I was chatting with a co-worker as we washed our hands in the bathroom this morning and I asked her how her little guy enjoyed Easter, if he's old enough to get in to it yet. He'll be one this month and he's just started standing up, isn't walking and getting in to trouble yet. She asked me how my kids are, how our Easter was, and I told her that I fondly remember those days of having just one little guy who wasn't mobile and in to anything. No fighting. No screaming. No running off in to traffic in defiance. No throwing plates across the room because they're the wrong color. No he-hit-me-she-looked-at-me-the-wrong-way
I'm sure some day I'll look back on THESE DAYS fondly and remember the way my children delighted in each other and the world... during the moments when I wasn't ready to tear my hair out. Yes, I'm often exhausted and frustrated and at my wit's end from all the whining and fighting and screaming and tattling and defiance, but I look back on Easter weekend and remember the way Sam sunk in to a chair to read the farting dog book with Grandma or the way Eva ran across the pavement at the zoo to show me the blue plastic easter egg she pulled from the pile along the snowbank. I can smile about the fact that thanks to Grandma we were actually able to go out to public events without me losing a child or Eva getting run over by a car at the Wildlife Center.
Grandma adores these kids and they adore her, and I suspect I'm the bad guy in the whole thing because they all get a little sick of hearing me sigh and make demands, but nobody will remember any of that. What I'll remember is Grandma's special at-Sam's-request salmon with dill sauce Friday night and the two children passed out in the backseat after a wonderful morning at the zoo and the way Sam insisted we thank God for the food and for Grandma and for the easter bunny before we sat down to eat our Easter ham. Yes, I'm sometimes exhausted and overextended and anxious for a little time to myself, but I'm always, ALWAYS so grateful my children have their Grandma and Grandma has my children and we get to spend these holidays together as a family.
Feeding the ducks at The Wildlife Sanctuary
Grandma is Sam's best pal, and he likes to have her all to himself.
Easter Egg Hunt at The N.E.W. Zoo
Feeding the giraffes - Not too close, Mommy!
Has anyone yet noticed that I'm being defiant and refusing to go along with you?
High Five Easter Bunny
(That's just a guy in a costume, Mommy. That's not the real Easter Bunny.)
6:30am The Loot
Our Robot Creation
Perfect spring weather
2 comments:
I promise you that your memories will soften your "wits-end" feelings and you will recall these days as "Remember when we...you were so stubborn!" or "You were so independent!" And you will all laugh. And this is coming from someone who - if I didn't have those memories - would have considered my parenting experience a total disaster. You're so lucky to have TT there for them.
It will definitely get better. Loads of memories and wonderful times. As a grammie myself nothing better than snuggling, shopping or just "relaxing" as we watch TV. Today my grandson told me he loves spending time with me as I am awesome. Who doesn't love that.
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