My job has it's crazy days, like yesterday, when Soren fell asleep in my arms while nursing. I should have recognized that moment as the calm before the storm. Before I knew it, Corbin said, "you thirsty, Baby? Here's your drink!" and dumped an entire ice cold bottle of water on his head and face and my bare skin (brrr!). This happened shortly after an honesty talk with the girls about something at school that I gotten two entirely different stories about. As a mother, it frightened me that I honestly could not tell which one of my children was telling me the truth. During the water clean up, the liar finally cracked and burst into a hysterical tantrum of anger and embarrassment. While I helped her handle the consequences of her dishonesty, Corbin locked himself in the bathroom and pooped in his underwear. Oh yeah, we're potty training. That's fun. During that time, Soren screamed to have his wet clothes changed and blew out of his diaper to make sure I'd move it up on the priority list, the other daughter immediately needed help with homework, and the phone rang what felt like zillion times to add more noise to the chaos.
Sometimes, when I tell people that I am a stay at home mother of four, I get responses like, "Wow. All day, every day, with your kids? No thanks." and "I could never do that. Stay home all day. I need variety or I go crazy." or "You must have your hands full. I would tear my hair out with boredom."
I choose to see it a little differently. I'm not living a monotonous rerun of the same day like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. It's more like each day is a free do-over. Yesterday is done and I woke up this morning with a resolve to do my job better than I did it the day before.
Today the sea is calm, and I probably wouldn't have appreciated the stillness in my home at 5am today if I hadn't experienced total madness at 5pm yesterday.
Today we will move at our own pace and do whatever we want.
Maybe we'll make rice krispy treats.
Maybe we'll go to the craft fair after school and eat fried everythings for dinner.
If it turns out that today is destined to be another episode of the crazy show, maybe today I'll at least remember to press pause and enjoy the calm that is happening beforehand.
I like today.
3 comments:
Being a domestic goddess is the most rewarding, unpredictable, enriching, and enjoyable job I have ever had. While I thrive on routine and we have a general outline here, no day is the same. The trials, joys, activities, etc. are always different. I love it, even the hard days. I think it all depends on your outlook, and yours is perfect :)
I constantly get the comment, "Wow, you have your hands full." When I hear that, I think, yes I do, but you should see my heart. I haven't had the courage to actually say that to anyone. I just nod, and think of how little they actually know.
Four kids was a "breaking point" of sorts for me. Things are crazy. I'm now perpetually late. My work is never even close to done. Yet, I am filled with so much joy because of each of these kids...
Thanks, as usual, for sharing your insightful and uplifting experiences. They help to strengthen my resolve to "push pause."
Those people think staying home with kids is boring? Hahaha!
I love your perspective. Your grateful heart is so encouraging. (I also cringed at ice water to the chest. Eek.)
Post a Comment