Mummy Bloggers get together

I've got the blues today. The sort of blues you get when you return home from a holiday where you've had a great time and realise that your house and your life are not quite as interesting as they'd been before. I'm on a post British Mummy Bloggers get together downer. It's all over. It just kind of came and went too quickly and now all I can do is sit in front of the computer clicking on my blog list to see who else has written a post about the event. Ok, I lie a little. I have had a rather busy day, but sitting clicking on my blog list is what I'd much rather be doing.

But, seriously, it was great. I was too tired to write a post last night, but realised this morning that I had, in fact, dreamt about everyone in my sleep. I was tempted to base this post on the dream...but I didn't want to lose friends so soon after making them. Hee hee.

One of the best things about yesterday, other than meeting so many virtual friends in the flesh, was the fact that I somehow managed to bring only one child, thus resulting in an almost-relaxed day. I had originally planned to leave Edie (the two and a half year old) at home with my husband, but true to form he had had to work, so I was left with a trip to London, two fairly small children and a slight dilemma. How on earth was I going to manage it on my own? Well, thankfully I didn't have to put that to the test because a wonderful friend offered to look after Edie for the whole day (poor thing - when I eventually arrived to collect her, Edie was in the kitchen stirring cake mixture, mess everywhere, having just had a shower because she'd decided to do a poo in her pants...I could have put money on that happening). And when I saw the venue of the Blogging meet-up - The Rainforest Cafe with its vast underground caverns, hiding places and potential mishief-making corners, I was pitifully relieved to have left Edie behind.

It's rare that I spend time with Renée on her own and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to. A bus ride from home along the cliff edge commenting on the flight of the seagulls, a train ride into Victoria, complete with a whole hour of colouring, followed by another bus ride through the centre of London, rounded off with an entrance into the cafe of soft toys, rubber snakes, an aquarium of tropical fish, a meal of pizza and ice cream, a rainforest goody bag and a whole host of playmates. For an almost 5 year old it was bliss. For her Mummy, it was possibly even better.

But the reason for making the journey to London, was, of course, to meet a handful of my fellow bloggers...none of whom I had ever met in the flesh, but most of whom I feel like I know almost as well as 'real' friends. I know that Sparx who writes Notes From Inside my Head has a little boy with chickenpox and is currently bribing him to use the potty with promises of chocolate (note to self...bribe with chocolate). I know that Tasha or Coding Mama from WAHM-BAM is pregnant with her second girl and suffers from SPD, like me. I know that Metropolitan Mum has recently given birth to Little L and I was dying to see her. I know that Peggy from Perfectly Happy Mum has not been feeling so pefectly happy recently, although judging by her wonderfully smiley face, she's feeling much better now. I know that Amy at And 1 More means 4 has 4 girls all under the age of 4 and had travelled down from Manchester for the meet-up. I know that Zoo Archaeologist at Being a Mummy is also having potty issues and that her husband, DaddaCool has recently started writing a blog too. I know that Melissa at More to Life Than Laundry is planning on sailing around the world next year in the Clipper Round The World Race and I know that Surprised Zoe missed out on the Isle of Wight Festival for the first time (but chose to come to the meet-up instead).

And the great thing about knowing all these little pieces of information is that you can cut the small talk - because you know what they do/how many children they have/where they live/what they like and instead you can get straight to the more important issues...so how exactly did you cope when you woke up to find your son trying to re-inact his baby breastfeeding moments? Sorry Potty Mummy - I know you won't mind!

So it felt easy to talk to these people - people with whom I know I already have so much in common with. The only downside is that it wasn't long enough. I wanted to talk to everyone and I nearly managed it...apologies if I didn't (Noble Savage, Alpha Mummy, Boozlebox, London Baby and Charlene from Thames Valley Mums). Please let's do it again soon.

Thanks so much to Susanna at A Modern Mother who is the pioneer of British Mummy Blogging. If it wasn't for you finding my blog one day then I probably would have floundered after a month. And thanks also to Amy and Silver Cross for organising the event. I hadn't realised until a friend had mentioned it the week before, but Silver Cross are the manufacturers of the original old-school blue prams (remember Wendy Craig in 'Nanny'? - I do) and so have been around for years. But they've re-launched with new and contemporary pushchairs and gave us all a fantastic demonstration (despite having to stop half-way through for the virtual thunderstorm). I was a little disappointed that my children are just about out of pushchairs...otherwise I would have been tempted - especially when I saw the size to which they shrunk once folded up. Apparently they are small enough to fit into the back of a Mini. No room for the children perhaps, but at least the pushchair will fit!

But thanks to everyone - I genuinely enjoyed meeting you all and thanks to Nixdminx's MiniMinx, Susanna's 3 gorgeous girls, all in matching outfits, and Part Mummy, Part Me's little Ella, Renée was kept entertained the whole time. I'm sorry (for Edie) that she missed out, but I'm sure it would have been a different kind of post entirely had she have come...