Failing to plan is planning to fail

So, we’ve all heard the saying “Failing to plan is planning to fail” and I think in most cases we would all agree this is a pretty good motto… I’m sure if Stu and I actually planned our meals we’d have much more creative dinners than beans on toast or Asda’s finest ready meal.

However, since becoming a parent I’ve learnt that sometimes, however much time I spend planning, some plans are just destined to fail. Take for example this weekend. It was Stu and my first wedding anniversary, so obviously we wanted to plan something on special. In the end we decided to go for dinner to the same restaurant we went to on the night Stu proposed and on the Sunday we’d take Sienna to the cathedral where we got married.

On the Saturday, things couldn’t have gone more to plan. Sienna fed when she was meant to, our amazing babysitters (aka mum and dad) arrived when they were meant to, Stu and I had the most delicious meal like we were meant to and most importantly Sienna slept the entire time when we were out like she was meant to.

On the Sunday things didn’t go quite as to plan as they were meant to. Sienna decided she was hungrier than usual, so her morning feed didn’t stop when it was meant to, meaning we had to leave later than we would have liked to.

Leaving slightly later, meant we had to park further away from the cathedral than we usually would and of course when we picked Sienna up out of her car seat she’d done the biggest poo right through her pretty pink knickers.

By the time we’d changed her nappy and paid for the parking, we could hear the final cathedral bells so we knew we definitely had to rush to get in on time. Practically running to the door (definitely in priest earshot) my high quality Everything5pounds sandal broke and I said some expletives more suited for Portsmouth football ground than Portsmouth cathedral.

Hobbling with a broken sandal and a knickerless baby, a slightly sweaty and embarrassed looking Stu and I entered the cathedral.

Thankfully, once we got in, an unplanned super talented American choir started singing and Sienna was instantly mesmerised. Sienna stayed mesmerised throughout the service and was in her absolute element when she got a special blessing from the priest who adored her (even with a potty mouthed mother.)

Leaving the cathedral Stu and I forgot about all the unplanned dramas and romantically remembered our special day this time last year.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the importance of planning when it comes to parenting (if we hadn’t remembered her nappies in her carefully planned changing bag, that poo incident could have been alot worse!) But at the same time I think it’s important to enjoy the unplanned moments.

I never planned to meet Stu when I did, we didn’t plan to have our wedding when we did and I never planned to be pregnant on my wedding day…but surprisingly this turned out to be the perfect plan for Stu and me.

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