Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to work we go....

I went to a party this weekend, it was a momentous event actually as it was the first that son number two has ever been invited to in  his own right. Up till now he has simply clung onto his brother's coat tails and looked up beseechingly at the birthday child's mum when it was time to go in the hope that she would bestow a spare goodie bag on him. 

Since he has the most enormous chocolate brown puppy dog eyes this strategy is usually a success as I have yet to meet the mother who doesn't melt under his stare. Sadly that includes me, which is probably why is is quite so naughty, it's impossible to stay cross with someone so cute. 

But the other momentous thing about this party was that I met a mum who had more children than me. Normally when I reveal the fact that I have four children all the other mums reel back in horror as they wouldn't dream of being silly enough to go for more than the sensible two they already invariably have. I have begun to feel a bit like a pariah in mummy social gatherings thanks to my excessive breeding habits, so I was so pleased it was my turn to suck in my breath when one of the other mums told me she had gone one further and had five children. 

What made me feel even better was when the most glamourous, beautiful mum in the room piped up that she had four children too. The stereotype of us uber breeders is that we all rush through life without a moment to brush our hair or change out of our stained jeans - but it turns out that's just me. This woman had sleek dark hair, a tiny waist wrapped in a delicious dress, perfect makeup and her own TV show. Her kids are quite a bit older than mine, so seeing this vision of loveliness gave me hope for the future. 

The other notable thing about these two mums of many is that both of them had worked throughout. Now my twins are only 10 weeks but thanks to a painful shortage of cash I decided to write a piece or two just to actually pull my account a little further out of the red towards that ever receding horizon of black. 

The response of everyone around me is to assume that I am superwoman, juggling four young sons and a 'career'. I hate to shatter their illusions but what all of us multi mummies agreed was that we loved to work to give us a rest from our many kids. After all, what's easier combining the diplomatic skills of a Middle East envoy to keep your offspring from killing each other, with the talent of a Michelin chef to tickle their fickle tastebuds and a love of tidying that would make Kim and Aggie look messy, or lounging around in front of a computer all day while someone else deals with the hard labour of bringing up your children?