First I must tell you that I had three children in four years. That means when my youngest was born, my oldest turned four three months later. Sure, lots of insane people embark on the same journey of motherhood....meaning....bing, bang, boom....let's roll these shorties out! I know that I am not alone in this area....and I speak for you too! So, as you can see, I was very busy. Diapers, snot noses, naps, three meals a day prepared by ME, snacks, cleaning up of odds and ends deposited throughout the house (use your imagination), laundry, bath times, endless episodes of Barney, Dragon Tales and the like. They were some tough years. Sure, I enjoyed it....I'm not a MONSTER for god's sakes. But lets call a spade a spade. It was HARD. I never had one single moment to myself. Including, ahem, bathroom duties, not limited to the occasional shower or potty moment.
I can distinctly remember my husband battle assing home from work through heavy traffic, he barely had his computer bag down and I was out the door. It didn't matter where I went. Sometimes I would sit in CVS parking lot and peruse People Magazine....just for the peace of it. For an hour or so nobody needed me. I didn't need to wipe any butts, pick up any toys, scrub down the highchair for the umpteenth time, or break up any sibling fisticuffs.
So here I am 11 years later. All three can wipe their own butts (more or less), they can take their own showers, make and clean up their own food (usually with some, er, gentle persuasion), and they can entertain themselves. All of those hard days have equaled into this....three delightful, energetic, funny, sweet and semi - independent adolescents.
That said....I now have on average four whole days a week to do as I like!!! (take into account... the endless Monday holidays, the 1/2 day Tuesdays, and the sick kid home from school days). Sure, I could get a job. (although as you all know I do work part-time training people in my home and teaching my once a week spin class! So, I do do something. Not much, but something!). I mean a FULL time job. Nope, not this year......I am on a mommy sabbatical. It's time for me to regain my focus on ME. BK (before kids) I used to read lots of books, go to the movies, have lunch, go for long walks, visit the library, get pedicures and so on and so on. This year...that's what I'm gonna do. Call me selfish, call me spoiled, call me a twerp. Whatever. I don't care. I truly believe you have to take care of yourself before you can take of everyone else! For years it was the everyone else....now it's me. It's a revolution!!!
1 comment:
Oh... the quiet that your house must have during the day. Like you, I have had three babies in three and a half years... with two older siblings, bringing our grand total thus far to five. And they are still tiny.. three under the age of 4.. so I'm in the Barney, playdoh, fingerpaint, toilet training and diaper years. But you know... that is where I am.. and bloom where you are planted and all of that.. so I still find joy in the craziness that is my life; with two older ones traveling around the country for soccer tournaments this month.. and babies keeping me up at night. It is all good. And some day, though it is noisy now, there will be quiet. The manis and pedis do still happen, only with a sitter at home or my husband en casa, so all is not lost. And truthfully, I'd rather get a sticky peanut butter and jelly kiss from my toddler than a perfect mani, hands down, any day. So moms with quiet homes.. enjoy the peace... and those of you still in the trenches.. live each day to the fullest becz it will go all too fast. Here's to moms everywhere!
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