New Discovery

I had a wonderful weekend. I had the privilege of sponsoring my friend for a great spiritual weekend. I was able to watch my grandson turn one year old in the only style anyone should turn one- with cake all over your face and hair. I saw Ariel's face light up when she opened her favorite gifts - a doll and a scooter. And finally, I got to love on and spend time with two of my favorite people, Grace and Zane.

It is Grace and Zane that taught me a lesson this weekend. I would like to say that I handled everything with one hand tied behind my back. But, I didn't.

Now, don't be thinking crazy thoughts or anything. They were both returned to their mother with all four limbs and mentally stable.

It's just that they wore me OUT! I am mentally and physically exhausted. Don't get me wrong. I loved every minute of it. I would do it again without a second thought. It is just that I don't remember having to use my brain so much when Amber and Adam were young. I don't know if that means they weren't the brightest kids on the block, or if my brain just worked better and quicker then.

I am certain that I have lost some - not all - of my ability to multi-task. As a woman, I am so ashamed. My goodness. Isn't that one of the biggest differences between Mom and Dad?! I might be turning into a Dad...... No. I don't think I am that bad yet. I was still able to cook a meal, break up a fight between the kids, break up a wrestling match between the dogs, and send one little boy to his room all at the same time. However, I am embarrassed to say this. But I totally dropped the ball. I forgot....

Geez. This is embarrassing....

I was really busy you see....

And there were a few distractions.....

I just can't believe that I.....

Forgot about the Zane in his room!

Poor little thing! I felt horrible. Surely, I am too old to be a mother, again. Who forgets their kid is in time out? Uh... maybe I should say 'who, accidentally, forgets their kid is in time out?'

Between this incident and going shopping with a five year old, I realized something. Child rearing is not like riding a bike. You don't just jump back on the saddle and peddle your way into days with children in tow. Nope. It doesn't work that way. It is a lot harder than you fondly remembering it to be.

Maybe it is one of God's gifts that he lets us remember very little about the pain of childbirth and gives us the ability to laugh and even look back fondly on the craziness of motherhood. Maybe it is so that we will babysit for those poor moms still in the trenches of peanut butter, skinned knees, boogers,and nasty socks.

Or maybe, just maybe, it is a joke.

That way, we innocently say, "Sure! I'd love to babysit little Damon."

"It will be so much fun."

" Do his eyes always turn that red color? It's not a problem really!"

" Do you always let him play with knives? Oh. Just on the dogs? I understand."

" After all, I had two of my own. If they managed to make it adulthood with all of us still alive, I can handle your little guy."

Little Damon is a fictional character. He is a product of the writer's imagination. Any resemblance to any child, old or young, is purely a coincidence, unintentional and just plain scary.