If you are a mom then you know that there is never time to sit down and sip a cup of tea. At one point I decided it was easier to drink coffee faster, but after being pregnant so much I rarely drink coffee these days. Bria also will not sleep if I have coffee. The things we start to give up grow as one becomes a parent.
Just the other day I was remembering what it was like to wake up to an alarm clock. The great thing about having infants is we do not need or use the alarm anymore. Even when the baby does not wake up before six, I do in anticipation of that first scream. I am not sure what is more annoying, a baby cry or a loud beeping sound. I do know I used to be able to hit snooze on the beeping and the crying does not go away just because I want to sleep more.
I used to have soaps that I carefully picked out. Now our shower is filled with baby shampoo and not much else. We all just use the same stuff. I am not complaining, just remembering. I used to wash my hair everyday, but to save shampoo and time I wash it every other day. This ends up being healthier anyway.
Our living room used to be tidy most of the time, but now it is a playroom, sewing room, music room, and office. How can one possibly expect to keep it clean? Did I mention books too? We love books. They are everywhere. Yes, we have book shelves, but if one reads several books at a time then they are dotted around the room to spark conversations at all times.
Cleaning up after one meal used to take a few minutes, and now it can easily take thirty minutes. I would not even say my kitchen looks clean after all this time. One could mop every day to keep Bria's place clean. At this point to keep up with a functional home is more important.
And about that cup of tea. Most days it gets put on the counter while I take kids to the potty. Maybe I make myself wash the dishes first. See I view tea as my reward from taking care of everyone and everything. Since this takes place all day, I easily get a few sips of tea throughout the morning instead of relaxing on the couch and reading something.
Kids open up a world I never expected. There is always something going on. A lot of the day is filled with happy noises. Yes, there is fighting and crying to, but lots of joy. I don't know what I would do all day if they were not such good entertainment.
The truth is serving my family comes naturally. I may complain, but I secretly do love it all. It feels great to finally cook a meal all my kids like. Making cookies would be no fun if it did not bring smiles to other peoples faces. Cleaning would be boring if there were not toys and food crumbs everywhere.
So even if it seems like a lot of work now, it is worth enjoying it all. The return is much greater than I know at this point. Next time I am in a bad mood I need to reread this post. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment