My Brother-in-law Frank once said to me, "Parenthood is relentless isn't it?". Uh, yes. I can't help but admit that word has been floating around in my head since he mentioned it. Yes. Relentless, nonstop, ongoing, endless................etc. We decided to push Piper's bedtime back to 8:00 this summer. There are some really great things about that. It's closer to being dark. We have about 2 hours with her alone after Quinn goes down - and she deserves that one on one time. I don't have to hurry to get both kids in bed between 6 and 7. And she actually goes to sleep when we put her in bed. Well sometimes.
However. Moving bedtime from 7 to 8 means we're "on" for one more hour. Which means I get about one hour of "me" or "us" time before I poop out and head for bed myself. Last night I think I feel asleep before Piper did! Then we get up when the kids get up (which is way too early) and start it all over again. Then there's the laundry, the house work, cooking, errands to run, grocery shopping (anyone else go to the grocery store 6x a week?) play dates, swim lessons, all while trying to be a good mommy. There are days, literally, where I have 10 minutes while both girls are down for a nap before one gets up. Believe it or not, I can fall asleep during that time. I can be out COLD for those 10 precious minutes. But more often than not, I'm catching up on laundry, paying bills or one of the other millions of things we have to get done. It's a rat race. And Brooks is right there with me - what would I do if he wasn't??? Oy.
That's life as a parent. At least MY life as a parent. But life is so full and rich now. It feels complete. Having life like this makes you really enjoy those small little moments that if life were slower, you'd take for granted. Things like reading a book to one of my girls before bed. Dinner's done, bath time's over, it's just her and I cuddling and reading. Or sitting on the patio with a fire in the fire pit and talking to my husband. Actually communicating. Catching up with each other. "Oh yeah! I forgot how much I like this guy." (Isn't it funny that you have to "catch-up" with your husband whom you live with?) Or having a few extra minutes to stop at Starbucks on your way to work. Or having time to write in your blog. Or taking those 10 precious minutes to "nap" or read a magazine. Or an HOUR away to do yoga and just breathe.
Life is really in the moments anyway isn't it? 10 years from now, I won't remember the specifics of the rat race. I'll remember those precious moments. Probably not the ones reading a magazine or stopping at Starbucks, but the cuddle time. How special it is to have a night alone with my husband. The moments where we just dropped what we were doing to play "tickle monster". The impromptu cookie making messes. You know the good stuff.
So, relentless? Yes. But also so rich, so full of laughter, so sweet, so perfect.
My brothers-in-law are about to become parents themselves (which we are so excited about!). They will soon know the perfect relentlessness of life with kids. And they will love it too.
