The OTHER Milestones

Life is full of milestones, some good, some bad.

There are individual milestones: first bra, first kiss, first kiss with a Toga waiter from a Roman themed restaurant (okay, maybe that one was just me), first operation to remove an ingrown toenail (me again?).

Then there are family milestones: first anniversary, first child, child's first day at school, child's first vomit in the car. Some of them we acknowledge within the family; many we celebrate with others (obviously not the vomit one).

But what about the milestones we don't talk about? The ones we experience, notice, but don't share?

Or at least you don't. I, clearly, do. For example:

• The day you stop thinking 'I get to spend the rest of my life with him!' and start thinking 'I have to spend the rest of my life with him!'
• The day your toddler learns to say 'no'.
• The day your toddler learns to demand 'chocolate!'
• The day you say 'Not tonight, honey, I'm too tired'.
• The day your husband says 'Not tonight, honey, I'm too tired'.
• The day your son discovers what happens to his penis when he plays with it.
• The day your daughter discovers her 'tiny, tiny penis'.
• The day you start looking at your husband's penis with the sole thought of vasectomising it.
• The day your son asks you where babies come from.
• The day your children demand to let them see you 'make a baby'.
• The first time your child sleeps out and you cry.
• The first time your child sleeps out and you celebrate.
• The first time you realise you have vomit on your shirt.
• The first time you realise you have vomit on your shirt and don't bother to wipe it off.