It was a rough night’s sleep with a recovering, but still coughing baby. A little after five this morning I was woken by my 17yo daughter who was getting up to go to seminary. She woke us with the words “There is a mouse or something swimming in the pot in the sink.” That’s a very effective wake up call, if you’re wondering. NO matter how tired you are, you will feel alert if someone says that to you…even if it’s whispered. Blessedly husband was still home and dealt with most of that and one of our cats got a free meal. Yes we have multiple cats, who apparently chase the mice into the house but don’t CATCH them. “Dear cats, elevate your game. Love, the people who feed you.”
I was very tired and motivated to go back to sleep, but darling little 2yo woke to the commotion. Her antics, mostly comprised of “Hungy mama, I hungy” woke the 5yo. I fed them both then made an executive decision to go back to bed. I set the girls up with Curious George and wobble back to bed.
My children know that in the rare event the television is on in the morning, mom must be excessively tired. As a result, I was only interrupted 5 or so times in the next hour-including one exuberant singer and dancer who needed to use my bathroom. The last door opening was 5yo informing me that 2yo needed a diaper change. I woke up 15 minutes later having dreamt the diaper change. I pondered for a while whether it was dream or real, when I realized my husband was in the dream—definitely not reality. sigh. I wake up and change the diaper and start pancakes for breakfast.
I leave my darling little sou chefs to stir the batter while I sit down for a minute as the baby has woken up again. The baby greets me with an explosive technicolor interactive diaper experience. She smiles. As I attempt to clean her up she fountains all down my sweats. I laugh. I have just won the worst day of the month and it is only just after 8am!
I attempt to marshal the troops to encourage further helpfulness and notice the 5yo sou chef is trying to get my attention. “Mom, this batter is too wattery. Rachel added more water to it.” “What?” I say. How does that happen? What could possibly…I look at the floor for the trail of water-but it isn’t there, the water faucet is not dripping. I look around her for water carrying options…then I see it. the bottle of oil. I pick up my darling lump of squishy soft, now clean, baby and walk carefully in my baby bedazzled sweats to see that she has indeed poured the rest of the bottle of oil into the pancake batter.
I gather the 14yo and 10 yo. I instruct the 14yo in batter rescue techniques and hand off the baby to the 10 with reminders that she now not only rolls, but does this scoot, army crawl, snowplow kinda move that can propel her forward-keep her safe! I head for the shower.
My darling 11yo has sorted the laundry for me. and placed it all directly in front of my shower (a little of it is even trailing into the shower). Relocating the laundry will have to count for exercise this morning.
I take a lightening quick soap filled shower and still as I’m dressing I overhear comments of where to put the baby. When she needs to nurse EVERYONE is so sad she can’t be held. I sing loudly that I’m very close to being dressed. Maybe it’s the trauma of her recent diaper experience that has reminded them of the potential hazards of baby holding that has them spooked. I finish dressing and rescue the baby.
To read all of Britt Kelly’s articles, please click here.
It is almost 9am and my morning scripture reading, writing, and regrouping time has been …otherwise employed.
This is why I haven’t been blogging. I have thoughts. I will get them down, but until that point just think of me winning awards over here. Worst day of the month awards.
Britt grew up in a family of six brothers and one sister and gained a bonus sister later. She camped in the High Sierras, canoed down the Colorado, and played volleyball at Brigham Young University. She then served a mission to South Africa.
With all of her time in the gym and the mountains and South Africa, she was totally prepared to become the mother of 2 sons and soon to be 9 daughters. By totally prepared she means willing to love them and muddle through everything else in a partially sleepless state. She is mostly successful at figuring out how to keep the baby clothed, or at least diapered, though her current toddler is challenging this skill.
She feels children naturally love to learn and didn’t want to disrupt childhood curiosity with worksheets and school bells. She loves to play in the dirt, read books, go on adventures, watch her children discover new things, and mentor her children. Her oldest child is currently at a community college and her oldest son is going to high school at a public school. She loves to follow her children in their unique paths and interests.
She loves to write because, unlike the laundry and the dishes, writing stays done. Whenever someone asks her how she does it all she wonders what in the world they think she’s doing.
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