It’s a bleak time of year, it’s a bleak news cycle, and I need a little sunshine.
My newest niece is a ray of sunshine, of course – I cannot wait to meet her. Boy do I love seeing pictures and videos of her hiccups and sneezes and gas-induced smiles, though.
My kids make me laugh (when they’re not making me cry). Liam, upon my request/command, hopped up to refill the spare-tp drawer by the guest room commode. “Uh, Mom? We got a situation here,” he said to me, and I came into the bathroom to investigate the ‘situation.’ “The toi-wet paper got wonger” he lisped, and pointed to the drawer, which would not close because he had filled it with paper towel rolls.
Craig, in a fit of pique yesterday because I would not let him abandon his dinner bowl and eat off of Liam’s plate (grass is always greener when you’re 1), launched himself off the dining room table, picked up the heavy ceramic dog’s bowl full to the brim of water, and hurled it across the room. It’s like we live with the Incredible Hulk – miniature version. He then contentedly mopped up water and scrubbed the floor with a towel for about ten minutes. He loves to scrub things. In a happier moment the day before, he opened the under-sink cabinet doors and pulled out a pack of sponges, then put one in each hand and got on the floor scrubbing, Annie-style.
I had a nice lunch with a friend yesterday. We swapped mom stories and lawyer stories and it was all very pleasant and grown up and fun. I ate crawfish enchiladas and drank sweet tea and didn’t have to wipe a nose or grab an errant fork before it flew across the room.
We have dressed up and slimmed down the house, top to bottom. Every closet cleaned out and organized, every drawer. The children still litter toys everywhere, but they are easy to tidy up now that we have room for them. I’ve rearranged some furniture, including putting a little reading nook in the master. It’s nicer. I feel somewhat in control when I organize things, though I try not to let the need to organize things control me (if that makes sense).
Only a couple more weeks til the semester is over and I get a break from being a ‘single mom’ during the workweek. Hallelujah.