Sunday Afternoon

I think I’m living Life all over again. Specifically, I’m not Living It but rather Watching It this time. Not sure which one I would pick, if I had to…..there’s pluses on both sides. I’ve noticed that my daughter comes over more often lately……with the GrandMonsters. And I know why because I did the same thing with my parents when the kids were young. Sometimes they are driving you crazy, or they’re bored and up to no good, or you’re bored and it seems like eternity until Bath/Bedtime. Even though you love these kids to death, parenthood can be so very wearisome at times. So anything to break up those long hours, especially on the weekends……and summertime.

So she texted me with the words: “Are you home now?” She always uses those words when she wants to come over, each and every time. She should say “Could me and the Monsters come over for a little while? because I think I’m going crazy and need a break…..any kind of break would be good.” But she probably thinks that would be rude. And usually I say, Come on over. Sure, I like seeing her and the kids…….but I mostly remember how much it helped me. And how much better behaved kids are when they’re at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. And, an hour of good kids is better than money and also there’s 2 other people to get up and help these constantly needy children…..especially if you’re on your first day of a cold like my daughter.

Later after Grandpa got home, he and the kids went out to the yard for swings/slide fun so Mom and Daughter got to sit and talk at the table about Whatever…….like we used to, with out any Kid-Talk at all. And it was great. We even got to enjoy one of those Uncontrollable Laughing Bouts where you think you can’t breathe if you don’t stop laughing. And it felt so good. It was just me and her again. I’m her Person and she’s my Person. We can say so much without even saying a word out loud…..two peas in a pod but with enough differences to make it interesting…..and sometimes frustrating.

I was really looking forward to a day of just relaxing, which always means a day with a Good Book to me. My husband had a long meeting to attend, the weather was cloudy with just enough chill in the air, the dogs were happy to curl up in their beds, napping and the new book was nice and fat…….sounded like heaven to me. But then I get the “Are you home?” text. And I think that since I have oodles of days to just sit and read, all comfy/warm in my home….I should take pity on a young mother who just needs a break. I remember how it gave me and my kids just the little change/use of time to kind of Start Again and I know it made me a better mother. If I had to hear one more “Mommmmmmmmm, look at me!” or “Mommmmmmmmmm, he touched me!!!” I would drive away and keep on driving. And when you’re a Mom, no one takes care of you when you’ve got a cold. Usually everyone in the family has a cold and it’s always Mom who takes care of them all, even though she has the cold also……or will soon have it.

So today turned out differently than I had thought but so much better. Sure, the kids make me get up, do things a lot more than I prefer to do with this aging body. But I get to see those beautiful smiling faces who never want to go home. And I got to have real Time with my daughter, laughing over something completely silly, and, most likely, unfunny to most people, while she sat and ate most of my prized pomegranate seeds that I tediously struggled to open, three at a time to get it over with. But this happens every year at this time…..ever since the first time I opened one and foolishly decided to share the wonderful taste with my two young children. After that, it was always my job to get the seeds out……although with pomegranates, it’s best not to have little kids help you, unless you like cleaning up lots of blood-red stains all over the entire kitchen. Even though it meant far less seeds for me to eat, what’s better than having your kid sitting, talking away with you, while continuing the old tradition of “Eat Mom’s pomegranate seeds?” In my book, nothing.