The Proposal

[shared by Ready Steady Mummy]

So yesterday I announced to the blogging world that the Mr (who still refuses to be identified) and I are engaged. Here’s how it happened- of course, being us, it didn’t exactly go off without a hitch, but it was perfect and meaningful all the same.

I honestly had no idea it was coming. We’d had the relevant discussions about marriage following all the drama last year, and decided that as long as Isaac was brought up in a stable family environment it didn’t really matter whether we were married or not. It would happen when it happened, no pressure.

Now, every 3 weeks the Mr has to work a Saturday morning shift and receives a half day during the week. The Saturday of the proposal was one of those days. As my Nan was due to go on holiday we’d agreed that I would spend the afternoon with her and Isaac as he would be a little late home from work due to picking up Isaac’s birthday present when he’d finished. I’d be back about 5pm to put some dinner on and we’d go about our usual routine.

When I got home I was greeted by a huge bouquet of flowers. As we’ve been trying really hard to be more romantic for each other they were a lovely surprise, but didn’t seem out of the ordinary. Neither, really, was the fact that the Mr had already started making a light dinner (salmon kedgeree for anybody wondering)- cooking is one of his ways to unwind after work and he often takes over in the kitchen even though it’s my turn to make something. I was delighted as I’ve never ever had kedgeree before and in the 6 years we’ve been together, he was always promising me that he’d make it for me, but had never got round to it. It was delicious.

Following dinner he asked if I minded doing the washing up as he hadn’t spent time with Isaac at all that day and that if we left the dishes until the morning they’d stick. Full of lovely food, and my flowers still needing to be cut and put in a vase, I happily obliged and left them to it.

When I went back through to the living room the lights were dimmed and the boys were sitting on the floor at the far end of the room. Isaac was chewing the heck out of a toy and the Mr was looking twitchy- though of course at the time I didn’t realise at all; they were just doing their normal ‘Dad and Isaac’ thing.

I plonked down on the sofa and he said to Isaac ‘Are you going to show Mummy what I bought you?’

Isaac is currently in the middle of a ‘Jungle Junction’ fixation, so he had bought him a pull along Ellyvan, which he was happily chomping at. No matter how much we coaxed him, he simply wasn’t interested in moving from his spot on the rug to show me the toy. No amount of ‘Ta’ or ‘What’s that?’ or ‘Isaac, come to mummy’ worked, and the Mr was starting to get outwardly frustrated. This was unusual as he’s normally so laid back and placid when it comes to stuff like that- it’s usually me getting stressed out that Isaac won’t comply!

In the end I scooted down onto the floor and joined them, and following a couple more ‘Ta’s’ I finally got given the elephant. As soon as it was in my hands the Mr sighed and said ‘Ok, slight change of plan, but it’s alright’ and took a huge breath. He told me to open the little doors on the back of the toy- which I promptly did, though not before scolding him that there was something rattling on it and that maybe it wasn’t suitable for Isaac’s age. Ever the romantic me- I simply don’t get subtlety.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, there was a ring box and a folded letter in the back. I read the letter, which resulted in me starting to shake slightly and look up at him in a state of disbelief, and he smiled and told me to open the box.

It was empty.

“Well, how did you expect me to propose if you were the one holding the ring?”

And then he did.

It was sweet, simple, and everything I wanted to hear from a man I have loved through so many ups and downs over the last 6 years. Naturally I said ‘Yes’.

The rest of the evening is something of a blur as obviously routine has to kick in at some point where the baby is concerned, but I remember feeling floaty as I cuddled up to him on the sofa, watching some rubbish on TV, and calling my Mum and Nan to tell them as I simply couldn’t wait to see them in person.

The day after he confided in me that he was ‘disappointed’ that it hadn’t been spot on. He said he knew he wanted Isaac to be involved in some way but it hadn’t crossed his mind that he wouldn’t bring me his toy, that he would crawl all over me while I was trying to read the letter he’d written, that while he was actually proposing I would stupidly put the letter on the floor only for the baby to take the opportunity to rip it and chew it…

But to me it didn’t matter. To me it was perfect. It was a total surprise, with an immense amount of sentiment and thought put into it. The meal I’d been on about for 6 years, the flowers, the implementation of the whole ‘ring in the toy’. There was nothing cliche about it and it was all about us as a family, which, all in all, is what I want our future to be.

In a word, it was perfect.

About Sally

Sally Whittle is founder of the Tots100, Foodies100, BlogSummit and the MAD Blog Awards. When she's not working, she can be found blogging at Who's the Mummy, or having fun with her 7 year old daughter, Flea.