Maybe it was the partridge that came through my living room window sending pieces of glass throughout my entire house. Maybe it was the hair I’ve been cleaning up after my six year old practiced her dream of being a hair-cutter on her little sister. Maybe it was the Vaseline I’ve been wiping off the butt of my eighteen month old's baby doll, because she insists on changing her diaper. I am not sure what has been keeping me so busy, but today I thought I would sit down to do something for myself. Maybe write a blog, maybe check my email, maybe sip a cup of hot cocoa, or maybe try to make the myth of a stay at home mom come true and eat a bonbon. Oh, if life were only this simply. For all you out there that get an actually 15 minute break or an allotted half a hour lunch break, during your work day, please do not take this for granted! Enjoy sitting down to eat your meal at a normal speed. First of all, the fact that you are sitting is enough to make you grateful. Second of all, be thankful you get to eat at a normal speed. You do not know how lucky you are. Yes, I am ashamed, but even when I eat without my children I have learned to eat fast by habit, no I mean, out of survival. I am not proud of this, but as a busy mom I have learned the less time you take eating the less chaos that can happen in that amount of time. You see, during my attempt at a fifteen minute break My four year old asked for some applesauce, to which I replied “sure“, knowing she could handle getting her own applesauce. A moment later she said “ah oh I spilled some“. Still clinging to my attempt at a break I replied, “get a paper towel and wipe it up“. As she pulled a chair up to the counter to reach the paper towel her older sister came walking into the kitchen with her bowl of cereal that contained the left over milk she refuses to drink. Yes, you can see it, right? Of course, she slips on the applesauce, her bowl goes flying into the air sending milk every where and she lands square on her bottom covered in applesauce. It is at this moment that I look at the clock and realize, luckily, I still have ten minuets of my break left. Okay, I was just dreaming. Of course I jumped up and ran to the rescue. Now instead of taking my peaceful break I am on all fours wiping up applesauce and milk from the floor, cabinets, and rugs. As I haul one milk and applesauce covered rug to the laundry on my way back I realize I dripped milk all the way to the laundry pile. Back on all fours again. My six year old removes her applesauce covered clothes and I wipe off her arm and leg. So there you have it, the proof is in the applesauce. For every one minute of break I take, I earn two minutes of extra work. It literally is taking one step forward and then two steps back. Some days it’s hard to move past this. There is only so long a person can run in circles.
But then, there is always a light that shines through the spilled applesauce. Or something like that. I finished my day with some prenatal yoga. While doing yoga, I could see my six year old off to the side, copying me. I asked her if she would like to do yoga with me. With this, she eagerly jumped in place in front of me with a big smile on her face. I don’t know if you have ever watched a little girl do yoga, but it is the cutest thing ever. After we finished, I gathered up my kids to read them a book. My three girls fought over who was going to sit by me. As I let them fight it out, I sat amazed at the fact that, not only do they all want to be by me, but they want to copy me, be like me, and do the things I do. Feeling like I’m getting nowhere, after running circles all day, I must be doing something. Because I have a lot of little eyes watching me and they still want to be like me. So, maybe I’m the lucky one. I have so much to be grateful for. I may not have fifteen minute breaks or thirty minute lunches but I have today. I am very thankful for each today I get to spend with my children. Chaos or no chaos it’s a day and it has purpose beyond what I can see . If I could only be the woman I hope my girls will be some day.
To my three beautiful little girls, for whom I pray God has made me woman enough to be their mother.
