Today I’ve packed lunches, bagged Cheerios, and whooshed little feet out the door to make it to drop off on time.
I’ve done eleventy loads of laundry without a single thank you.
I went to three different grocery stores to save money and use coupons, buy healthy foods, and stuff to make aforementioned lunches and meet our son’s gluten free needs.
Today I have drank not one but three cups of coffee that had turned cold.
I have paid bills, called the electric company, and deposited checks.
I skipped getting ahead on a work project to be at one child’s school for early release and then back home for homework after battling a complete and total meltdown over a math assignment.
Snacks were packed and jujitsu class done while chasing the toddler as we waited.
Back home to put away earlier groceries and fix dinner while monitoring showers and prepping bedtime.
Second meltdown maintained and no appreciation for dinner…only request for more of this or less of that and dessert, thank you very much.
Today I have stepped on Legos, cleaned up dirty clothes, and put away things I swear I’ve already picked up twice.
Today I have been stressed out, maxed out, overwhelmed, and over it. I’ve wanted to cry and wanted to yell. I’ve wanted to sleep and I’ve wanted a do-over.
Tonight I read library books, said prayers, and sang no less than 30 rounds of Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man before this picture was taken.
Parenting an #extremechild at the same time as you’re raising a #threenager should be illegal.
But this.
This, my friends, stopped me in my cloud of complaints.
As she slapped her little doughy arm across my neck, her breath–somehow always smelling like a baby’s–brushed my nose as she exhaled and I knew, all at once, how precious these moments are.
“I wuv you mama. Da most in da whow wide wowad.”
And I could’ve died right there, folks.
No, lady in the grocery line, I will NOT miss my child screaming over Lucky Charms in aisle 7 one day…but I will miss this. These fleeting glimpses, these priceless reminders of why we chose to make these tiny terrorists and how we love them so dang much we’d do anything for them.
And that makes it all worth it. ❤️
#extremeparenting #parent #hard #tough #tired #exhausted #parenting #why #makememories #worthit
