I love my life by the way

I know. I Know. I KNOW.  I was supposed to write about the recital but tomorrow I get photos developed so that should be a great incentive to share.  

But for now I just want to know, What does a mother have to do to get a bit of piece and quiet? 

I was a fishing widow this Saturday.  Tom informed me that he was going to fish A.L.L. day…..and he did.  Except for the three hours he went into work which was simply a hiatous from fishing A.L.L. day.  Not that I had a lot to complain about!!  He sure knocked out one heck of a honey-do list prior to the recital so he was entitled to a day of solitude.  Which he loves so much.  One day with this family and you would totally understand why.

But still somehow a Saturday just feels off if it is not spent with the family…that and the fact that I had three very demanding boys A.L.L. day alone.  By the time 7 rolled around I was SOOO glad to see him walk in the door.  Getting dinner to the table was much more nerve racking than it should have been and I found myself wanting to pounce the boys for their normal behavior so I told Tom that I needed to check out if  you will.  I was thinking of a two hour trip to Wal Mart, but even the details of that were not appealing.  So I decided to lock myself in the bathroom and have a nice l-o-n-g cranberry bath complete with a pumpkin facial, candles and iced downy pearl jasmine tea.  A perfect way to unload a sensory overload. Now usually this type of luxury comes well after the boys are tucked into bed and the night is nearing morning but tonight I was brave and it was right smack dab in the middle of the nightly routine.

Perhaps not such a great idea. 

I showered because I do not like to bathe in dirty water.  Lit the candle.  Filled the tub with cranberry essence.  Slathered on an extra thick helping of pumpkin clarifying mask and prepared to relax.  Can you guess what happened then?

I had forgotten to lock the door and in plowed CC.  He jumped up on the counter, blew out my candle and pounced around the bathroom like a cat on nip.  Once I calmed him and promised him that I would re-light the candle for him to re-extinguish, he reluctantly removed himself from my sanctuary. 

Try two.

I poured myself into the cranberry bubbles and decided to call Aunt Marie.  I had ended a phone conversation abruptly and had not been able to get back to her.  She was a bit amused that I was in the tub but totally understood when I explained that I had locked out the entire family.  Not two minutes later CC at the door in a total meltdown, screaming at the top of  his lungs wanting to come in.  I tried to not feel guilty.  I tried to not listen.  I tried to wave it away but you have not heard the screech of that little boy.  That and when I learned that it was 8 30 I did indeed begin to feel guilty.  He should be in bed by now.  And I was ignoring his body’s needs and I was holding his tooth brush hostage behind the locked doors.  So I ended my conversation, savored what little time I had left to myself and unlocked the door.  Now was I dreaming to think that he would enter, brush his teeth and then be on his way to bed.  Yes dreaming indeed.  Because behind him was AJ.  Stripping down to join me in the bath.  He sort of asked and sort of  assumed that I wouldn’t say no.  I really couldn’t say anything, I just stared in disbelief that he really wanted to invade my space.  And what do you know, that after CC blew out the candle he started to strip down too.  AJ had settled into the far end of the tub by the faucet and when I tried to convince CC that there was no space for him, he pointed and said, ":Ah ha, there’s space for me there and there and there" Then proved it to me when he plopped in . 

Well.

I called for Tom to ask if he and baby Dain wanted to join too because clearly there was plenty of space for all of us.  So why was I not surprised when he put Dain down leaning in over me and trying to make a head dive.  And of course, I had his milk easily on display so he only wanted to nurse.  Great.  keeping count?  That was three, one tugging at my breast and screaming at me and two at the other end having a blast trying to bury my toes in suds.  Cranberry suds.

I would like to say that I beckoned to Tom but I pretty much screamed for him to come rescue me.  He took Dain while we all dried off.   While I was washing away the pumpkin mask, AJ was was way too slappy on my cheeks.  Tom’s fault, every bare bottom he sees, he slaps.  In attempt to keep the boys clad.  And little CC disappeared into Dain’s room where I thought he was dressing in his nighttime pull up but instead but instead he re appeared with my bright red (clean) undies wrapped around his shoulders.  And finally when AJ started with the smell my finger again I had to get out.

What was once my protected sanctuary now became my real life Calamity.  I waltzed into the living room unfazed really and simply said to Tom,  "Honey one of your children is wearing my underwear, and the other one is farting and pulling the smell my finger routine, baby Dain needs to be nursed and I can handle that, please take the the other two."

And he did.

Things settled.  Teeth were brushed.  Stories were read.  Now they are all sleeping soundly.  Even baby Dain who Tom must have come in to take while I was typing this story.  Only AJ is on his bed and CC is curled up at my feet, his head is resting on the boppy, and his body is wrapped in blue piggy pj’s with a bright red undie shoulder sling.

Ah my life.