Schoolgate Style? Tribal........

I'm not talking about a new fashion trend.  I am an older mum.  I was ecstatic to give birth, to my darling daughter, at the age of (just) 40.  She was a delightful and most welcome gift.  I was convinced that I would remain childless.  I had many invasive and unpleasant tests to see if it was 'me' that was faltering.  My Husband had to produce a semen sample.  THAT WAS IT.  How unfair (wanker, literally!)  As I headed towards the age of 40 I was starting to become desperate.  I took pills, I had a course of acupuncture and made the husband shag me at every available moment ( when ovulating, obviously.)  Nothing.  NADA. Zilch, for many a month that dragged on into many a year.  I had a couple of miscarriages but they were 2 years apart.  What was going on?  I simply think that between us,  my husband, and I, were plainly sub-fertile.  Nothing was technically wrong although my cilia were compromised.  Now they are the little hairs that populate the Fallopian tubes and usher the egg, on it's travels, down to the womb.  It was my fault then. Maybe.  I hit the cut off.  It was Christmas 2007 and I thought to myself that if I didn't conceive by the New Year I would not be able to have a child before I turned 40.  I decided to give up, get fit and enjoy my Skiing holiday booked for the February.  I totally forgot about getting pregnant. Low and behold when I was on that ski holiday I was, indeed, about 3 weeks pregnant.  The body is an amazing thing.  During the holiday I really didn't feel like getting absolutely mullered, as was the norm, but took to drinking a hot chocolate and having a kip at around 4.30pm.  Yes, Apres Ski, get totally pissed as a fart time.  Not for me, the need for an afternoon nap was overwhelming. As I say, the body is an amazing piece of kit!  I returned home, from a fantastic week of skiing, to go on a buying trip.  At the time we were still running the ladies clothing shop we owned in Sandbach.  I. FELT. LIKE. SHIT.  I was full of cold but it dawned on my that my period was overdue.  Could it be? Yes, yes, yes.

I experienced a relatively uneventful pregnancy and a reasonably straightforward birth.  We did have a touch and go moment when the salad servers were required and an episiotomy was called for.  I was a bit out of it by this stage so really could not have cared less.  If they had turned up with farm equipment I would have been as happy as Larry.   I was besotted when the little one was born.  I really could not believe that I was a mum.  I am not mumsy in the slightest, you know the clucky women who attract children to their ample bosoms. Not me at all. Over the years I have learnt, grown and I am still learning.  Every day is a challenge but one that I am up for.  A bigger challenge has been the school politics.  Fuck Me, what a nightmare.  I thought I had left the bullies behind many moons ago. HOW WRONG WAS I! Giving birth, in comparison, was a breeze.

Do you remember when a lot of blogs ran with the theme of 'schoolrunstyle' or 'schoolrunmum?'  No wonder they re-branded.  What a pit of poo.  I would not want to be associated with the school run on my blog.  Den of vipers.  I have to say, as a disclaimer,  I have quite a few glorious friends that I have met at school but a lot of them are the rummest I have ever come across and I have had my fair share of run ins.  I have been googling the 'gangs' of mothers that appear at the school gates but I have to disagree with what has been catalogued.  I find that the alpha mums are not necessarily the high flying, immaculate mothers.   Far from it.  Some of the Alphas almost look like they are under the radar.   I am one of the mums that makes an effort.  I do it because I want to.  I like to look nice and be ready for the day.  I get up early, sort everything out for my daughter and wear something that makes me feel good.  I don't always have a reason.  Quite often I am at home for the day but I like to use the clothes that I have and it makes me feel better.  I try and smile and I try to be a nice person.  Sometimes being nice gets you absolutely fucking nowhere, trust me.  I will continue to try to be nice though.  My focus is my daughter.  She sometimes finds friendships and school life hard and it breaks my heart that the reality is that this shit can continue into adulthood. It should not be like this but there is no accounting for others behaviour.  Some of them are still stuck at being seventeen themselves.  The 'head girl, mean girl' crappy mentality. They need to GROW UP.  It's a good job that I am now totally confident in myself and my true friendships. I feel sorry for the mothers who don't have the confidence that I do.  It is a minefield and if you are about to enter into this stage, in your' life, my advice would be to keep your' head down and smile.


Now, how about fashion?  Lets look at how things develope over many months.  I started taking the clothes 'selfies' years ago.  I do look back and cringe a bit.  It really has taken a long time to master the technique and I am still learning.  I just like putting things together.  It is part of me and whether it is school run cool or not I will continue to do it.  I am a school run mum that decides to look half decent in the morning. End of.  Having said that most would think I look a scruff bag, judging by the photos below.  I guess that is the fashion in 2018.  I don't know what my Mother in Law would have made of the ripped jean look.  She was super fashionable but in a very classic way.  Certainly doing the original blog and then jumping onto Instagram has helped with my confidence and self esteem.  Funnily enough the photos below are about as dressed down as I get!

School Run Mum ready to do battle.  (I am joking.)

Shopping my wardrobe and hugging an old and very faithful Prada bag.

In the beginning we had crap poses and blurred photos.  It all takes time, oh yes. And how I laugh at the detritus in the background.  You live and learn! 

We'll just leave those there.  I have had so much fun, over the past 6 or 7 years but it is only recently that I am completely comfortable with my own style.  Good things come to those who wait, I guess.

Now we have the run up to Christmas.  Keep warm and safe. Helen XxX