It was a tough day at the mumma office yesterday and as I write this in the early hours before Bubba wakes up, I’m willing her to be in a much better state today.

I didn’t sleep very well on Friday night – seems I don’t sleep unless all of my loves are under the one roof, and with Bubba having her sleep over, I had a very restless night (although I did have a lovely dinner out and a couple of glasses of very nice wine)!

I picked Bubba up and she started screaming and planking and octopus wrestling me over getting into her car seat. It took 10 minutes, lots of tears and two full removals from the car for cuddles and calming down before we got there. And then she screamed the whole way to the farmer’s market. In reality, it was a 9 minute drive, but it felt like eternity. As for keeping her quiet with the num num? No dice mumma! I handed it to her then she threw it across the other side of the car and pointed at it and cried, all the while me talking to her, explaining that I can’t stop the car every time she throws something then decides she wants it back.

We made it about half way around the farmer’s market before her screaming and the associated stares from people sent me back to the car. Without most of the things we need so she may well be eating cheese sandwiches for lunch every day this week. Which is very unlike me as you know!

Then the fun really started. An epic wrestling battle ensued trying to get her into the car. For a very small person, she has the strength of a dinosaur! And it feels like as many limbs as an octopus. And this time she won.

Except she didn’t win. What she did do was evade my grip and face plant the gutter. My heart stopped briefly as the moment suspended in time and I watched her hit the door with her shoulder on the way down then nose plant the edge of the gutter.

By some minor miracle, she only managed this cut and egg on her forehead, a scraped nose and a scratch down the base of her cheek. How she didn’t dislocate her shoulder and break her nose is beyond me. Some days I think toddlers are made of rubber.

I said a quick thank you to our guardian angel, and to the pile of leaves that were laying in the gutter – without both, I’m sure things would have been a lot worse.

I’d like to tell you that the day got better from there, but it didn’t. With the exception of the 40 minutes she slept (about 2 hours less than she normally does in a day) and another hour or so of happiness, the rest of the day was spent in a state of crying/screaming/whinging (the worst!) and generally either clinging to me and fighting to get down, or being put down and crying to be picked up.

A big walk to the store didn’t help (more fighting to be strapped in – this time in the pram) and even a trip to the park didn’t do much for her demeanour. Cuddles and love didn’t seem to help, other than the occasional Bella or Beary affection.

Bubba went to bed earlier than usual – but only half an hour – and I went to bed super early too. After I had some decompression time on the couch with the dogs and a big fat glass of Pinot.

I am hoping today is a MUCH better day.

Toddlers are definitely not for the faint of heart.