Pyjama Mama

The Pyjama Mama might just be a Belfast concept. At certain times in the morning, in certain areas of the city, Pyjama Mamas can be seen congregating at school gates, usually on main arterial routes into the city. They get their name from the fact that they congregate wearing pyjamas (usually silky), slippers (usually fluffy) and, on occasion, dressing gowns (tho usually not).

In the past, I had concerns about becoming a Yummy Mummy. Today, I fear I put a fluffy foot on the slippery slope that leads to Pyjama Mama.

My children take my recovery very seriously, and once a day Dolly arrives and announces that it's time for her to accompany me on my constitutional walk round the block. Being tired and on automatic pilot, today I just got up and started walking. It wasn't until we had made it half-way round the block and I was passing the time of day with a neighbour that she suddenly exclaimed 'Mummy, you're wearing your slippers!'

I tried to take the slippers off and give then to her to carry, but I couldn't bend to get them off and anyway she refused point blank to carry them. In fact, she refused point blank to walk the rest of the way with me, and ran on home leaving me shuffling round past the remainder of the neighbours like a Chelsea pensioner on speed.

As I neared home, hubby drives round the corner, sees me ambling unattended, slows to offer me a lift but takes one look at my slippered feet and accelerates away in a cloud of CO emissions.

It strikes me Cinderella never had this trouble when she went out in her slippers.