Australia on Collins", Maisie gnawed on a rusk and offered it to complete strangers in a very charming manner, and Batman ran, and then walked, and then drooped...and then got piggybacked by Mummy.
Today was long, (for some more than others!), and busy, and noisy, and sticky. And oh, so much fun. Simply by having our kids dressed in costume we spoke to more strangers today than I probably would in a year, and all of them had a smile on their faces (except the hatchet-faced woman in the glass lift - seriously would it hurt you to smile at a three year old?) Our kids were approached by so many lovely people today, wishing them a happy Christmas, and asking where they were going. Jack was congratulated by three individual men for keeping the city safe - and he was as proud as punch!! It was a beautiful, happy day, and I feel like our Christmas has begun. Never mind that the kids were nightmares to get into bed tonight (except Miss Mouse, who fell asleep on the floor!), this is a day that Batman and Super Shrek will remember - and I think (and hope) the memory of seeing my little tribe of superheroes might make a few people smile for a little while yet! Eight sleeps to go!
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