How Did I Do It?

I had this crazy day at work on Friday.  Kids meeting their fate in the principal's office, one right after the other.  I was buried in manila folders.  It was a two martini kind of day.  Except I was baby sitting that night for an old co-worker, turned good friend's kids.  Oh how I miss those old co-workers.  They were the ones that made work feel like family and made it worth getting up and going to work.  Now I go because it's a paycheck.  I'm digressing.  Sorry. 

No Friday cocktails for me!

I am not scared by three kids.  It was my (still is) life. Their needs are just of a different type now.

On a beautiful spring evening I played "get out of math jail" with pre-school-boy-genius Kyle.  One must perform an addition or subtraction problem in their head in order to earn the right to slide down the slide.  That's right, five year old Kyle can spit out the answers to problems like: 9+7 and 20-10 and down the slide he came, problem after problem.  Allen saddle backed his big brother and whipped down that slide attached to him.  Little Addie Mae was happy and all smiles in her swing.  The dog, yes the dog, even got in the action--may end up being the blame for the Tommy John surgery I will be needing after hours of fetch the plastic golf ball. 

All was perfect till bedtime.  Addie: head down, cuddle blankie, eyes closed, zonked out.  Kyle: book time, head down, zonked out.  Allen: book time, head down, CRIES FOR "MOMMMM-ME".  How ever does Kyle share a room with his brother is all I could think!  I ignored the cry like any good mother (babysitter) would and let the little guy cry himself to sleep.  Then I took to the couch for a night time nap.   At 10:30pm I hear this screaming cry, "mommm-me, mommm-me, mommm-me" and out walks a half asleep Allen.  I sprung from the couch, scooped him up in my arms and reminded him of the magic powers he had--close your eyes, sleep and when you wake your mommy will appear.  He could have given two cents about magic powers!  

Like a phone-obsessed human I grabbed my phone and captured a Snap Chat to send to my girls

 
Still screams of "mommmm-me" carried on...till finally I tossed him in his mommy's bed.  Eventually he calmed and quieted.  Oh the joy of night terrors. NOT!  I wondered how I use to do that myself...and I didn't even work full time.  

Which brought me to my thoughts this morning.

This morning I was late to church for Palm Sunday service after I got lipstick on my shirt and had to change my clothes seconds before walking out the door.     

However did I manage to get three little girls ready for church all on my own, every Sunday morning and out the door at 9am?

How?!

King Ralph was either on day shift or was sleeping after a midnight shift; which left me to tend to our girlies single handedly.  I guess when it is your life and you are in the moment, you know no different.  I just rolled with it.  The girls always had slicked back ponies, pigtails or sponge rolled
hair, pressed dresses and shined shoes.  How did I do it? 

As I sit back and reflect on the motherhood I can imagine no greater pleasure than the joy of pure and utter exhaustion.  Would I do it again? Sure! Because in the end the pay off is greater than all the years of perpetual tiredness I experienced.