I tell my boys to not run around outside naked, I think at almost 4 and 6 that they should probably have some clothes on, (am I terrible, tyrant of a mom for that?). But low and behold they still do it, I mean its 100 million degrees outside here in hot Vegas, so who can blame them? I went outside today and my beautiful nail polish that I painstakingly applied (okay maybe I just applied it while watching Back to the Future last night), bubbled in the heat. REALLY!? Its that hot!? Summers in Vegas are like winters in Alaska, no body goes outside because its too cold there, and nobody goes outside because its too hot here.
My kids are feeling the summer heat blues and are going stir crazy, so I told them to got outside and play in the sprinkler. We have synthetic grass so it has to be watered down because it it so stinking hot it feels like you are stepping on hot coals. Every time I go outside, even just to walk the two feet, to turn on the sprinkler I am doing the hot potato dance (why don’t I ever remember to put on shoes?). This time the boys actually listened and went out to play in the sprinkler, and even turned it on themselves. YEAH!!! no burning feet for mom. I hear them laughing and running around in the water and sneak a peek out the window and there they are, both of them naked as a jail bird. What the what?! Okay I said play in the sprinkler, which means get your swimsuit out of the bag that is sitting right there by the garage door, ready for you to wear. But apparently I actually needed to say that part.
Less then 30 seconds later I hear Landon screaming at the top of his lungs, you know the cry that every mother knows is the real deal! Not the, my brothers picking on me, or I think I MAY be hurt and want your sympathy cry, but the real full on, I’m in pain cry. I go out to see him and he can’t even catch his breath long enough to tell me what happened. I kneel down and hold him, (him soaking wet, which means I’m now soaking wet) until he can tell me whats wrong. Apparently he slipped while going up the slide and fell on the sand and cedar chips with his little bare naked bottom. I turn him around, and sure enough his butt is covered in sand, cedar chips and blood. Poor guy cut up his entire backside and had sand in places that sand really should never find. I got him cleaned up, calmed down and sat down on the couch (laying on his side, because man, laying on a bruised bum is not fun.) As soon as I got him calmed down he says to me, “Mom since I got hurt can I have some food?” Ohhhh boys, always thinking about food.
Well little man, I hope you learned your lesson about not playing outside naked. Sand in the bum is not a good feeling, that’s why mommy doesn’t enjoy the beach ( I know, I know, I’m crazy and should be checked into a home.)
Its times like this where I feel like I’m really a stay at home MOM. My job in my house is not to clean up everything, cook all the food, or run all the errands, that’s all just part of being an adult and a parent. As a stay at home mom, my job is to be first and foremost a MOM. My wonderful hubby always tells me that our kids come first and if all the rest isn’t done everyday, its okay, because its usually because I put in overtime at my real job. I love that! I love that he is so supportive and totally helps with all the rest of the parenting stuff. I love my job as a mom. I love being there to wipe up the tears, mend boo boo’s, tell stories, give big bear hugs and sweet kisses, to play games and hold my little babies when they just need some love.
Sometimes though I feel like there is not enough of me to go around. I saw a pin on pinterest that said “Being a mother is like being pecked to death by a chicken.” Yeah its kind of morbid, but true too. There is always some one there who needs me, always someone who wants something and the word Mom is probably the most used (yelled, whined, said with love) word in our house. And while sometimes its seems overbearing and never ending and sometimes I just need a little break from it all, to just be Aurie for a bit, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I know that one day when those little voices are all grown up and not needing me so much anymore that I will miss it more then anything in the world. I know I’ll miss little naked bums running around in the yard and I’ll miss them asking me for food 8 trillion times a day. I know I’ll miss being a stay at home MOM, the rest of the stuff will always be there, in smaller doses of course. So Ill enjoy “being pecked to death by little baby chickens” while it’s still happening.
