Then and Now

Well, our week of being parents to just one little hoolie has drawn to a close. I tried my best to truly savor my wee babe and also conquer the world as much as I could knowing full well that as soon as all three whirling dervishes are re-united, conquering will be shelved for many more months.

I have forgotten what life was like with one - and with one with LOVES his sleep....like, we're talking 4 hour long afternoon naps and still goes to bed by 6:30 and sleeps in most days until 7:30 loves his sleep, kind of kid.

So, during those 4 or 5 extra hours a day that I don't usually get with three hoolies, Kev and I:

~ exchanged the boys library books for new ones
~ brought up from storage each boys' next size of clothing
~ put back in storage their previous sizes and most winter stuff
~ mucked out the girl's coop
~ Kevy and I had a hot date
~ completely cleaned and organized the big boys' room
~ totally and completely caught up on laundry
~ bought most of my seeds for my garden
~ read a whole book
~ tried to convince Kevy to buy me a lamb to surprise the boys. He's not biting.
~ cleaned and de-cluttered my house
~ put our outside patio furniture on the deck
~ semi-organized the garage
~ did a wee bit of shopping
~ stayed up late with Kevy just because we could
~ slept in most mornings
~ did a teensy bit of scrapbooking
~ worked on a course that we took last summer and still haven't completed

Having one child who really loves his sleep and who isn't too much of a whirling dervish suits my OCD personality very well. I can stay on top of things, and most things that I complete stay completed, for awhile at least. Life is orderly, it's relatively quiet, I get lots of "me" time, and I don't feel like I'm living on the funny farm most of the time.

This week was kind of reminiscent of the Amy six years ago - the Amy who took pride in her immaculate, de-cluttered house and completely ordered and in control life. Like it or not, that's not the Amy of today. I kind of miss that Amy and that easier life, but man - although life is crazier now, by far - it is also so much more FULL! It's full of life and fun and learning and growing. It's messy and chaotic and humbling and full of days where not a single thing gets checked off my list.

It's a life where just as soon as the laundry basket gets emptied, two little boys come inside from their play covered in mud from head to foot. It's a life where within an hour of them being home, their room will look like a cyclone because they'll be so excited to be back in their space and will want to go through everything that is "theirs." It's a life where my spotless floors will soon be covered with little boy wellie footprints from coming in from jumping in the stream and "forgetting" to leave them on the rug. And it's a home where the counterspace and floors will soon be covered with flour and crumbs, cracked eggs and coffee grounds from little boys excited to be big helpers.

And I'm completely okay with that.
In fact, as I type this, my belly is doing excited little flip-flops in anticipation of going to get them today.

A day will come soon enough, when my house will be pristine.
In the very near future, there won't be anymore legos in every single room of the house.
I'll only need to cook for two.
There will only be two pair of boots lined by the door instead of five.
Laundry will be perpetually caught up.

And I'm pretty sure, I'm going to miss this.

THIS is my life now.
It's messy and crazy.
Nothing stays done for long.
It's loud and it's raucous.

And I love it.