Kirsty' blog: For the girl who has everything

With a busy job and a daughter going through the terrible twos, Kirsty has had to become an expert at multi-tasking. Read her light hearted blog on how she juggles work and home life

We have been slowly but surely gearing up for Christmas.  As Carmel gets older it really does get more fun.  It hasn’t gone that well so far. Her long awaited (and rather over hyped by me) advent calendar sadly got lost (or stolen) in the post along with some early presents from her nana. 

I sent Pete out with Carmel to choose one when we realised on the third day that it hadn’t arrived but they had all sold out.  Carmel saw this with her own eyes and hasn’t mentioned it since.  I bet she thinks I made the whole thing up.

Then there’s the letter to Santa.  Carmel decorated it thoroughly with stamps, stickers and drawings and spent a great deal of time on it.  Carmel has asked Santa for a stretcher.  I thought at first she had just got her words mixed up. 

When I tried to clarify I was told clearly, and in no uncertain terms that she wanted a stretcher, full size like they use: “To carry them off to the ambulance.”  I tried to convince her to get one for play people and asked what on earth she was going to do with it.  “You and daddy can carry me around on it when I’m tired.”  Now, I know I gave up on the pushchair quite early as she refused to get in to it and could manage Houdini-esque escapes, if I did leave her sitting in it for any length of time (like 30 seconds). This is madness.  Where do we get one from anyway? 

She’s adamant and if I want to keep the magic of Santa alive for another year I better get one or think of something fast.  Perhaps Santa couldn’t read my writing or his letter got lost in the post, like your advent calendar – I have thought of most ways out but everyone else seems to think I have to come up with the goods.

My mum has got involved now by suggesting deckchair material and broomsticks and apparently she knows someone who’s nifty with a sewing machine – all very well but I am not relishing the idea of marching around the house, garden and streets with Carmel laid out on a stretcher – surely we’ll have social services knocking on our door. 

When I finally sat to write the letter for her,  I said, “What if Santa can get you a stretcher and you don’t like it? Are you sure you don’t want something more fun, something you can play with your friends or dress up in or use on your own?”  So she replied....”Mmm, OK if I can’t get a stretcher can I have a real skeleton?  A big one, big as you mummy?” 

So a stretcher it is then.  Where the hell do I buy deckchair material?