After all the hype and build up to the birth of the twinions, I distinctly remember Mr Surfer and I looking at each other completely baffled as if to say, “So…what the fark now?”
Tell me which new parent hasn’t had the same look?
But you know for us, having two in one hit – as it were – added that extra pressure of ramping up the responsibilities and duties of a parent.
We were so clueless, we left it completely to the midwives at the NICU to direct us.
Breastfeeding, nappy changing, swaddling, bathing. Those midwives were like the Michelle Bridges and the Commandos of antenatal care. Strict, firm, giving instructions with an iron fist.
After 16 days of parenting boot camp, we were finally able to take the boys home.
We thought we had it down pat. In fact, dare I say, to the point of being cocky.
Tandem twin breastfeeding on little or zero sleep? Not. A. Problem.
Didn’t take long for reality to sink in, though.
Thus, the blunders began. And oh my, there were some beauties.
Anna Funder is an accomplished author and award-winning novelist. I haven’t read a single one of her books and truth be told, probably never will.
But she is a mother who has a hilarious childhood story about her own.
Camping in Yosemite National Park with family, she desperately needed to go to the toilet situated deep in the woods. As her breastfeeding mum was kinda tied up with her little baby brother, she instead gave Anna instructions on how to get there.
Adamant there was a bear down there, Anna didn’t want to go on her own.
But her mum persisted, telling her there was no such creature.
Until an irate adult brought Anna back, wondering who was the irresponsible parent who kept sending their 6 year old to the shower blocks alone?
There was a BEAR down there!!!
This story made Anna come up with the most awesome Mama Mantra I’ve discovered since entering this crazy gig called parenting:
“I tried my best, it wasn’t enough but it could’ve been worse”
So, I’ve thought about mine.
For all the times I’ve clipped the inside of my boys’ legs with their seat belt or almost scalded their mouths with overheated expressed breast milk and for all the future faux pas awaiting ahead:
“I WILL survive this. And one day, I’ll even laugh about it”
What’s your mantra? What’s been one of your epic parenting blunders?
Did your mum make you go down to the toilets when there was a bear down there?
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Bear or not, I wouldn’t like to go to the toilet block in the woods by myself at this ripe old age!
Anyways, I guess we all do make mistakes. I make plenty but as you said, I am doing my best and that is all I can do.
Becc recently posted..Bliss List
You’ve done an awesome job so far Grace, well done 🙂
Deb – An Inspirational Journey recently posted..My weight gain. My fault.
I take my hat off to anyone that has more than one child at a time! You Supermum you!. Great pics. Mmmm hadn’t thought about a mantra for parenting yes? Could I use yours? 😉
Neets recently posted..Have You Checked Your Breasts Lately?
I love this “I tried my best, it wasn’t enough but it could’ve been worse” & will run with it. That photo of you all underwater is really lovely!
Lydia C. Lee recently posted..For your consideration.
I’ve not really thought about my Mumma mantra. Although, both mentioned above seem very fitting in my situation. I love that shot of Daddy and the babes. That look is very familiar. X
Bec | Mumma Tells recently posted..Glowing. Like Only a Pregnant Mumma Can.
Those photos are priceless. You look like a family that has a hell of a lot of fun. I don’t have a mantra as such, but when times are bad I tell myself that there’s probably a million other people out there in the same boat and doing just as stupid things as me, such as letting your toddler play with your car keys and then forgetting she has them when you close the door to the car and hear her lock herself inside. Ahhh good times :/
Renee at Mummy, Wife, Me recently posted..Cake wars
hahahah that is a great story, and 2 great mantras! I love those pics, especially the under water one! Hmm, I think my mantra since having Nick has been “Enjoy it, because it goes too quickly.” I’ll let him sleep with me, give him all the cuddles in the world that he’ll let me, and I won’t feel guilty about spoiling him because one day he’ll be all grown up and it won’t be the same. x
Aroha @ Colours of Sunset recently posted..Something You Wouldn’t Know
Having twins would have been full on, but fun too. We all have crazy moments hey? One of the burning memories in my mind was when Esther was a baby. We would put her in a sleeping bag. One night she just would not settle to go to sleep and hubby and I could not work out what the problem was. Checked the nappy, offered more milk, offered the dummy and her bunny and still we couldn’t work out what was causing all the tears. And then Jacob checked her sleeping bag and realized her feet were pushing the ends. I put her in a bigger sleeping bag and she went straight to sleep. You learn on the job when you’re a parent.
Bec @ The Plumbette recently posted..Five Toilet Aim Styles
What’s the worst thing that could happen?? That is what I try and think now but I didn’t when my first was born! I bet it was hectic in those early days but as they grow they’ll be perfect to keep each other amused, in trouble and you busy! I would have probably sent my child to the toilet – but would have made sure there was no bear first 🙂 Those pics are gorgeous, love the swimming one xx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me recently posted..It’s my blog’s 1st birthday and it wants to give YOU a present!
Oh yes I can totally relate to the clipping them with the seat belt! I feel awful about it! My mantra is kinda the same – no harm, no foul… as long as we are all alive we are doing good! Pays to have low expectations to beat when you are doing this parenting gig! Have a great weekend!
Shelley @ Money Mummy recently posted..10 Ways To Save On Your Children’s Christmas Presents
You just reminded me of the time I clipped Dex’s chin in his bike helmet!
I take my hat off to parents of multiples. Seriously. I think two at different ages is tough too but two the same age is a whole other world of pain.
I don’t know if I have a mantra, except maybe ‘Tomorrow is a new day’ for the especially bad days!
You’re a wonderful mama, Mama G.
Mrs Holsby recently posted..Ordinary People
Great pics! I’ve never really thought about having a mantra as such….but when I think about “those” situations, I guess I just say to myself “just get through it!” As long as we’re all in one piece, we’re doing well 🙂 Hats off to anyone who survives twinions!!! I barely handle one…!
Katie (@mumabytes) recently posted..Would Anne Shirley have an iPhone?
Grace, last night sitting a mere metre away from me, I found my baby girl sucking on a DS charger connected to the wall and LIVE! I nearly hit the roof!!! I spent a good 18 months campaigning my kids to be extremely careful with electrical cables as we were expecting / had a baby in the house. I felt like the biggest failure to see my baby so close to such extreme danger!
There’s my latest parenting fail for you! Feeling pretty crappy about it today too!!! 🙁
Love the pics!
Jody at Six Little Hearts recently posted..Introducing…The Scentsy Experience…
My mantra is “somethings good enough is exactly that.”
Love that pic of you lot in the pool! Might attempt a recreation myself. 🙂
Amanda @ Cooker and a Looker recently posted..the c word – Breast Cancer Awareness Month
I love your mantra. Hmmm, what’s mine? Always try your hardest and make decisions based on love. Boring I know 🙂 I love all the photos. Rachel xx
Rachel from Redcliffe Style recently posted..TMI! The problem with Underwear
That top photo is priceless!!!
And that story is crying out for a Play School theme song rewrite. x
Emily recently posted..Neighbours: the good, the bad and the thoughtless
My mummy mantra has got to be ‘this too shall pass’. And this morning after being up with my toddler (not a newborn, a *toddler*) for 3 hours during the night I’m clinging to that – and hopefully this particular stage passes quickly!
I’ve written about the things I’ve learned about parenting twins today, I’m sure you’ll relate!
Emma @ Five Degrees of Chaos recently posted..Tips from the trenches: the twin mama edition
I’m always saying to myself, “this is just a season” but I call the baby years my time of ‘monotonous chaos’. Always the same but you are never quite on top of it! You look like you have done an amazing job with your boys, they are cuties!
Kate recently posted..Friday Five: Emotional Eating
You have done amazing with two tiny little boys to care for.
My mantra is just be calm calm calm. 🙂
Sarah@SnippetsandSpirits recently posted..Indian Ocean Migration
What an empowering mantra, whenever it feels like crazy madness and maybe the kids have gone stir crazy I take myself off and remind myself just how lucky I am to have these little people and one day they will be all grown up and I will miss these days XX
Author Bek Mugridge (@bekmugridge) recently posted..Family Movie Nights & Vege Spaghetti and Meatballs
Glad we aren’t the only ones who clipped the inside of their kids’ legs with the car seat / stroller belts! I guess one of our biggest blunders was having Lil Pumpkin tumble over her crib side onto the floor! Ouch!
Ai Sakura recently posted..Go Local :: The Japanese Cemetery Park {日本人墓地公園}
My parenting mantra is: This too shall pass. And even though my kids are 19 & nearly 17, I’ve said it quite a bit this week!!!!
Janet @ Redland City Living recently posted..Tips for Recovering from Redundancy
‘Everything changes all the time’ really helps me… and I have been known to repeat… ‘ if only one of us is gonna survive this… it’s going to be me!’ Not at my finest moments…. That underwater photo is really remarkable Grace, can you do a whole post about when and how and why of that???
Seana – Sydney, Kids, Food + Travel recently posted..Macquarie Flyer Home Loan – Where Can My Mortgage Fly Me To?
OMG twin boys are so much fun! Mine have caused so much havoc. We threw a party when they turned five to celebrate the fact they were still alive and we had made it to school. My neighbour knocked on my door once to ask if I knew that my son was on the roof of the house! He was eighteen months old and had climbed the ladder dad left there. Needless to say I did not even know he was outside. When we moved the same neighbour handed me a bucket of keys, jewellery and small toys, all things that had gone missing over the year. My boys had apparently had great fun tossing things over the fence into her pool 🙂 You will have so many stories to tell and just as many headaches to go with them. Love it, keep sharing.
Tanya floodproofmum recently posted..Flood-Proof Friday – Get Ready for Disaster
Oh I love the underwater shot!
Our saying is “We can do the hard things”. (The ‘the’ was added by JJ somewhere along the line and has kind of stuck.) I also regularly check in with Mr Banya, asking “Are we ok?”
Sorry to be linking up a crafty post – it was either that or not link u[ at all. I find I’ve been doing less and less mum blog type posts which are better suited to your audience. Its not an intentional shift, just the way our life is ebbing and flowing at the moment… Having said that I want to write letters to the girls this weekend so hopefully I’ll have one of those to link up next week. 🙂
Danya Banya recently posted..Easy DIY Play Binoculars
My mantra tends to be: No matter what you do or fail to do, they will eventually grow up and be functioning adults. Of course, this mantra only works if you’re a well-meaning non-psychopath but I like to think that is me! Still, I try not to sweat the small stuff!
Emily recently posted..Craft Time!
I love your bear story! Poor parents, we are great at guilt tripping them aren’t we! Still, it will come back to bite us when our kids start doing it to us!
Emily recently posted..Nursery Rhymes: Origins – Rock A Bye, Baby
I don’t know how I’d manage with twinnies – you’re amazing! I don’t really have a mantra…
I’m finally linking up in what seems like forever. I have so much catching up to do in blog land. Hope you’re well xx
Francesca recently posted..Our Forever House
I think I have 2 mantras… This too shall pass and Trust Your Gut, both of which I say to my self on a very regular basis! Those pics are beautiful! I reckon you’re doing a great job Grace.
And you should read Stasiland by Funder, I think you’d like it, it’s a fascinating book and so much better than I ever though it would be. It’s non-fiction.
Kylez @ A Study in Contradictions recently posted..My Top 5… Celebrity Crushes
Love your pics Grace and the bear story! For the mantra, I don’t actually have one. I can’t think of an epic parenting blunder off the top of my head 🙂 Not recognising when my child was tired and taking her to the shops resulting in a huge hissyfit wasn’t one of my smartest moves 🙂
This is great Grace – and you do so well with the twin juggle. I love that underwater pic too. As for mantras, for today at least mine is: ‘Just get through today, and tomorrow might be better’. Here’s hoping.
Kathy recently posted..Cooking gratitude – what does it taste like to you?
Great Mantra Grace! love the bear story. And I especially love love love that first you posted of the twins with Dad – priceless. Lately my mantra is “hold onto every moment” gosh they grow up so fast!
Grace, I love the bear story! And I’m definitely stealing both of those mantras.
Your photos are gorgeous.
PS, hoping you got my email this week, not sure what’s happening with it. xx
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen recently posted..World Teachers’ Week
Hey Lisa! I did get your email! Will reply over the weekend! Thanks, lovely xxx
All good honey, have been losing lots of emails lately. Just when you get around to it 🙂
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen recently posted..World Teachers’ Week
Oh my gosh that first pic is PRICELESS! Does that look leave Mr Surfer’s face often (when he’s awake)? Well done you two and thank goodness you’re not outnumbered! x
Twitchy recently posted..Four Favourite Comedy Songs (NSFW)
Did we all look as tired as Mr. Surfer (with the two on the couch)? Damn!
Nami recently posted..Zuke, I Am Your Grandfather
As a fairly relaxed parent my mantra would be somewhat similar. Or something like “do you best to uphold the values that are inportant to you, and just keep winging it and see what happens ”
Martine@themodernparent recently posted..Adolescents, Cavemen and the Teenage Brain
My mantra with my son has been, CC – calm and consistent. Many a night as I was in tears rocking him in my arms I just repeated these two words over and over and over again.
So far we have survived, he is 9 months old.
Sam Stone @ A Life on Venus recently posted..The stress test
What a great post, the photos are fantastic! My Mummy Mantra changes depending on how my day is going! Lately it has been ‘it can’t get any worse’!
Lauren @ Createbakemake recently posted..Blueberry and Carob Muffins
How did I forget to comment on this!
Parenting Mantra; not sure I have one. Unless you count ‘this too shall pass….” 😉
EssentiallyJess recently posted..Thinking about Pizza
Mantras! I’m full of them!
Your twinlets are just gorgeous. Love these pics… X
Robomum recently posted..Make Me Laugh
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