Last night the kids were driving each other - and me - crazy. Finally after the bickering had escalated they were both sent to their rooms to relax and cool down. It had been a long day of camp, swimming and friends and they needed a break from everything (including each other). But it got me to thinking...
Motherhood is exhausting. It's a feast or famine enterprise where we work tirelessly with no breaks for years at a time. At some point, though, if we do our jobs right, it's done. This is going to end and while they will always love us and need us, this job we're doing now is temporary.
I know towards the end of my life (should I get lucky enough to get old), the thing I will miss most is being a mom: rocking a baby, comforting a child, knowing all the answers, being someone's superhero, making it better.
I'm all done with babies (unless we win the lottery in which case I told Isabel we'd adopt twin boys just for her). I'm aware that Nick is growing up, leaving his little boy years behind. And Isabel is turning into a young lady before my eyes - faster than I'd like sometimes. But I'm also glad that they still like to hold my hand, cuddle on the couch and have me read aloud to them.
So when they start driving me, and everyone around them, crazy I take a breath, take a break and remember I have a crazy life, but I'll miss it when it's over. Even with the fighting and the mayhem, it's a great life. These are my babies. This is my one and only wild and wonderful time of motherhood.
Someday my house will be quiet and clean. What fun will that be? Who needs quiet and clean? There are times I crave it but at the end of the day, I have my whole life to have a clean and quiet house. The clock is ticking much faster for how long I have to build lego ships, bake cookies, read books aloud, color, give piggyback rides, have girl talk, cuddle and all of those other wonderful blessings of parenthood.
If I could go back and offer a word of advice to myself when I had Isabel the message would be Life is short. Get over the small stuff and love the heck out of your kids while you have them, whether they make you crazy or not!
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