When I was a little girl all I wanted was to grow up and have a baby. I treated my dolls like they were my actual babies, especially my Cabbage Patch boy. I took him everywhere in his baby carrier, he sat in his highchair with our family for dinner, to me he was my son. Fast forward many years and here I am a ‘grown up’ with my very own real life son, and two daughters also! Of course life isn’t quite as easy as I had experienced with my Cabbage Patch Kid. My real babies didn’t just nod off to sleep at the end of the day when I was tired, and my Cabbage Patch Kid went off to boarding school on Switzerland. (Well actually he went into the cupboard because I outgrew playing with dolls).

Real motherhood is much harder, much more exhausting, and far much more rewarding! I sometimes long for those days were my children were smaller, now they are 14, 11 and 9, but as much as I miss the cuteness of a newborn and the adorable toddler ways. I have to admit the ages they are now make for a much easier time as a parent. I think perhaps we are in the calm before the (full on teenager) storm right now. There are days I wish I could freeze time and hold onto them a little tighter, yet other days I feel excited for all the adventures ahead for them.

Parenthood is a whirlwind, and no it is not what I imagined, because I could never have imagined how much you could possibly love another human as much as you can love your child.

One of the great things about hosting the Instagram Community #MummyShot along with co-host @memeandharri, is getting to choose which adorable photos to share each month, and I love that the photos can express so much without having to share our children’s full faces. This months choices have been inspired by children enjoying the outdoor lifestyle.

#MummyShot Favourites from October

These adorable photographs of little ones were shared by the following Instagramers, if you not familiar with their feeds please check them out . . . .

@mama_suuspluus. @hearth_and_hound.

@kirstypocket. @fourbearsandme.

Now naturally I could not resist doing a Halloween Highlights from #MummyShot too! 

These Halloween Highlights were shared on #MummyShot by the following Instagramers, check out their accounts;

@blackened_sky. @gr8_memories.

@elliotboykent. @woodlightadventures.

Thank you to everyone who tags #mummyshot, it is such a wonderful community!

You can also follow my Instagram and see the latest pics of my children growing up @macglanville.

Mac xx