By Fiona Brown
No, this isn’t reference to some wild swinging party, it’s more like the nursery rhyme! Ah, the sweet joys of children and waking up clinging to the side of the bed by your toes and fingers while the little angels sleep soundly spread eagled across the mattress!
Don’t get me wrong, I love my children; I have three (9, 6 and 3 years old), they are the centre of my universe I just wish they weren’t also the centre of my bed! Maybe I should have been harder on them when they were growing up, firmly putting them back to their own beds when they strayed into ours but there is nothing more comforting than spooning your little one, sniffing their heads, whilst they slobber on your forearm in deepest slumber. Or maybe its because by the time I’ve crashed into bed I’m too exhausted to notice a little visitor creeping in.
There are times however when I battle against my maternal instinct and yearn for some alone time with my other half. It’s not that I want to jump his bones (not every night anyway), but it would be lovely to wake up cuddled in his arms, without a small head bunting their way between us. I mean sex as a parent is a luxury isn’t it? By the time you’ve lit the candles, put on the soft music and lights and started cuddling you’ve fallen asleep with parenting exhaustion, either that or the thought of foreplay is a luxury incase one of the little darlings interrupts a tender moment! And if by some miracle the children are away for the night you go wild with freedom, accidentally celebrate with too much wine and crash into bed if you have managed to crawl up the stairs. Or maybe that’s just me!
All that aside, it’s Valentine’s night coming up. The time for lovers, for Eros and Cupid to rule the roost instead of Peppa & George Pig. So how are you going to mark the occasion? A dear friend once gave me a valuable piece of advice, make time for your partner at least once a week, date nights are essential to keeping the spark alive (but she didn’t have children then so I wonder what she would say now) Maybe we should make an effort at least a few times a year. I’m not sure I could squeeze into sexy lingerie, by the time my better half had peeled me out of my M&S spandex he would have broken his fingers anyway (who needs S&M when you have thick elastic waisties!).
If you are looking for an idea, how about this? I’m about to present a new TV show (A Surprise in Store in which I act as a kind of fairy godmother making dreams come true). We launch with a Valentine’s special (filming Sunday 5th February, airing on the 14th), giving a lucky couple the change to celebrate in style at the stunning setting of Carlton Towers. Whilst one of them enjoys a culinary masterclass with a TV chef, the other will be treated to a champagne indulgence pamper package. The lovers then dine in the Duchess’s dining room before a night of romance at the Valentine’s ball. Sounds fun doesn’t it? Made In Leeds are looking for the lucky couple so if this is something you fancy doing then enter online at Madeinleeds.tv (closing date noon Wednesday 1st February).
What a Valentine’s to remember eh! Well however you celebrate it, I hope you have fun! Just remember that if the little ones are screaming “I don’t want to go to bed”, you don’t inadvertently yell back “Well I do!”