My kids always love it when Moo and Popsy come to visit. Moo and Popsy visit once a month. They don't come to see me or Don -- sure they pretend they do, but it's the kids they really come to see!
The kids wait anxiously downstairs, noses pressed to the window, and as soon as the car pulls in they get ready to pounce! Actually one gets ready to pounce and the other hides... and the baby is still too young to get excited.
Figure 1, tall dark headed male approaches door followed by Figure 2, short, blonde lady in oversized dark sunglasses.... Child 1 readies herself for the pounce while Child 2 dives into the couch and burries himself in pillows. Child 3 is not entirely sure what to do make of this.
After hugs and kisses Child 1 Grabs Figure 2 and pulls her in the direction of her room, while simultaneously Child 2 grabs Figure 1 and pulls him in the direction of his bedroom. Child 3 scampers behind following everyone up the stairs. I hear the gate click into the lock position and I do the Dance of Joy!
I am kidlet-free for a few beautiful, precious albeit too-short moments! I can breathe. I can get something to drink. I can grab a handful of m&ms without sneaking them -- although I don't realize this is an option until it is too late. I can do the dishes... but I don't! Hey, I can pee! I can pee kid-free!
As the kids are all upstairs playing beautifully and quietly and Don is off to the dump and the storage rental facility I start to prep lunch. My daughter has requested "Not Sandwiches Again" and so I decide to have a nice chicken salad, green salad, accompanied by some bruchetta (made with yellow, orange and red tomatoes) and grilled toasts made from French Bread and an Onion batard from our Fabulous Baker. I love to cook and it's quite enjoyable when I do not have babies tugging at me and a 6 year old trying to pants me whenever he gets the opportunity. Especially not having to yell "Get Away From the Stove" 50 million times as I am grilling the toasts... For a moment I am happy and serene... peaceful. For a moment I forget there are children in the house until I am abruptly shaken out of my reverie by a whiney, squeely "MaMaaaaa!" I fill up his sippy cup with Evil Juice and send him on his way again... Phew!
Eventually Rebecca and my mom come down and watch me grill the toasts and help set the table. We eat outside, al fresco, and it is a glorious breezy day. It feels more like early May than Late June. I need my sweatshirt. Lunch is delicious and actually quite relaxing. Something about eating outside tames the kids a little bit. So much so that the baby asks to get out of his high chair and falls asleep on my lap.
We all linger around the table after we're done eating... Christopher heads to the swings and while the rest of us sit and chat and soak up a little sun. After 30 seconds my mom spies a sunburn and rushes to apply the sunscreen yet is upset that it is as strong as 30spf!
I am really enjoying this. I am really enjoying sitting on my duff doing nothing. This is my calling... now I have to figure out how I can put my talent to use and earn some money... sitting on my duff doing nothing!
It's been about 4 hours which means Moo and Popsy will be leaving soon. This also means my time of leisure will be leaving too... I want to throw myself at them.... get down on my knees and beg and plead them not to leave, because as soon as they do I will be yelling and chasing... I will be pulled on, prodded, poked and pantsed. My world will come crashing back down. Hard. I want to tell my parents to stay, please stay but I can't. There is simply not enough room in the Crazy Crowded House. So I bid them farewell and brace myself for the chaos that is moments away.
I should be grateful. I should be thankful that I had a few moments of peace. I should be grateful that I was, temporarilly, in a place where I had forgotten about the kids. I should be grateful that for a short while I was able to sit and relax and have adult conversation. I should be grateful but I am not. I want more!
The kids wait anxiously downstairs, noses pressed to the window, and as soon as the car pulls in they get ready to pounce! Actually one gets ready to pounce and the other hides... and the baby is still too young to get excited.
Figure 1, tall dark headed male approaches door followed by Figure 2, short, blonde lady in oversized dark sunglasses.... Child 1 readies herself for the pounce while Child 2 dives into the couch and burries himself in pillows. Child 3 is not entirely sure what to do make of this.
After hugs and kisses Child 1 Grabs Figure 2 and pulls her in the direction of her room, while simultaneously Child 2 grabs Figure 1 and pulls him in the direction of his bedroom. Child 3 scampers behind following everyone up the stairs. I hear the gate click into the lock position and I do the Dance of Joy!
I am kidlet-free for a few beautiful, precious albeit too-short moments! I can breathe. I can get something to drink. I can grab a handful of m&ms without sneaking them -- although I don't realize this is an option until it is too late. I can do the dishes... but I don't! Hey, I can pee! I can pee kid-free!
As the kids are all upstairs playing beautifully and quietly and Don is off to the dump and the storage rental facility I start to prep lunch. My daughter has requested "Not Sandwiches Again" and so I decide to have a nice chicken salad, green salad, accompanied by some bruchetta (made with yellow, orange and red tomatoes) and grilled toasts made from French Bread and an Onion batard from our Fabulous Baker. I love to cook and it's quite enjoyable when I do not have babies tugging at me and a 6 year old trying to pants me whenever he gets the opportunity. Especially not having to yell "Get Away From the Stove" 50 million times as I am grilling the toasts... For a moment I am happy and serene... peaceful. For a moment I forget there are children in the house until I am abruptly shaken out of my reverie by a whiney, squeely "MaMaaaaa!" I fill up his sippy cup with Evil Juice and send him on his way again... Phew!
Eventually Rebecca and my mom come down and watch me grill the toasts and help set the table. We eat outside, al fresco, and it is a glorious breezy day. It feels more like early May than Late June. I need my sweatshirt. Lunch is delicious and actually quite relaxing. Something about eating outside tames the kids a little bit. So much so that the baby asks to get out of his high chair and falls asleep on my lap.
We all linger around the table after we're done eating... Christopher heads to the swings and while the rest of us sit and chat and soak up a little sun. After 30 seconds my mom spies a sunburn and rushes to apply the sunscreen yet is upset that it is as strong as 30spf!
I am really enjoying this. I am really enjoying sitting on my duff doing nothing. This is my calling... now I have to figure out how I can put my talent to use and earn some money... sitting on my duff doing nothing!
It's been about 4 hours which means Moo and Popsy will be leaving soon. This also means my time of leisure will be leaving too... I want to throw myself at them.... get down on my knees and beg and plead them not to leave, because as soon as they do I will be yelling and chasing... I will be pulled on, prodded, poked and pantsed. My world will come crashing back down. Hard. I want to tell my parents to stay, please stay but I can't. There is simply not enough room in the Crazy Crowded House. So I bid them farewell and brace myself for the chaos that is moments away.
I should be grateful. I should be thankful that I had a few moments of peace. I should be grateful that I was, temporarilly, in a place where I had forgotten about the kids. I should be grateful that for a short while I was able to sit and relax and have adult conversation. I should be grateful but I am not. I want more!