Warning: You may not want to read this if you are A. my children or B. blissfully (and naively) awaiting the birth of your first child.
Sometimes being a mom isn't easy. Sometimes? Who am I kidding... most of the time! While it is incredibly rewarding and there is nothing like the love you feel for your own child it is also ridiculously challenging. I love my kids. Everyone knows I love my kids. They know I love them. Let's just get that out there because now I'm going to complain.
Mike has been traveling at least 2 days EVERY WEEK (usually more) for the entire year of 2014. There have been a few weeks here or there when he hasn't but I have a calendar to prove it has been pretty much every week for 4 months. I have come close to a mental break down from time to time. Tonight may have been one of those times... Eva has been crying all night. No, more like screaming. Unless she is on top of me (pulling my hair) she is screaming. Is it her teeth? Is she sick? I don't know people! She doesn't talk, she's just screaming! Besides that there is the normal stuff. Like kids asking me at least every 20 minutes for something to eat. I must say I somehow held it together tonight and did not allow them to eat cookies and milk for dinner. Score one for me! I did let them eat eggs, cereal, apples w/ peanut butter, peanut butter sandwiches and pineapple juice. I'm sorry vegetable group! Why aren't those perfect little baby carrots more readily available here? There is something terribly daunting about peeling and cutting an actual carrot. Want to know what I'm eating for dinner right now? Popcorn. It's my favorite dinner when Mike is gone. I ate half a pear at some point tonight too. It had bite marks in it but it still tasted good. I think I ate at least one corner of a peanut butter sandwich too. Around 6:30 I texted Mike and told him I wasn't sure I was going to last another hour. I was seriously considering putting Eva to bed an hour and a half early and locking myself in my room. Jay and Amaya would fall asleep on their own eventually, right? Funny what happens when you don't think it can get any worse. As I was texting Mike, looking for a little sympathy, Eva spilled an entire bowl of milk and Cheerios on Amaya. How? HOW? It got all over her chair and leaked through the cracks onto the floor. Amaya immediately started screaming (Eva was already screaming) and stripping down naked. Jay and his friend Mariana ran from the room (also screaming) at her nakedness. Once I got her hosed down in the sink (Cheerios were literally everywhere) the girls and I went into Amaya's room in search of pajamas. As I was pulling some out of the closet Eva was actually playing by herself for a minute. Then Amaya stepped on her leg. On purpose. For like 15 seconds. After hearing Eva's screams for the first 10 seconds I finally looked over and saw Amaya with a little grin on her face stepping on Eva's leg. Time out. More screaming. Consoling. Sorry. Lots of I love yous. And then I smelled a poopy diaper. Let's just suffice it to say it was a bad one and I ended up with poop on me. I tried to put Eva on the floor so I could clean myself up she head-banged the bed rail. After calming her down it was 7:22. I was finally in the home stretch. That's when I realized it was Monday and we hadn't had Family Home Evening. But I figured Jay and Amaya watched Veggie Tales tonight so that was something at least. After homework, pajamas, teeth brushing, flossing, potty, bottle (more spilled milk), scriptures, prayers, water and lots of hugs they were finally in bed. Then instead of sitting down to finally rest I took 30 minutes preparing snacks, clothes and backpacks for tomorrow. I also looked for Jay's soccer stuff for 20 minutes (still haven't found it). And here I am. Eating my popcorn. Recording this night so that someday, when I'm a "mature" mother, I can remember how hard it is to be a mom to 3 little ones. So I can help out or just sympathize with a new mom who is going through what I once did. So that I don't tell her, "Someday you'll miss this." Because really? What mom wants one more thing to worry about?? You mean I have to somehow enjoy and "soak up" every moment of this because someday I'll miss it? How do you even do that? I can't even think about that right now... It's time for bed.
