An older post renewed! This post has made it through two webpages and I just have to revive it one more time!
It has been quite a while Why you may ask? Well, toddler mom life. Between starting my own nutrition business, teaching part time at university college, being a wife, and being a toddler mother… there is little down time! Life feels to be passing by like a flash. Somehow the newborn baby I just brought home from the hospital runs around the house destroying everything in his path and creating mass chaos wherever he goes. Not only does his path involve destruction but it also involves telling mommy no, and throwing oneself down when he is told “no”. One fit lasted a full thirty minutes because I would not let him eat the ink side of a marker. Horrible parent that I am, pried the marker from his death grip and threw it where he could not reach. By doing so, I unknowingly opening the gates of toddler mass meltdown.
So as you can imagine my life is busy and interesting. Working mom life is not for the faint of heart. What am I saying, MOM LIFE is not for the faint of heart! Ha! So when my mother-in-law offered to take my son for an overnight stay I rejoiced on the inside. “Oh you want him to come over Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening? Ok, yeah that works great.” As I hung up the phone I barely could contain my excitement. For whatever shall I do! For Wednesday is also the night my husband teaches a night course at the local college, so that would mean ALONE TIME!!! Woot woot! How amazing, how long has it been since I got an evening all to myself to watch what I want, wear what I want and do what I want. No toddler negotiations or husband requests! Heaven has shined on me!
So, since my sweet boy was to go down the road to Mimi’s house I decided I would spend the morning and part of the afternoon with him so I would not miss him too much. As to be expected the house was destroyed and Ben was elated. So much to do with mommy! Terrorize the toilet paper, rearrange the cabinets, milk art in the hallway, hidden food in the furniture. Oh it was a grand day. We ended it with playing in the yard waiting for Mimi to arrive. When her car pulled into the driveway sweet boy was busily tormenting an innocent grand-daddy long legs desperately trying to make its way across our yard. Silly daddy long legs, little did you suspect a wee creature to begin stomping and sweeping the yard with a stick trying to remove your existence from his yard. But once Mimi was spotted it was all over. Sweet boy was ready to go wherever his Mimi would take him. Mommy was no longer the apple of his eye. Which of course always makes me a tiny bit sad as he goes down the road without even noticing the absence of his mother. But boy oh boy! Alone time was inching its way closer and closer. Once Adam arrived home he rushed around and gathered his things to teach his class. Once he was gone I could not contain my thoughts, “empty dishwasher, clean house, sweep floor, do laundry, shower AND SHAVE LEGS, paint toenails, journal, blog and watch a show!” Oh my. SO wonderful to not be rushed in doing all of the above, no toddler screams for MOMMY and husbands asking how much longer. Just me to my thoughts and all the hot water my tank would hold running down my back. Glorious. Once I was done with the cleaning and showering, painting toe nails was obviously the next thing! How long has it been toes? Since you received some TLC?? Woah, quite some time I see…. Once that was finished I realized the house was neat, quiet, and… lonely. Everything I wanted to accomplish was done in less than two hours… Now what? My house is clean, my laundry… well it is clean in piles, folding… that doesn’t happen too often in this home! ha. I am showered and have painted nails.
You see what I have failed to realize is in this short time I have been responsible for another human being, I have grown into the role I was created to be, a mother. I was not created to be alone with a clean, quiet, fit-free home. Quite the opposite. I am at my best when I am shaping and molding my son’s character and discipline, no matter how tiring the task may be. Sure there are days I will be longing for moments like these, but ultimately I hate these moments. I hate being without my husband and my son. I was meant to care for a wild and crazy home. I was meant to chase spiders in the yard with my toddler to keep him from rearranging the entire pantry and closet spaces. Being a mother is tiring but fulfilling. No other job in the world requires you to be on your game more times than not. To be a step ahead at all times. To keep the peace when the inside of you is melting from stress and anxiety. So my question to you, wife, and possibly mother, “who really needs painted nails?”
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Psalm 127:3