Flippin' Kids

I had a friend for years that would raise her eyebrows at my kids. Choices I made in different areas, reasons behind our decisions etc. One such area was that I think she thought our child would magically behave if we just bent him over our knee more. Wasn't going to happen - and I'm sorry, that doesn't ever magically solve anything.

She's a parent now and actually we've not talked in a couple years. She is likely too busy doing all the things that parents must do. It is really not such a simple task. I wonder if it was a bit of a shock to her!

Now, quick disclaimer - this post is NOT about those who have struggled and at this point in their journey are not able to have children of their own. We have a few such friends and our heart breaks with them as they walk the road of infertility. This post is more for taking a moment to chuckle at life. Laugh alongside others who have experienced the superior parenting advice from those with no children by choice, not by what circumstances have chosen for them.

Kids certainly flip your world. I think my favourite part of being on facebook is seeing friends from years gone by as parents. Seeing their beautiful children and hearing about the quips from their day.

Our day is full of amusement, fatigue, frustration and wonder. They all go together. Those and a myriad of other emotions I can't even describe.

Parenting is about body fluids. Now now, don't think anything exciting here, I'm thinking puke, pee, snot. You know, the scientific, bodily cleansing type that seem to land all over you at the least convenient times (like 2am).

Did you ever think (pre-kids) that YOUR children would not drip snot, would be potty trained before age 2 and remember all their manners? Did reality shake it up for you? It did for me!

My oldest gave me a sweet certificate for Mother's day. It said "I promise to keep my room clean for 1 week". So, the next day when he was bored, I suggested he work on his gift and go pick up his room a bit. I was told "Oh mom, that doesn't mean this week" (Apparently as a week has now passed, it doesn't mean THIS week either).

I was on the phone with a girlfriend I've known forever (I think we're at about 32 years of friendship). She has a strong career, lives with the love of her life in a dream house that they have mutually decided will nurture cats, not children. As we were talking, I was managing my 3 kids (parents with kids, please answer me the mystery of the phenomena of needing mom when she's on the phone). My friend suddenly said "Wow! You've really gotten into doing that mothering thing." (Umm, yeah, they're kinda hard to ignore and since they're here, I might as well take care of them - feed & clothe them a bit - you know, that mothering thing.)

Balancing work has been a challenge and the other day I was trying to do some from home due to a childcare glitch. I had my work nicely spread on the kitchen table and had left the room for a moment. I come back to see an empty banana peel sitting right on the middle of my open books. Nice.

Today I rushed home from work to mop my floors before going to get the kids from care (yes, I know it gets dirty again quick, but this just cleans off 1 layer before they start on the next). Not even an hour after getting home with them, my big boy trails through the kitchen in his socked feet - right from the garden where he had been playing with water in the mud. Sigh.

I'm told its a phase. My parents house apparently never gets messy. Who is there to mess it up? Will I miss that some day? Some parts I think I won't (like the bodily fluids mentioned above), but special snuggles, nose rubs and school made Mother's day cards will be a thing of the past way too soon.

So, while I'm paid in sleepless nights, never ending laundry, bathrooms that look like I have 10 kids, not 3, I can honestly say I'm content with my lot and I'm pretty certain I'd never trade it.