I am definitely a bad mother

Last night little bear woke up, upset because he said his nappy was leaking. I gave him huge cuddles, changed his (very full) nappy, changed his pyjamas and his sheet (which didn't really need changing as he hadn't leaked, but he was only half awake and distressed). All the way through I was frantically trying not to need the toilet as my tummy has been off the last few days. But I didn't really mind, poor mite was in a right state. Of course I couldn't get back to sleep so I was so tired this morning...

Little bear wanted to 'do painting' this morning. This is not something I enjoy as I am never sure how to help him. I never really 'did painting' myself, so I just encourage him to enjoy himself and supervise. Little bear, however, loves painting (he insisted) and especially loved painting now that darling uncle has given him a box with paints and sponges in. I insisted that we painted after we came back from town. Little bear tried to convince me that the town was shut, but I remained firm. However just after I had mailed OH to keep him informed, darling father rang, so I chatted to him while I was on the computer. My 'mummy sense' told me little bear was not in a good frame of mind but I was too tired to check.

This was a mistake. I looked round and little bear had got the paints out of the box, squeezed them out and was stirring them up in what was marketed as a paint tray but looked like a cat's dinner dish. I opened my mouth to start the usual 'What do you think you are doing?' when I had to go to the loo. I HAD to go, nature didn't just call, it shouted. I told little bear firmly to put the bowl on the lid of the box and not do anything until I got back. I didn't expect him to listen.

When I returned, little bear had been adventurous, painting pieces of paper everywhere. He had painted a picture while leaning a paper against a fabric chair, he had painted a picture while leaning the paper against a recliner and of course he had painted with the paper on the carpet. I could tell. Paint was dramatically swiped everywhere. But not on little bear's clothes. He may have completely ignored my insistence that all painting was on a table with a cloth on the floor, but he remembered his painting apron. It landed with a splat in the bath when I dragged him upstairs to scrape off the paint from his hands and face.

I am not impressed but I do feel a little guilty because he did want to paint so much and I was really not looking forward to painting in the afternoon. We will do some painting tomorrow. Properly set up! I think I may try and get him to paint cereal boxes etc. It has to be better to do that than scrape paint off the furniture.