13 Reasons Why I Miss Those Golden Moments with My Kids (3rd Thursday 13)
(Logo, courtesy of Teamouse.)
It’s the end of the school year, and I will inevitably get one of those “handprint” poems from the kids, or the one, “There Will Be Time” by Peggy O’Mara. They tell me that childhood doesn’t wait. They advise me that I’m caring for eternity, children grow so quickly, and that the dishes can wait.
These poems make me feel a tremendous amount of guilt. So, this week, knowing the poems were coming, I have been working very hard to follow the advice of the poems. But I get lost: Here are 13 reasons why:
1. They call me to sit with them to read a book. I’m loading breakfast dishes – the cereal is starting to form crusts around the bowls. But I stop and go to them. On my way there, I step in spilled milk. I did not cry over the milk – but milk can sour. So I stop to clean it up.
2. While cleaning that up, the washer beeps signaling that the load I put in early this AM is finished. There’s another load waiting – so, I run to the basement to dry one load, and add another.
3. While traveling to the basement, I notice a trail of glitter. I shouldn’t – but I follow it to see where it takes me. There, I find the glitter from the manufacturing of the sea globes, in a big pile all over the place.
4. I do not clean this one up. Instead, I run back to the kitchen, breakfast dishes, still everywhere, to read stories to my toddlers. However, they are already in a full-blown squabble, involving hitting and biting – time-outs and discipline are in order.
5. While in time-outs. I scurry to load the rest of the dishes. Then, apologies, hugs and kisses. But now, they’re ready for a snack. Geesh, didn’t I just clean up the kitchen? So, peanut butter and crackers.
6. While they’re eating, I start dinner. (If I miss my window – it’ll be cereal or pizza. This is the only time I have to do it.)
7. While cooking, I have a diaper to change, and the dryer is buzzing saying the clothes are ready to come out of the dryer. So, they finish up their snacks, and I head down to pull the clothes out of the dryer before they wrinkle.
8. While I’m busy downstairs, one of my boys finds the one last juice box in the cooler. There are two kids home right now. There is only one juice box. A tearful squabble ensues.
9. Dinner is still not done. I start to worry about this – and decide to plunge head first in getting that ready to go. One of the boys decides it’s lunchtime. (I know this sounds painfully familiar to that book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.) So, I warm up some chicken noodle soup. I eat the leftovers.
10. Guess what. The big boys are home from school. I’m now reading parental consent forms and teacher notes, and requests for more help. These boys are starving.
11. The oldest decides grape nuts will make a nice snack, and in his attempt to let us know how cool he is, he swings the box up and around, and the grape nuts scatter across the floor.
12. The doorbell starts ringing, asking for play dates. The homework questions start, the little ones act as if I’ve been away from them on some deserted island all day, and seem to want my attention even more.
13. The house is trashed. Dinner still isn’t done. I keep vowing I’ll start FlyLady’s Missions tomorrow. But for now, I just let life happen.
TeaMouse has 13 Thursday 13 logos to pick from. I picked the beach theme. You can see the others, here. Leave a comment with a link to your Thursday 13.
This needs a frame of it’s own. Then you can hang it right by the handprint.
I know those days.
OH, how I wish I could say it didn’t happen everyday …
While I understand that there may be some neglectful parents out there who NEED the guilt trip one of those poems inspires, I doubt any of them take a look at the poem and go OH MY I SHOULD START DOING SOME PARENTING. In other words, those poems preach to the choir. You’re obviously the choir. It shows in every word here.
Isn’t it odd how that always seems to happen.
In our house we’re well past the little kid stage but our daughter will inquire to play a board game and then something else happens and next thing you know she’s grounded for throwing some sort of fit. It seems the game playing always gets put on the back burner.
I’ll have to make an effort to get it going quickly before the mood swings take over at our house.
I’m glad you enjoyed the header, I had fun making them and the beach one was my absolute favorite. You’re so nice to link back to me!!!
Oh, it sounds like a normal day Chez Charlotte’s Web. Maddening, frustrating but somehow still entertaining. When I was pregnant with my third, a dear friend said to me, “And now you will learn to embrace the chaos”. That’s what I do every day - embrace the chaos. After all, it’s our very own.
i can totally relate to days like these and yes…it has become our way of life. you surely are a good mother Susie. don’t be too hard on yourself. I am already freaking out sometimes with the two I have, but four - woman you’re a saint in my eyes! Have a nice day…if that is still possible. =)
I love your post! It is so hard not to feel the mother guilt. I don’t know….I think giving your kids tons of attention and enjoying them every minute of their lives is great and all….but we still have to eat, and who wants to eat on dirty crusty plates, on a dirty sticky table, on a floor with crunchy bits underneath your feet. Somebody’s got to do it! I don’t see anybody at my house doing it but me….so I clean, and I read stories, and kick the ball in the yard, let life happen, and deal with the guilt!
LOL I don’t have kids, so I can’t relate
But it’s funny all the same!
You have described my average day to a T. Somehow, it sounds funnier when it’s happening to someone else!
I just keep reminding myself that before long, my 3 year old will be going to school and I’ll have HOURS to kill. (yeah, right)
Yep, that basically sums up being a mom! As I type, I just heard the dryer beep that it’s finished. How much do you want to bet that I will still forget about it until tonight?
Thank you for reminding me that those days weren’t as glorious as they are in my imagination now that my three are all teenagers. Can I say it gets better as far as having a cleaner house, but worse to find the individual time?
I used to love summers with my kids, no schedules , no running around, it’s coming soon! Thanks for sharing your day and have no guilt, you are there providing support, that’s what counts.
Wait until they are teenagers….you’ll long for these days.
Wow, and I thought things were hectic in my house with four cats!
What a fun post — and you sound like a great mom.
Happy TT, and thanks for visiting my blog!
I don’t have kids (well, only the canine variety), so I can’t really relate, but it’s still a wonderful list
Thanks for visiting my TT!
Aww, you poor girl… Take a time out, and forget about the house. If I have learned anything it is, the mess will wait. I promise it doesn’t disappear on its own, so who cares when it gets done?
I can relate to you Susie - not the having 4 boys part lol - but the not having enough time ever. But come to think of it, what will life be for us when the kids are all grown up? Days will be longer, hours forever. Sometimes I get scared just thinking of that.
So what exactly did you get done today?! (HA!). Hee, hee. Your day sounds like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!”
With four kids of my own, I can tell you this… Your house will not be clean again until they move out. Just forget about it. I thought little kids were messy, but four teenagers have proved to me that I was very, very wrong!!
Just keep smiling!!!
Happy TT!
Jessica
I don’t have kids, but you describe it so vividly I can totally imagine it!
Thanks for visiting my Google TT!
Don’t we hear that all the time: forget about the house and do what’s important (spend time with the kids). I agree totally in principle, but if I really forget about the house, I won’t be able to FIND the kid!
I’ve reformed a bit (as an OCD queen) and definitely put things down when I can tell my girl really needs some serious Mommy time. But really, as a single mom, it’s really, really tough to do that. I just need a few more hours per day. When M and I move in together and merge our families, I think we may find a tiny bit more time, but I know it will still be rushed, as we are working parents!
You know — someone could make a fortune just showing Moms how to manage it all. Because, Mama Zen is right — if we do forget about the house — we literally won’t be able to “find the kids.” For me — it is a constant job. I can get nothing done, because I’m picking stuff up all day long. So, in one sense, I’m not doing anything — because nothing is getting done. But it’s not because I’m focusing on my kids all day — I’m truly just trying to keep up.
Definitely a problem — that I’m afraid will not get resolved until they’re grown, and we can see the big picture, and realize our mistakes.