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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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mara williams
on Jun 18 2013 - 06:00 AM
Hey, manchild, mama says: clean your room, wash the dishes, don't drink and drive.
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Emily Parnell
on Jun 16 2013 - 06:00 AM
Eating fresh, local produce is good for body and soul
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Jim Cosgrove
on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
I just want to buy some pants. Please, turn down the music.
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I almost forgot to write my blog tonight. Do you want to know why? I'll tell you why.
This morning, I couldn't get out of bed. Maybe it was because I was up for close to an hour last night with Lotte, and then couldn't fall back asleep after that. Maybe it was the livid and wild dreams I've been having. It could be that the last three days have been extremely exhausting. But I couldn't get out of bed. The clock glowed 7:15, and my sweet Lotte Sunshine (that's what I call her) was sitting up in bed, looking at me and giggling.
"Go to sleep," I said. She only giggled and pointed at the floor. Alright. We'll get up. Whatever. I changed her diaper, took her downstairs where Spring Break Marc already had built a TV-watchin' camp, gave her a cup of milk and a cut up banana, and laid my still-tired body on the couch.
"I'm going back to sleep," I said to Marc. "Don't let Charlotte kill herself." He obliged, and when I woke up about an hour later, I had to have something I swore I'd never have again: Aldi coffee.
Some things just weren't meant to be generic.
I really wanted to do something fun with Marc this Spring Break. I really did. But mamas, the terrible twos start around 17 months, and my girl's got 'em. Like the day before, I spent almost the entire day chasing that little girl around the yard, keeping her out of the street, dealing with tantrum after tantrum because she wanted her shoes on, or off, or wanted a snack, or hated the snack.
And as much as I love my sweet boy, he wasn't much help. I've worked with him for nine years to pick up after himself. He needs lots of reminding, but that's just being a kid. What I forgot, though, is that being home all day on break meant lots and lots of messes. I was giving reminder after reminder, and when that got exhausting I just did it myself.
Some things just weren't meant for patience.
Then there was voting. I don't know if any of you have ever brought your toddler with you to vote, but I do not advise this. Thank goodness for patient and understanding electioneers. Sake's alive!
Do I need to go through what it was like to try to get some yard work done? What I'd like to know is where all that trash in my yard came from. We don't eat Funyuns, yet there was an empty bag in the middle of the bushes. Add a small child to that, plus a big kid asking for snacks, computer help, and permission for various things.
Son, some things just weren't made to have permission slips.
I made an easy taco dinner and vegged out on the couch tonight. Wouldn't you? My husband took over with Lotte. Marc mellowed out. After both kids were in bed I opened up my book and then I remembered.
My blog! Oh, snap.
Today on Facebook, my friend Georgeanne said "It's funny when new parents think their lives are still their own."
Understatement of the year!
I replied that some of my childless friends still call me to meet them at the bar. They don't understand. Well, some of them do and they're just trying to stay involved. But life becomes about ten times more difficult after having kids. I drink my beer at home now.
But here's the thing: it's totally okay! Every time my son argues with me about picking up the pretzel crumbs he left all over the floor, I see his gorgeous blue eyes and melt a little (while I'm yelling at him).
Every time my daughter throws herself on the floor and kicks her feet because I refuse to let her play with ink pens, I see her irresistible baby belly button and can't hold back blowing the raspberry (which always makes her laugh). When I look around at the half-done yard work and piles of kid dishes, and become so frustrated that I think I might cry, inside I'm so thankful that I have kids to dirty the dishes.
Georgeann is so right. My life hasn't been my own for 9 years, and I'm glad. I'm glad to share my life. I'm glad to be home instead of at the bar, and glad that I care about my kids having clean laundry more than I care about when I'm going to get to the end of my book. I'm glad that Marc forces me to play miniature golf and Charlotte makes me run in the park. I love this life.
So what if I almost forgot to write my blog? I didn't actually forget. I remembered you all at some point! It's just been one of those days, and in retrospect, it really wasn't that terrible of a day. Pretty soon I'll be done writing and I can go back to my beer and book, and relax for few minutes before I go to bed with my warm and snuggly hubby.
Ha, I just finished my Aldi's instant coffee..it definetely gets the blood a-pumping! Most days are crazy in my house but I see in the near distant future my kids slowly moving out on their own and I know that once that starts happening, life will be so much different, in a sad/happy kind of way. I definetely don't mind the happy, hug-laden nights with my kids in comparison to the crazy, stupid things I did as a kid-free person.
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