Hey there!
It’s me, from the inside of my pantry, shamelessly hiding from my kids.
Yes, you heard that right. I’m hiding from my children. I know I’m not the only one who has ever pulled the slip on their active brood. And I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it. I won’t be hiding out for long, but I just need a few minutes to think, breathe and pull myself together.
Why? Well, in the past two hours, the following shenanigans have occurred:
- WrestleMania. Despite every attempt on my end to thwart this exercise in my living room, the show went on, producing two crying children and a black eye.
- Grocery shopping. Need I say more? Grocery shopping with kids is like an offensive/defensive sport: Kids on the offensive, trying to load every “contraband” item into the cart; Mom on the defensive, attempting to “grab a few things” while simultaneously keeping the cart clear of junk food. Today, there was the added bonus of preventing an entire watermelon from being smashed on the store’s floor. Despite my best efforts, we still ended up bringing home a bag of Cheetos, a box of Cocoa something cereal, and not one, but two, fidget spinners. Mercifully, the watermelon made it to our cart in one piece.
- An attempted business phone call. This one was impromptu, I wasn’t prepared! “My kids are home,” I said apologetically “but they should be fine for five minutes.” A definite over-estimation on my part. Fifty seconds in, my seven-year-old smashed his finger on the edge of the countertop while pretending to be a hawk. Three screaming kids ensued: two scared of the “hawk” chasing them, and the hawk screaming and crying in pain with a bleeding finger.
- The crying! Good Lord, someone is always crying. Or whining. Or complaining. Make it stop! I think my kids had a covert meeting in the middle of the night and decided that today would be a great day to be in a bad mood, all together!
Obligatory Disclaimer
I always feel like these topics need a disclaimer, so here it is: I adore my children. They are beautiful beings that have made my life wonderfully enriched beyond imagination. They are silly, fun, loving, and simply amazing. I am blessed beyond belief to be their mama, and to live this life.
Please, Hear Me Out!
We’re literally in the thick of summer. I’ve been super-momming and cruise-directing my way through the last seven weeks, and I’m starting to feel a little {ok, a lot!} burned out.
I’ve spent countless hours outside hiking, swimming, and bike riding. I’ve collected over 300 worms, and have painted what seems like 3000 rocks. I’ve amassed a multitude of snail shells, seashells, and pebbles – all of which have found their way into every room of the house, including my bed.
I’ve made pirate ships out of boxes, hearts out of Jell-O, and an entire family of play dough figurines. I’ve broken up 1,000,000 squabbles, listened to countless hours of potty talk {the way only 5 and 7-year-old boys can do}, and have answered the question “But, Mooooommmmm, why?!” over ten zillion times.
And somehow, in the midst of it all, we ended up with a new family cat. “Sorry,” I told my less-than-amused hubby, “I’m not sure how it happened. We just ended up at the animal shelter and, well……” {not to worry, hubby + cat are secret besties now}.
Our schedules have been full, and my heart is undeniably full. We’ve all had a great time. But I’m longing for the wonderful, structured schedule that only the school year can seem to provide; I’d like the sun to set before 10 p.m.; I’d like to dial back the activity speed to a medium, and relinquish my Cruise Director role just a teensy tiny bit.
Please, Don’t “Mom Shame” Me!
Please, don’t read this post and mom shame me for feeling overwhelmed! Regardless of our situations and circumstances, parenting binds all moms together with one underlying common theme: raising little ones can be incredibly HARD. What’s amazing about being a parent in today’s world is our ability to talk about and share our parenting truths, however major or minor they might seem. It’s completely acceptable to admit that things aren’t picture-perfect, or “amazing” all of the time. Because they aren’t. My parenting truth is that today, I’m hiding from my children because summer is overwhelming!
The Pantry Safe Zone
Today, my chosen spot to take a minute to myself is my pantry. It’s been a lovely five minutes in here, basking in the silence. But now I hear my name being called over and over again and it’s time to return to my happy chaos. Stay safe out there, fellow parents in the trenches. And remember, if you need to take a minute to yourself – in the pantry or elsewhere – you’re not alone! Take some deep yoga breaths with me, and get yourself back into gear.
You’ve got this – we’ve got this – and you’re doing an amazing job raising your own active brood!
