Yesterday I hugged my children goodbye and sent them off to their Grammie’s house. They made a horrible scene. Boy 1 was the only one not screaming,crying, begging us to come with them.
Boy 2 and 3 were heartbroken and acted like we were abandoning them. If I watched Sophie’s Choice again this week, I might never recover.
The Lady pleaded with us to get in the car and promised us that we would have more fun with them in Dallas than here in Austin.
But once they got about an hour north, they were fine. And that means I am free. I’m not going to lie, this is going to be a great week.
I keep finding myself doing things and thinking, “I never get to do this when the kids are here.” There have been so many, that I made a list. Here it is:
10. Walk in my house barefoot. No one has left Lego monsters in dark hallways, or eaten Ritz crackers while bouncing on a blow-up toy throughout the living room. There are no imprisoned crickets in jars that could escape and become road kill on my way to the bathroom. My feet are safe and clean, happily padding through every room. It’s practically Disneyworld for toes here.
9. Use the hallway bathroom. I don’t think I have used the main bathroom in a year. I always discourage guests form using it, too. If you aren’t familiar with what happens when three boys use a bathroom, let me just assure you that it’s not pretty, and, well, ignorance is bliss.
8. Take a drama-free walk alone. No need to convince four other people to go with me, pump up bike tires, find helmets, pin children to the floor in order to apply sunscreen, and shout “Look both ways!!” when an El Camino is driving 45 on a residential street right at a child about to cross to the other side. Today I just put on my shoes and walked.
7. Go to the movies twice in one day. I think I went to the movie theater about five times total last year. Two of those were to see kid movies. But yesterday I went twice. I feel so American. I also feel so brain dead and happy, because after the second movie I still had four hours to fill however I chose. Pure awesome.
6. Avoid being accused of being a tyrannical dictator. Last week I bought chips that one of my children doesn’t like that much. He will eat them, but they aren’t his favorite. He told me very clearly that I was cruel and thoughtless, he even declared that I was “unfair“. Another day, mutiny almost arose over the cooking of vegetables. And when I didn’t buy the Lady some clothes she wanted, I detected murmurings of a complete coup. This week, they begged me to go with them to Grammie’s house, where they essentially get to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Motherhood is confusing.
5. Read a book for as long as I would like. If I had a nickel for every time I get interrupted when I am reading, we would be buying a new car, not a used one. This week I may actually become smarter and understand the author’s point as I read, because no one is going to throw a car at the window, dive off the top bunk, or punch his sister. Readers are leaders, baby!!
4. Go swimming. Let’s be clear, when you take four children to the pool, you do not swim. You watch as they do cannonballs. You remind them not to run 1,567 times. You hold your breath and pray when they dive for a ring in the deep end. But you don’t swim.
3. Eat candy in broad daylight. I often sneak around with a bag of gummy worms. Go ahead and judge me for being a hypocrite when I tell them no candy before dinner and then snack on M&Ms while I make the enchiladas. I’m saving them from tooth decay and childhood obesity. I’m practically Wonder Woman.
2. Talk to Mr. Fantastic about important stuff- like our life. Parenting is a life-long career. And when you’re on the clock you often have to put aside conversations about how you’re doing, plans for the future, or ways to improve your home, family, and marriage. Over time, that stuff builds up. Yesterday we talked about a lot of important things. Some of it was practical business, some was emotional work. It was all so good. And I am so very grateful for the time.
1. Miss them. Every time I walk up to the front door, I wish for a little chaotic “Mommy!!!’ greeting on the other side. When I wake up and the house is empty, for a split second I forget the reason why it’s so quiet. It’s good for my heart to see how empty and blank life is when they are gone, so that when they get back home, I will happily wear flip flops to avoid crumbs, use my own bathroom, wrangle four kids on a walk, miss every good movie, make unfair decisions about snack foods, put my book aside again, take my rowdy crew swimming, hide the candy, and whisper about our life plans behind closed doors.
Being a mom is so good for me. Nothing has ever grown me like this journey of love. There is much to be thankful for.
Love this. As usual. You make me almost wish I had more. Almost. 🙂
Thank you Thelma!!