Groundhog Day in paradise.
There should be a law against this. It’s a crime against nature that a gorgeous sunset colors the water while BrightSide and I are trapped in a room, hammering out another peace accord between our kids.
Without surveillance video, stories morph from one version to another like fog rolling across a river. She did this. But he did that. No, I didn’t! And she said this then did that. No I didn’t! I really didn’t!
Lawd.
I love my kids to pieces, y’all, but for real…we’ve had at least one Come To Jesus on every single trip this summer. Every. Single. One.
Does this surprise me? Not anymore. It annoys me at times, yes, but it’s not a shock. And this brings us to our weekly PSA:
Thinking about having kids? Have you caught baby fever from watching your second cousin’s adorable 9-month-old babble happily at the family picnic? Feel compelled to stroke other children’s hair as their strollers pass by on the street? [Fight that urge, btw.]
Awesome. It sounds like you are indeed interested in repopulating the planet. You might be ready for kids IF – and this is a big if – you accept that little peeps are way more than a full-time job.
They are always there. Always. Kids are strapped to your torso or tugging on your hands. They’re tangled in your legs, climbing counters, or calling “Mama, watch this!” from the next room. They’re falling over couch cushions, landing in your lap, and bouncing up for more. They are always between you and whatever you’re trying to do.
Kids are there at 5:00am and midnight. They’re there when your best friends finally come over for drinks, and they pop into the room just as the really good stories get rolling. They show up the second you finally make yourself lunch, eat the last cookie or doughnut, and forever alter your restaurant experience.
So think long and hard. Yes, that baby is super cute and somehow manages to smell heavenly despite the fact that she pees in her pants. They’re adorable and look ever so portable when they first show up. Remember: they grow.
This is a long term gig. It’s marketed as an eighteen year deal, but I’ve come to accept that parenting is a forever thing. Not parenting as in “you need to eat your green beans”, but parenting like wondering if your kid’s getting enough exercise and has enough savings.
The theme may change, but I suspect Groundhog Day is here to stay.
So true! Love the snark and your writing style
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Thank you. ☺️
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Currently at the back end of my first ‘summer holiday’ experience. 7 weeks of entertaining a 5 year old whilst wrestling his 16 month old sister and 6 months pregnant with number 3! Wondering what I have done- very broken inside. Like you say… they are ALWAYS there.
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Does your 2nd go to playschool? At the very least your eldest is getting ready to start kindergarten, and it’s always been my personal philosophy that the first week back to school is MOMMY’S vacation. I try to schedule as few obligations (appointments, etc) as possible and that week is off limits for feeling bad about napping, watching tv, reading a good book, getting a pedi…it’s my way to rebound from summer. You’ll make it!
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Haha absolutely LOVE that idea! Thanks for the tip. My eldest is due to start his second year of school. I’m self employed (run a good old fashioned English pub) so it makes more sense for me and partner to keep youngest at home until and work out schedules around her until the free child care kicks in (april when she turns two) by that point number 3 will be 4 months old but hopefully still glued to my breast and very sleepy to allow me some catch up time haha!
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Yep, all true statements-18 years my ass!
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Preach.
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It’s a lovely t like puppies and kittens – they don’t stay cute little babies forever. But, when they are finally responsible adults, it gets easier. Worries are still there, but they don’t permeate every second of your day.
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Thank you autocorrect – it’s a lot like, not lovely.
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🙂 The puppy period flew by so fast, just like those babies. Elbow deep in pee puddles and puppy destruction, it felt like it’d last forever… I see my sister with her adult girls and the worries shifted, but they’re still there.
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33 years and counting, but I would do it ALL over again. You left out broken dam of finance that is college tuition.
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College tuition — ack. And we’ll have 2 back to back. 😳
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Ah yes, but at the end of 8 years, you get the biggest raise you’ll ever get. Seriously, the month after that last tuition payment, you’ll feel like the mega-rich feel on a Tuesday.
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Score! 😂
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Or, as my father used to say: “it’s like hitting yourself with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.”
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