I have one you guys may like....<BR>Subject: a mom's wisdom<BR>My husband came home today and saw me sitting on the couch,<BR>toddler<BR>on<BR>one knee, and baby nursing on the opposite breast. I was trying to<BR>turn<BR>the<BR>pages of a book with the hand not attached to the infant, while<BR>listening<BR>for the sound of the stove buzzer, which would indicate that<BR>tonight's<BR>pork<BR>chops were at the stage between "well-done" and "the dog gets<BR>tonight's<BR>entree." My husband looked at me innocently, and asked "So, did<BR>you do<BR>anything today?" It's a good thing that most of my appendages were<BR>otherwise<BR>engaged, as I was unable to jump up and throttle him to death. This<BR>was<BR>probably for the best, as I assume that asking a stupid question is<BR>not<BR>grounds for murder in this country. Let me back up a bit, and<BR>explain what<BR>me to this point in my life. I was not always bordering on the<BR>brink<BR>of<BR>insanity. On the contrary, a mere four years ago, I had a good<BR>job,<BR>steady<BR>income, and a vehicle that could NOT seat a professional sports<BR>team, and<BR>me,<BR>comfortably. I watched television shows that were not hosted by<BR>singing<BR>blue dogs. I went to bed later than nine o'clock at night. I<BR>preferred<BR>sex<BR>to<BR>sleeping in. I laughed at those people who drove halfway across the<BR>country<BR>hauling a tent trailer, two screaming kids, drooling dogs, and<BR>called it<BR>a<BR>holiday. Now I have become one of them! What happened? The stick<BR>turned<BR>blue! I have traded in my Victoria's Secrets lingerie for cotton<BR>briefs<BR>and a<BR>firm support nursing bra. Good-bye, Garth Brooks. Little Bear,<BR>Blues<BR>Clues<BR>and Hey it's Franklin! My idea of privacy is getting the use the<BR>bathroom<BR>without a two-year old banging on the door, and the baby spinning<BR>the<BR>toilet<BR>paper roll from the wheel all over the bathroom. And I finally<BR>understand<BR>that the term "Stay-At-Home Mom" does not refer to a parent who no<BR>longer<BR>works outside the house, but rather to one who never seems to get<BR>out the<BR>front door. So here I sit, children in hand, wondering how to<BR>answer my<BR>beloved husband. DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY?<BR>Well,<BR>I think I did, although not much seems to have gotten accomplished.<BR>I<BR>shared breakfast in bed with a handsome young man. Of course, the<BR>breakfast<BR>consisted of a bowl of porridge and leftover cookie crumbs found<BR>between<BR>the<BR>sheets. The handsome young man is about thirty-four inches tall<BR>and only<BR>gets really excited at the sight of purple dinosaurs, toy trucks<BR>and<BR>French<BR>Fries. I got to take a relaxing stroll in the woods. Of course, I<BR>was on<BR>the lookout for frogs and lizards, and had to stop and smell the<BR>dandelions<BR>along the way. I successfully washed one load of laundry, moved<BR>the load<BR>that was in the washer into the dryer, and the dryer load into the<BR>basket.<BR>The load that was in the basket is now spread out on the bed,<BR>awaiting my<BR>bedtime decision to actually put the clothes away or merely move<BR>them to<BR>the<BR>top of the dresser. I read two or three classics. Of course,<BR>Dickens and<BR>Shakespeare cannot take credit for these works, as we have moved<BR>on to<BR>the<BR>works of Seuss and Munsch. I don't think I will be making any<BR>trips to<BR>the<BR>Adult Section of my local library anytime soon. In between, I<BR>dusted,<BR>wiped,<BR>organized and rearranged. I kissed away the owies and washed away<BR>the<BR>tears.<BR>I scolded, praised, hugged, and tested my patience, all before<BR>noon.<BR>DID<BR>I DO ANYTHING TODAY? You betcha! I will now understand what people<BR>mean<BR>when they say that parenthood is the hardest job they will ever<BR>have. In my<BR>LBD<BR> (life before diapers) I was able to teach young minds how to divide<BR>fractions<BR>and write complex sentences, but I am unable to teach a strong<BR>willed<BR>two-year-old how to use the toilet. I was once able to navigate<BR>urban<BR>streets while talking on the car phone and looking for a decent<BR>radio<BR>station, but now I can't get the wheels on my stroller to all go in<BR>the<BR>same<BR>direction. I've graduated from university, written newspaper<BR>articles, and<BR>won awards, but can't figure out how to get carrot stains out of<BR>the<BR>carpet.<BR>I used to debate with my friends about politics, but now we discuss<BR>the<BR>merits of cloth versus disposables. And when did I stop talking in<BR>sentences<BR>that had more than five words? So, in response to my husband's<BR>inquiry,<BR>yes,<BR>I did do something today. In fact, I am one step closer to one of<BR>life's<BR>greatest accomplishments. No, I did not cure AIDS or forge World<BR>Peace, but<BR>I<BR>did hold a miracle in my arms. Two, in fact. My children are my<BR>great<BR>accomplishment, and the opportunity to raise them is my greatest<BR>challenge.<BR>I don't know if my children will grow up to be great leaders or<BR>world-class<BR>brain surgeons. Frankly, I don't care, as long as they grow up to<BR>be<BR>happy<BR>and fulfilled. They are my greatest joys, even though I sometimes<BR>cry<BR>myself<BR>to sleep at night in frustration. The point is, that today I got<BR>to watch<BR>my<BR>children take another step on the great journey of Life, and I even<BR>got to<P>point out some of the sites along the way. As challenging as<BR>parenthood<BR>is,<BR>it is also equally rewarding, because we are using all our wisdom,<BR>our<BR>talent<BR>and skills to help forge a new person. It is this person, these<BR>people,<BR>who, in turn, will use their gifts to create our future. So every<BR>nursery<BR>rhyme I recite, every swing I push, every little hand I hold is<BR>SOMETHING!<BR>And I did it today!!!!!!<P>Sorry it is so long<BR>Lesa<BR><P>------------------<BR>"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and<BR> lean not unto thine own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5<BR>Take care and God Bless.<P>
LMS20ish@cs.com
