As I spent a solid hour straightening up the kids’ bedrooms and putting away their clean clothes, I started to think about how much I truly adore my children. I mean, duh. We all do. But sometimes I get a little emotional, just thinking about how quickly they’re growing up, and how their little personalities are so different from one another, and how they’re starting to really experience the world and learn things. It just flies by. And it’s so precious. And I find myself swaying back and forth between, “Awwww, my babies” and, “Seriously? What in the HELL?”
I mentioned that I worked on their rooms for an hour. That included putting away about three loads of clothes, straightening up, making 2 out of 4 beds, and vacuuming. Did I mention I just did ALL OF THIS on Friday? I can’t even figure out how, in four days’ time, they managed to do the damage they did. Mallory wasn’t even HERE for most of the weekend. Pablo spent most of the weekend playing Mario. Apparently it was the little girls, and they were BUSY. Glitter ALL OVER the bathroom counter. Where did they get glitter? Tiny alphabet beads strewn throughout the carpet. Tiny scraps of paper EVERYWHERE. And it’s not like they didn’t clean up their room ALREADY. I made them clean it up before bed last night, but their cleaning method seems to be placing everything they own into a bin. I just CLEANED OUT all the bins last week. I swear, I did. Still, today, I found a toy bin that was hiding a sneaker, a sequined boot, half a dozen books, a Bible, and several fruit snack wrappers. RAAAAAAGE. The bin is NEXT TO the trash can and the bookshelf. That is just lazy, right there. So annoying.
So while I’m muttering under my breath, I come across a note written by Nikki. I’m not sure who the recipient is supposed to be (and I wouldn’t rat her out anyway) but the note ended with, “I won’t be a princess, I won’t be fancy at all, but I love you, I love you so so much.” Yeah. I died. If I could wish anything for that child, it would be that she grows up feeling like she is okay exactly how she is, and that she tells people how much she loves them. That’s what we should ALL do, right? I’m practically wiping the tears away, and then I realize the kids have used up nearly an entire roll of scotch tape, because they thought they needed to tape a drawer shut. GAAAAAAH!
I see this again and again. The kids tug at my heartstrings when they ride past me on their bikes, giggling and shouting – and then they wear out the toes of their sneakers by using them as brakes, and leave their helmets in the street. They surprise me by picking up the backyard, and then they eat ice from the pond. Every day is like a series of never ending good news/bad news jokes. My brain keeps shouting, “Why are you so annoying?” and then it shouts back, “Because we’re kids!” It’s no wonder women seem so moody. Our emotions are yanked all over the damned place, just trying to get the house clean!
