For a few brief minutes each day there is a pervading quiet throughout these front rooms,besides the sounds of little girls rummaging through toyboxes or little boys throwing blocks against the wall that is. To me this is gold. Some days I long for it, can hardly move through the planned activities and the craziness until I get here. Funny enough when I do get here, when the tasks are completed and the little people are snug in bed, my hands feel awkward. What in the world do I do with myself, I sometimes wonder. And then I get that queer little ache inside, the one that reminds me someday I will have this quiet, this lack of urgent must do's permanently. But before I let myself get all teary eyed and deflated I snatch at right now and resolve to savor it and by doing so bring hope to the days ahead. Enjoying right now is one of the best lessons I've learned to date.
I don't know if I love anything more than mooches. Good morning mooches, peanut butter faced mooches, mooches from tear streaked faces, I'm sorry mooches, I missed you mooches...In our family, mooches are currency. They can get you pretty far. Want someone to read a book over again? Gimme a mooch. Need just a tad more whipped cream on your pudding? Gimme a mooch. And when you're dying to get some fresh air and crash trucks around in the mud..Gimme a mooch. Simple act. Great rewards. It's a wonder what a difference a little mooch can make.
Most of the time I am mommy. The woman who makes eggs in the mornings, wipes up spilled milk and whisks at stray blueberries with the broom. The girl who chases Daddy for an extra good bye hug or dances in the kitchen in a pink fuzzy bathrobe. Lately I have added a new title to my repertoire. Dog. Natalie and Adam's latest fascination is with dogs. Especially people acting like dogs. So I have thrown all reservations, embarassment, and propriety to the wind and embraced this new persona. I have to admit I think I make a pretty good canine. Lolling tongue, wistful eyes, a gamely scamper. Seems I am up to snuff in their eyes too. They revel in creating big fluffy beds for me, feeding me dishes of water and pretend candy (this dog has a definite sweet tooth). At first I felt a little strange, ungainly, foolish. But then I saw the delight in their eyes and decided it was worth it. So most of the day I'm the one cleaning the bathrooms, running the vacuum or reading the stories, but come twilight mom's on the floor with a bone and an old slipper. Who knew being a dog was so grand?
1 comment:
First of all, does Canine Mommy have an actual name? I'm thinking Muffy, though it's not too original. How cute!
I love the part about mooches. I, too, receive mooches from faces that only the mom can love. Food stained, tear stained, sick...you name it and I've kissed it, as you can imagine.
Don't even get me started on the reminder that "someday I will have this quiet permanently". I'll take today, no matter how hard it gets.
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