With 3 boys under 5, there’s never a dull moment. Certainly never a quiet one. Buggy Blogger mum to J (4), B (2) and S (10 months) concludes there’s no going back; she now sees the world through mummy-tinted spectacles.

Well the weather outside is frightful. And the boys are being delightful. Not. Somewhere or other they got hold of some polystyrene packaging and ever since have been letting it snow, letting it snow, letting it snow just about everywhere you can think of.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's been a tale of woe all week with washing machine melt-down, a persistently leaky sink, the heating and hot water on strike, B's violent 24 hour tummy bug and S's hospital admission. Blimey, if ever there was a domestic weekus horribilis, this was it.

So I awoke on Saturday morning and decided drastic action was required. Time to shake off the blues (and a liberal sprinkling of white polystyrene stuff while I was at it) and break free from the shackles of domesticity. It was time … fanfare … for a Big Day Out. Without Kids.

But how to prepare for a day of being footloose and fancy … or should that be … toddler free? Well, first I kitted myself out in some racy high-heeled boots (strictly no pushchair pavement-pounding today) and then I donned a pair of dangly earrings (no imminent fear of lightpull-style earlobe yanking). Next I dug out a small and perfectly formed handbag (no need to lug around nappies, wipes, toys, snacks, Calpol-sachets etc.). And then I pulled on … gasp … a hand-wash only top (snot or yoghurt smears today? Not on your nelly!).

The accessories were the easy bit. However, I realised my 'girl on the town without a care in the world' look was never going to be 100% water-tight: you can't ignore the bags under my eyes big enough to rival any self-respecting Samsonite. And then there are also what J refers to as the 'stripes' on my forehead Nevertheless, throwing caution to the wind – and make-up onto the worry lines – I grabbed my coat and ran. With the boys safely ensconced with daddy I was off for a good old-fashioned girls' day out.

And what of the day? Well, don't be mistaken into thinking it was all about shopping. Later on we also found time for lunch and a bottle of wine. But did I manage to distance myself from being a mummy and put aside childish things for the day? Did I heck!

Try as I might, I simply couldn’t switch off parenthood. I gushed excitedly at the 'oooh very big and very twinkly' station Christmas tree. I found myself discussing the merits of panto ('oh no you didn't?') and the CBeebies Doodle Do front-man Chris ('oh yes I did!'). I unhesitatingly compared our lunchtime cappuccino, macchiato and espresso-sized cups to daddy bear, mummy bear and baby bear. I was the first (and only) person to spot the nee naa whooshing past in the background of the friend's wedding shots we were catching up on.

So despite the 'not a care in the world' costume, I proved myself mummy through and through. And so what? The compulsion to point out fire engines will eventually pass like all bad habits. What I'm more concerned about right now is how long it'll take to rid the house and home of polystyrene 'snow'. And we're getting the Christmas tree tomorrow so … coming soon to a living room near you … there'll soon be about a thousand pine needles to add to the mix.

Still, who's fussed? It's not the time of year to get all grumpy about domestic chaos. Unless the hoover decides to join the other household appliances on strike in which case I reserve the right to be a complete bah humbug.

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