My husband came home today and saw me sitting on the couch,
toddler on one knee, and baby nursing on the opposite breast. I was
trying to turn the pages of a book with the hand not attached to the
infant, while listening for the sound of the stove buzzer, which would
indicate that tonight's pork chops were at the stage between "well-done"
and "the dog gets tonight's entree."
My husband looked at me innocently, and asked, "So,
did you do anything to day?" It's a good thing that most of my
appendages were otherwise engaged, as I was unable to jump up and throttle
him to death. This was probably for the best, as I assume that asking
a stupid question is not grounds for murder in this country.
Let me back up a bit, and explain what led me to this point in my life.
I was not always bordering on the brink of insanity. On the contrary,
a mere four years ago, I had a good job, steady income, and a vehicle
that could NOT seat a professional sports team, and me, comfortably.
I watched television shows that were not hosted by singing puppets.
I went to bed later than nine o'clock at night. I preferred sex to sleeping
in. I laughed at those people who drove halfway across the country hauling
a tent trailer, three screaming kids, a drooling dog, and called it
a holiday. Now I have become one of them!
What happened? The stick turned blue. I have traded in my Victoria's
Secrets lingerie for cotton briefs and a firm support nursing bra. Good-bye,
Garth Brooks. Hello, Sharon, Lois, and Bram. My idea of privacy is getting
to use the bathroom without a two-year old banging on the door, and
the baby spinning the toilet paper roll from my lap. And I finally understand
that the term "Stay-At-Home Mom" does not refer to a parent
who no longer works outside the house, but rather to one who never seems
to get out the front door.
So here I sit, children in hand, wondering how to answer my beloved
husband.
DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY?
Well, I think I did, although not much seems to have gotten
accomplished. I shared breakfast in bed with a handsome young man. Of
course, the breakfast consisted of a bowl of porridge and leftover cookie
crumbs found between the sheets. The handsome young man is about thirty-four
inches tall and only gets excited at the sight of purple dinosaurs,
toy trucks, and french-fries. I got to take a relaxing stroll in the
woods. Of course I had to look for frogs and lizards, and had to stop
and smell the dandelions along the way. I successfully washed one load
of laundry, moved the load that was in the washer into the dryer, and
the dryer load into the basket. The load that was in the basket is now
spread out on the bed, awaiting my bedtime decision to actually put
the clothes away or merely move them to the top of the dresser.
I read two or three classics. Of course, Dickens and Shakespeare
cannot take credit for these works, as we have moved on to the works
of Seuss and Munsch. I don't think I will be making any trips to the
Adult Section of my local library anytime soon. In between, I dusted,
wiped, organized and rearranged. I kissed away the owies and washed
away the tears. I scolded, praised, hugged, and tested my patience,
all before noon.
DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY? You betcha! I will now understand
what people mean when they say that parenthood is the hardest job they
will ever have. In my LBD (life before diapers) I was able to teach
young minds how to divide fractions and write complex sentences, but
I am unable to teach a strong willed two-year-old how to use the toilet.
I was once able to navigate urban streets while talking on the car phone
and looking for a decent radio station, but now I can't get the wheels
on my stroller to all go in the same direction. I've graduated from
university, written newspaper articles, and won awards, but can't figure
out how to get carrot stains out of the carpet. I used to debate with
my friends about politics, but now we discuss the merits of cloth versus
disposable. And when did I stop talking in sentences that had more than
five words?
So, in response to my husband's inquiry, yes, I did do something today.
In fact, I am one step closer to one of life's greatest accomplishments.
No, I did not cure AIDS or forge World Peace, but I did hold a miracle
in my arms. Two, in fact. My children are my great accomplishment, and
the opportunity to raise them is my greatest challenge. I don't know
if my children will grow up to be great leaders or world-class brain
surgeons. Frankly, I don't care, as long as they grow up to be good
people. They are my greatest joys, even though I sometimes cry myself
to sleep at night in frustration. The point is, that today I got to
watch my children take another step on the great journey of Life, and
I even got to point out some of the sites along the way.
As challenging as parenthood is, it is also equally rewarding, because
we are using all our wisdom, our talent and skills to help forge a new
person. It is this person, these people, who, in turn, will use their
gifts to create our future. So every nursery rhyme I recite, every swing
I push, every little hand I hold is SOMETHING! And I did it today.........