NotSheep

When I read the quiz-thingy below and saved-it-for-later a couple of days ago, I thought it was probably about right. After today, I’m not so sure. Today I have five children, none of whom wants to cooperate in even a minor way, two of whom are sleep-deprived as a result of staying up chattering half the night (and in the case of one of them, starting off sleep-deprived after Cub Camp anyway), and all of whom seem capable and willing to trash the house, given any opportunity^* to do so.

*Any opportunity = the time during which mother is using the bathroom (for any purpose), answering the door, on the phone, or otherwise engaged.

What’s your motherstyle (on a good day)?

Your type is: infp: The ‘Tuned In’ Mother “Inside our children, I believe, is a truth that tells them what’s best for them. I am always listening for that truth.” * Aware, astute, and understanding, the INFP mother is sensitive to her child’s needs, feelings, and perceptions. By observing and listening to the cues of the whole child, she is ‘tuned in’ and naturally develops an intuitive feel for what he or she needs. Responsive and helpful as well, she tends patiently to those needs as they arise. * The INFP mother is comfortable letting her children follow their own course of development and make their own choices. She offers encouragement and uses her insights to head off trouble and difficult issues. * The INFP mother takes vicarious pleasure giving her children good experiences and watching them enjoy childhood. She’s happiest creating pleasant, memorable times for the whole family.

This would probably all be much closer to the truth if I wasn’t sleep-deprived myself. The shooting pains in my ear keep me awake. The lack of sleep gives me a headache. The headache makes me clench my jaw more than ever. Clenching my jaw makes the shooting pains worse. And so it goes.

On the up-side, I spoke to the hospital paed today. He phoned because wanted me to take Toby in to be weighed tomorrow. This would involve Scratchy taking time off work, driving through traffic with a probably-crying baby and four other children for an hour, waiting in a line of cars for between 20 and 40 minutes as one car was admitted to the car-park each time one car left, keeping all children entertained whilst waiting for a staff member to be available for one-point-three minutes, then driving everyone home again…and so is not going to happen. I’ll see if I can get him weighed somewhere locally instead. To get back to the point (and the previously-mentioned up-side), however, all the tests that have so far been done have shown absolutely normal results. While this leaves us no further along in working out why he’s so small, it’s still reassuring. I think.

Cubs and Scouts for George and Barney this evening - George came home with a certificate for having got through the District Challenge last weekend, and a note about a sports event on Friday night. Nice to get lots of notice of these things. Looks like I get to do my being-in-two-different-towns-at-one-time act again on Friday then.