Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun

I have a good friend who will always reign in the Motherhood Hall of Fame. Heidi has a five-year-old boy. And a set of twins who will soon be two. AND another set of twins who are about 6 months old. Yes, seriously. Her kids are all absolutely gorgeous, yet also very busy and active. If you set the twins down, they take off in opposite directions. And no doubt, the five-year-old is doing something else "entertaining" in the meantime. Luckily, they're all great sleepers. Their energetic fortitude will surely make them awesome adults, but in the meantime, I'm sure Heidi feels like she is often cracking up... I know Heidi didn't plan for things to be this way, but she is doing a STELLAR job with it all (her house is cleaner than mine!). I love you, girl!

While I may never reclaim Heidi as my hairdresser, I do think about her daily whenever I think my life is just "a little bit hard."

This weekend, I'm watching my two-year-old nephew and four-year old niece. So coupled with my two-year-old and four-year-old, and throwing in my older two, I'm kind of like Heidi (in two years) plus even one more kid. I thought about this last night while sitting at my older son's baseball game as all the little kids played at the adjacent playground.

"See, Heidi, you'll be fine. Just give it a couple years." I smiled as I peacefully sat in my lawn chair, one eye on the field, one eye on the playground.

Except, where's Gracie? Oh no. A kind lady on the bench asked me if I was looking for the little girl who had just exited then wandered back into the public restroom--naked. Gracie sure likes to take this whole potty-training thing into her own hands. I had to just not go there mentally as I collected her clothes from the dirty concrete floor next to the filthy metal toilet.

I hurried back outside and did a kid-count, and then heard my niece crying with a skinned knee. Why didn't I bring the band-aids, both she and I asked myself! Oh shoot, I missed Gavin's hit! No, Alex, I can't really discuss fourth grade girl drama right now. Whose ice cream is that, Blake? What are you eating? Where are your shoes, Brody? Oh dang, I missed Gavin's throw. Why? No! What? What!?! Stop! NOOOOOOOOO!!!

Oh Heidi, you'll be fine, you really will. We'll be fine.