Motherhood and papple pie (as Mikey used to call it)!

Imagine how much more difficult motherhood would be without:
1. Aunties who'll spend hours entertaining them without ever complaining at having to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the 100th time - Michael's Auntie plays a great game of "plates" with him every time she visits!
2. sudocrem (and the stuff lasts for ever - I'm still on the same jar that I bought after Michael was born 4 and half years ago)
3. annusol plus (sorry about that one but babies aren't the only things to emerge during labour you know - mine are getting better now thanks - but it's taken well over a year and I don't think we'll ever have a totally level playing field again). I hear TMI sirens sounding...!
4. CBeebies (come on - be honest...)
5. the controlled crying technique (after 11 months of v. little sleep it had to be done)
6. breadsticks and rice cakes (esp. when shopping or awaiting food in a restaurant)
7. electric blenders (how did our grandmothers do it...?)
8. tumble dryer (my grandmother had 4 children in a two bedroom house - I think I'd have put myself throught he mangle...)
9. dishwasher (...and her husband was away at war for five years; hey and there were no bananas - how do you do pregnancy without bananas)??
10. friends, friends, friends ...
...me:"boo hoo I'm a TERRIBLE mum,"
friend:"no you're not Ruth - look, they're both fed, watered and dressed and they're sooo happy"
me:"happy? listen to Michael shouting at Isabel,"
friend:"ah but she's ok - look how she stands up for herself against him - look at her with that lego - she's got a good aim..... ouch"