The cuteness outweighs the trouble. Sometimes.
By Lisa Merrell
Workwise, last week was almost a total loss. I didn’t get much done on my schoolwork, thank heavens it is a self-paced program. Housework was a joke, just cleaning off the table in time for the next meal was a victory. Homeschooling was pretty hit and miss, and I don’t know how I did as a wife because I’m not sure I even saw my husband.
What consumed my week was mothering. There were six days of tears, fevers, congestion, vomiting, and as it turned out, double ear infections for Asher. Not enough sleep for the boys and even less sleep for the parents. Lots of toast, applesauce, and oatmeal. Lots of crying over canceled playdates and swimming. Many, many movies. I may have Kung-Fu Panda memorized. More embarrassingly, if my one-year-old hears the word panda, he will run to the TV, sit down, and chant ‘panda, panda, panda’.
I had been trying to hold it together Friday on very little patience and even less sleep. I’m sure you know the drill, when the main goal for the day isn’t to be a great parent, but just to make it to the end of the day without crushing anyone’s three-year-old world. I was doing ok, but getting closer to the edge and very much looking forward to bedtime. Who among us hasn’t whispered that mantra to themselves, “if I can just make it to 7:30, everything will be ok.”
So, I made it through dinner, clean up time, baths and stories. The kids were in bed and the finish line was within sight. All that remained was their nightly lullaby. As I started to sing, my three-year-old looked up at me with his huge blue eyes and said in the sweetest stuffed-up voice ever…”I wub you, bom”, and bringing up the rear of the cuteness parade, my one-year-old clapped enthusiastically when I was done singing.The change from survival to mother mode was so fast I almost got whiplash. I suddenly had the energy to go the distance again. Which was good, because a short time later there was a certain three-year-old in my bed, determined to spend the night there crying and thrashing around. Good thing a certain mother made herself a pan of brownies for dinner.
So, what do your kids do that makes the ticket for this crazy train worthwhile?
Hey Lisa, loved your story. so sorry to hear you had such a rough week. I had a week sort of like that not too long ago, but instead of eating brownies for dinner, I locked myself in the kitchen and screamed. Amazing–I felt so much better!