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A new series is popping up here
on good ol' Leigh vs Laundry.
I'm thrilled to have some mama time
while my two little monsters are at school.
So, I'm going to celebrate, from time to time,
the wonderful moments I spend all by myself,
without a kid in site.
One thing that I have more time for is housework.
It's so much more lovely
to perform this task without
a little one undoing and messing up
what I just cleaned.
I'm so thrilled that I decided
to create a photo essay coupled with
a haiku in honor of each of my daily chores.
An ocean of clothes the wave crests on my couch I drown in cotton
I push and I pull gliding over the carpet shaking the earth clean
A whirlwind within soapy water swirls and spins dishes glimmer in the sun
decided to keep it low key since money is a bit tight.
So I dug into my trusty party decoration drawer
and used up all the leftover decorations from past birthday parties.
The boys had so much fun helping me set up
their dad's Pokemon/Transformers/Mario/Soccer birthday party.
Roger actually loved it.
I treasure these simple family moments.
Want to join me in my quest to scout out happiness for a whole year? Simply post a photo of something that makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it. Then, steal my button and include it in your post. Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.
The other day I was fluttering around the kitchen with my baby on my hip. I opened the freezer door and all of this stuff came tumbling out. My husband quickly came over and crouched behind me to gather it all up and as he placed various things back in the freezer he said...
"I was going to bite your butt but I didn't want you to drop the baby."
We erupted into laughter. This says so much about where we are in our marriage at the moment. The love is there and the laughter is easy to share yet...it's all about the kids right now. We take it where we can get it. He smacks my butt while I'm cooking dinner. We pass each other in the hallway each evening as I am heading to put Koen to bed and he is off to give Griffin a bath.
We smile lovingly at one another as our shoulders brush in passing. "I'll meet you on the couch at 9" one of us will say to the other. Then, after Koen is sound asleep and Griffin is squeaky clean from his bath, the three of us pile up and read stories together before bedtime. As we read Curious George for the 1000th time and Griffin sits snugly between us, we'll play footsie and give each other flirty grins.
By the time 9 o'clock rolls around, I am a zombie and he is too. We veg out on the couch watching this and that. By 9:30 I am almost asleep. By 9:45 I am brushing my teeth. At 10:00 pm I am in bed. So much for a hot steamy night of passion. These days, the only thing I kiss is my pillow as I lay down to go to sleep.
Me and my man are like two ships passing in the night.
A shift has slowly happened in our home. The crib has long since been dismantled and I haven't changed a diaper in years. All of the tiny onesies and baby socks have been boxed up and passed along to new mamas for a while now. For a bit, I mourned the exit of the baby years in my life and I think it was important for me to linger in that place.
Now, Griffin is 9 and Koen is almost 5. My home is bustling with Beyblade battles and Pokemon games. Bedtime is smooth, everyone is begrudgingly trying the vegetables on their plate, the kids can play outside in the yard together while I curl up with a good book and keep an eye on them through the window. If the children bicker, I sit them down at the dining room table and tell them to work it out. Then I walk away. After a few minutes of tears and negotiating, they make up and run off and play.
I have time for myself while they are at school. I attend a Bible study, I do my household chores (the laundry is still winning btw), I joined a writer's group and writing is a part of my daily life. The Mister and I still have Friday night dates. We laugh together. I'm not too tired from chasing around a baby and actually want to snuggle on the couch with him because I'm not exhausted.
Dare I say that we are happy? Happy to be at a point where the children are getting bigger and we can go to the movie theatre together without a child screaming the whole time. We all actually sit and enjoy watching the movie. It's like a miracle. Both of the children know how to swim so if we go to the pool, I'm not freaking out worrying that one of them will drown. We all splash and play. It's like a dream. If the kids wake up early on the weekend, they stay in their room and play or read together until we drag ourselves out of bed a bit later.
I know that we will go through phases as a family. Changes and stresses will come our way but right now, at this very moment-we've hit the sweet spot and I want to always remember this special time. When both of the boys are still so innocent. When they still crawl up into my lap and ask me to read them a story. Even my big 9-year-old still likes a good cuddle. He's like this huge puppy that doesn't know how big he is. He's marching toward being a Tween and so I am treasuring his little boy-ness.
I am letting the present settle into my heart. There may not be more babies for our family but I'm actually happy to feel complete. Our hard work of raising babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers has paid off and now it's time to sit back for a moment and appreciate the children they've become.
and my parents offered to keep the boys one night,
which meant I had a much needed night to myself.
I was a bit fried from the intensity of the holidays.
Having everyone home from work and school
for two weeks was nice in theory
but really it just means more work for Mama.
I'm not complaining, I'm just saying
that when it was time for life to go back to our routine,
I needed some "me myself time".
Anyhoos,
I did what any red blooded mama
would do when she has a night off.
I drank cheap champagne out of a tiny bottle,
ate dark chocolate,
and worked on the second draft of my novel.
It was like heaven.
Other activities not shown from my solo night....
*A trip to see the movie "Her"
where I ate buttered popcorn for dinner.
*A hot bubble bath with lavender candles
while I listened to Tori Amos.
*Reading People Magazine on the couch.
Want to join me in my quest to scout out happiness for a whole year? Simply post a photo of something that makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it. Then, steal my button and include it in your post. Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.
My name is Leigh and this blog follows my misadventures as a stay at home mom. Read as I juggle housework, motherhood, creativity, and delusions of grandeur. I am inept throwback to the 1950′s housewife, so this blog gives a modern twist to a retro lifestyle. With a focus on the drama and joys of everyday life, sometimes heartfelt but usually hilarious observations unfold. All the while my ignored laundry pile grows by leaps and bounds.
