the lows and the highs...

So today I was tired... I was hot... The novelty of this CEO business is wearing off to reveal a lot of really hard work that I have to actually do... I'm in a foreign country without any support or help... and today the child really started to bug me... she threw tantrums in the shops, she hid from me in the supermarket, she demanded treats, she ran into people with her mini shopping cart, she grabbed things from the shelves and refused to put them back, she refused to get in her car seat, she argued about everrrrryyyyttthhhing... and yes, mummy got cranky... picture me standing in the supermarket in a country famed for deep christian values and for loving children, gripping a recalcitrant wrist and fuming "Jesus Christ Child, you are driving me mad!"  I don't think it went down well...

But then this evening as I was putting her to bed I was so tired that I lay down with her for a while... and she was deeply concerned... "Mummy, are you tired?" and started stroking my face gently... and then she threw her arms around me and nuzzled in and exclaimed "Mummy, I love you!... You are my best friend"... and went on to repeat that, interspersed with more cuddles and gentle strokes, about a dozen times... What a treat to end the day with - better than chocolate!