Quiet Cages and Muddy Hair

Random fire truck that made its way to my bathroom... Thank you boys! 😍

----------

I started writing this before our last placement was suddenly moved. Figured I'd share it anyway... It makes me smile as I reminisce on the difficult yet fun times we had. Enjoy!

----------

The idea of hooking a boy under each arm and hurtling the pews towards the exit never seemed so appealing. Really, at this point, I'd do anything to get out of the quiet chaos that surrounded us. Never did a baby's chuckle or lack of sitting still drive me so crazy as a church meeting going 15 minutes past it's end time. I've heard this from mothers in the past, but living "the dream" with 2 small boys made me consider many other options to control my sanity. Perhaps using my sniper paintball skills to take out the enemy, or a mini EMP to deactivate the microphone would be my best bet, but sadly both options were unpractical. Even the idea of hurtling towards the door would've made for a quick escape but realistically didn't play out well in a dress. 

In the end I continued to suffer through the quiet insanity that was screaming in my brain. Boys wiggling every which way, looking for an exit, making cries for water or a snack; finding something to write on, finding something to break. Meanwhile, thoughts of freedom, fresh air, open spaces, and toys in the nursery were the only things getting me through the closing song. Once the closing prayer began, I found myself saying a prayer of my own... Survival never felt so good!

Retrospectively, I have realized the boys were surprisingly well behaved during this quiet cage of chaos we were in, they just had difficulty being "mini adults" instead of the busy little toddlers that they were, who knew! 

Since I learned that sitting still wasn't their forte, we did a lot of outside play time at home. It seemed the outdoors called to them, the battery operated jeep called to them, and of course, the dirtiest part of the yard called to them.

One morning I let them play outside while I finished getting ready. Right before leaving for work, I called the boys in to leave. They came running over and, to my annoyance, looked like they just returned from a battlefield. Bits of dirt smudged across cheeks, dust sprawled across shoulders, and a clump of mud oozed down the youngest's feathery blond hair. It all mocked me, "you thought you were ready to go, welcome to real motherhood!" 

After a frustrating moment, a quick bath and a short car ride to daycare, It dawned on me, they were having fun! I realized that the dirt was not a spear against me, it was a playful badge of honor, they were controlling their lives and choosing to have a spontaneous adventure that happened to involve mud in the hair. 

After pondering on this, I apologized to the boys for being upset about the dirt and we decided we would plan a more appropriate time where they could roll in the mud. All was well, and seeing their excitement over a future "muddy adventure" made me a little excited too. 

Some of my favorite moments with these boys:

FS: "Are you a mother?"

Me: "Yes, I am a mother"

FS: "Are you my mother?"

Me: "As long as you're in my house I am your mother"

FS: "But you're not really a mother."

Hmm... Touché 

----------

FS: "why are you looking at me with that face?"

Austin: "What are you talking about? This is what my face looks like." 

FS: looks at him inquisitively, "Will you smile at me?"