Monday, July 30, 2012

Mama | This day and the next

The chaos can't and won't very well go away, will it? Should it? Our days generally start out so promising, with cute, sweet smiles, crazy bedhead, and clean diapers (after the dirty ones, of course).


Then sometimes I'm "with it" because I spent hours the night before on pinterest trying to come up with ideas of what to do with a toddler, so that his mind is enriched, and he gets all kinds of learning experiences, and his brain doesn't turn in television wires like poor jimmy jet, and we do something fun for breakfast like make "monster toast" with milk and food coloring and a paint brush.


Of course, said toddler will really just want to dump the milk all over the floor and table.

At which point mama needs biscotti and coffee.


Then we'll continue our painting themed morning by busting out some watercolors for the first time! And again, said toddler will just want to dump the water all over the floor, but mommy might be there to intervene this time.

Of course, such enriching projects take up the whole morning and the tv set isn't even thought of once. In my dreams, that is. After the 10 minutes of painting projects, the tv seems like the only option. The baby needs fed, or snuggled, or rocked to sleep, and the toddler is insistent that a movie is really the only thing left to be done. And so, mommy gives up in defeat, hoping for better things and less tv tomorrow morning. But then, maybe I'll throw it out tonight, or at least hide it in the den.


Of course, we'll probably take a break to try on some fancy shoes.



Later, nap time goes off without a hitch. Oh wait...

How is it that each day can be such a terrible wonderful mix of chaos, ugliness, tantrums—adult and toddler alike—sweet hugs, kisses, creativity, messes, and learning? I'll never know, I'm sure, but just as Christ showed the disciples that thousands can be fed with just a few fish and loaves of bread, so to can great things be done with these silly mornings and weak hands.

Here are mine, Lord. Make them do better things tomorrow.

P.S. I have my mom to thank for the monster toast, not pinterest. She did it with us when we were kids.


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