Not just playing Mommy!

As my older boys approach the big age of three, my house is constantly full of noise and clatter!  I have noticed the twins have started their own language. Squealing a high pitch sound and echoing it back and forth. Sometimes they integrate the hand clap, sometimes they leave it out. They have also started the push & shove game; which can be fun at times but hurtful at others. A run to mom for a quick kiss always fixes the boo boo and then it is back for more pushing and squealing. (The house is officially, LOUD!)

The baby just turned four months and is still, according to his stats, short and chubby weighing in at 16 lbs 5 oz (90%) and 25 in (50%). He still demands to be fed every 2 to 3 hours, AROUND THE CLOCK which means no sleep for dear old mom, me. The pediatrician told me last week that next month we are to begin tough love overnight. I am not looking forward to hearing a baby cry all night! :(

Playing mom is hard most of the time. Balancing three boys in diapers seems to be a never ending feat. I joke with my husband about how 'play' time goes during my day. The minute I sit down in the play room to do an activity with the boys I usually smell something...time for a diaper change! Then, the baby starts to cry because he wants to be fed, then another diaper change, then someone wants juice and the other wants goldfish and then I smell something again! The to-do cycle just repeats itself. (So much for pretend play or story time; it is work time!)

Laundry is high up on my demand list too! It seems the minute I finish all the laundry and get around to putting it up I have another mound to wash. I've got a system down though. Darks, lights then towels (which can be partially dried in 15 minutes out in our crazy 100 degree heat). When finished, every room has a basket + a towel basket. (That equals 4 baskets for clean laundry plus a 5th for the new dirty). Good thing I have a large laundry room which also serves as my home office. Most days it is cluttered with stacks of mail/bills, shoes, diaper bags and lots and lots of laundry, oh, and a pretty little bucket for all the misfit socks!

Anyways, the point of this blog is....

Do you remember growing up and playing mom? I do. All I have ever wanted to be was a mom. I would love on my babies, put them in my bicycle basket and take them to the "store" (my garage), give them their bottle and so on. However, in reality, motherhood is not just about play; it is really hard work. Probably the hardest kind of work. In fact, it might be up there with the sewer guys!

I remember about 10 years ago I was debating a career change out of finance and into teaching. My friend who was a teacher said, "Jennifer, playing teacher and being teacher are two different things. It is really hard work. Long hours, little pay and loads of stress." I suppose I would tell someone the same thing about motherhood.

I guess I thought home life was simpler. Hang out. Eat snacks. Watch cartoons. Play outside.
Don't you wish it was more like the pretend parenting of our youth? Maybe it seemed easier as I child because you never really thought about all that your mom was balancing to make growing up easy on you. Hopefully, home life for my kids is similar in that it is easy on them regardless of how hard it is for me.

Recently, we discovered that our twins are delayed in their speech. I have known they were a little different from the other kids their age. For instance, at the zoo when their friends would see a bear, they would point to the bear, look at their mommies and say, "Mommy, look a bear!" However, my boys would point to the bear and state, "Bear, B-E-A-R, Bear!!" Their brains are working at hyper speed and have not managed to sort through about all the things in between. They can sing all the words to almost every nursery rhyme (even ones like Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear and Polly put the Kettle on), they can name all of their letters in order, numbers, shapes (including pentagon, hexagon, etc), animals (distinguish between a macaw and flamingo), their planets (all 9, in order), etc and spell almost all of those too! Crazy, I know!! Yet, they can not say a complete sentence like, "Mommy, I would like some juice please." Anyways, at almost three, we are finally starting the speech therapy and so far they both are responding well. This morning Jack said, "I want planet puzzle please!" Of course we squealed as parents and said, "You got it buddy!"

Again, it is times like these when I stop and think, phew this is hard work! This is not "playing" mommy, this is the real deal working mommy!

Until next time...

Dear Lord,
Give me strength to be there for my children in sickness and in health. When I say to myself, "I can't do this" remind me that I can. Help me to remember that parenting is a partnership with You. Do not let me feel worry or be anxious when thinking about my children's future. Remind me that because I am in partnership with You, all will be well and that You will work out the problems! Let me hear Your voice every day so that it may guide me to be a stronger mom and wife. Let me speak the words that you would want my children and husband to hear.
-Amen

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boost all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

- John 16:33