digging deep
Yesterday was the third consecutive morning that I spent with my quadruplet nieces and their big brother while their dad was away on business and their mom was at football two-a-days.
I was completely unprepared for the kids to greet me at the door at 6:30 a.m. each day. Aren't kids supposed to "sleep in" over the summer?
Each morning we ate breakfast while having a dance party or a wrestling match or both, and watched Team Umizoomi, Caillou, and Cinderella movies. All before 9 a.m.
The first two days we followed this up by going outside. Riding bikes. Playing golf. Swinging. Digging in the sandbox. Throwing our shoes over the neighbor's electric fence. Trying to pee in the yard without getting it on our clothes. And attempting to catch wasps.
Yesterday I just didn't have the energy for outside. And neither did they. Each time they tried to play, someone would burst into tears.
"He said I have to clean up this mess. Waaaa!"
"She's not being nice. Waaaa!"
"He stepped on me. Waaa!"
"She won't let me in the tunnel. Waaa!"
"But I wanted to sit on your lap. Waaa!"
I wanted to cry too. Or yell and send them all to their rooms. Or bribe and beg them to sit down, be quiet, and watch Cinderella III for the third (maybe fourth) time this week. Or lock myself in the pantry and go to sleep until Mommy came home.
Of course I didn't do any of those things. But I really had to dig deep to be nice Aunt Katie. Fun Aunt Katie. Happy Aunt Katie.
And I did have one moment of success, which I think overshadowed all the moments of failure. Here is my digging deep moment:
Tysen was crying because Kaylee ripped a page out of her "magazine" (a junk mail catalog). Catastrophe, I know. Every part of me wanted to tune them out and just pretend it wasn't happening. But instead I grabbed the ripped page and crumpled it into a ball. And threw it in Tysen's face. Then Kaylee's. Then Kenzi's, Tessa's, and Kasen's. Within seconds Tysen had every page torn out of her beloved magazine and crumpled into ammunition.
By the time Mommy walked in the door 5 minutes later it was all out war. And the most beautiful laughter you could ever imagine. Which continued for the next 30 minutes.
Three adults. Five kids. A torn up magazine. And beautiful, beautiful laughter.
I give so much credit to parents and childcare providers who dig deep on a regular basis. Who come up with craft projects when they really need a nap. Who push the swing over and over again when they haven't even had a chance to shower this week. Who read the same stories with the same enthusiasm when they haven't read a novel since pregnancy. Who take care of sick kids when they are sick themselves.
You guys are rock stars. And your digging deep moments totally make up for the moments you feel you've fallen short.
EMBRACE DIGGING DEEP.
These are the moments they'll never forget.
I was completely unprepared for the kids to greet me at the door at 6:30 a.m. each day. Aren't kids supposed to "sleep in" over the summer?
Each morning we ate breakfast while having a dance party or a wrestling match or both, and watched Team Umizoomi, Caillou, and Cinderella movies. All before 9 a.m.
The first two days we followed this up by going outside. Riding bikes. Playing golf. Swinging. Digging in the sandbox. Throwing our shoes over the neighbor's electric fence. Trying to pee in the yard without getting it on our clothes. And attempting to catch wasps.
Yesterday I just didn't have the energy for outside. And neither did they. Each time they tried to play, someone would burst into tears.
"He said I have to clean up this mess. Waaaa!"
"She's not being nice. Waaaa!"
"He stepped on me. Waaa!"
"She won't let me in the tunnel. Waaa!"
"But I wanted to sit on your lap. Waaa!"
I wanted to cry too. Or yell and send them all to their rooms. Or bribe and beg them to sit down, be quiet, and watch Cinderella III for the third (maybe fourth) time this week. Or lock myself in the pantry and go to sleep until Mommy came home.
Of course I didn't do any of those things. But I really had to dig deep to be nice Aunt Katie. Fun Aunt Katie. Happy Aunt Katie.
And I did have one moment of success, which I think overshadowed all the moments of failure. Here is my digging deep moment:
Tysen was crying because Kaylee ripped a page out of her "magazine" (a junk mail catalog). Catastrophe, I know. Every part of me wanted to tune them out and just pretend it wasn't happening. But instead I grabbed the ripped page and crumpled it into a ball. And threw it in Tysen's face. Then Kaylee's. Then Kenzi's, Tessa's, and Kasen's. Within seconds Tysen had every page torn out of her beloved magazine and crumpled into ammunition.
By the time Mommy walked in the door 5 minutes later it was all out war. And the most beautiful laughter you could ever imagine. Which continued for the next 30 minutes.
Three adults. Five kids. A torn up magazine. And beautiful, beautiful laughter.
I give so much credit to parents and childcare providers who dig deep on a regular basis. Who come up with craft projects when they really need a nap. Who push the swing over and over again when they haven't even had a chance to shower this week. Who read the same stories with the same enthusiasm when they haven't read a novel since pregnancy. Who take care of sick kids when they are sick themselves.You guys are rock stars. And your digging deep moments totally make up for the moments you feel you've fallen short.
EMBRACE DIGGING DEEP.
These are the moments they'll never forget.
Fabulous. In so many ways.
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