We Called Her Mama Mia

Our own version of Freaky Friday, except it was Thursday. Mia was insisting she would love to be Mom for the day—any day, and for days on end—in place of being her own overworked, picked on, tragic self.

Game on.

I would do her chore and zone, and she would do what I normally do, along with enforcing house rules (as opposed to making up her own). As a bonus, she would demonstrate to the Hag who currently runs the household how a "Nice Mom" acts.

I promptly swept Mia's kitchen floor and threw in the mudroom floor for good measure. Next, I picked up and wiped her zone, the kids' bathroom. "Mama Mia, I did an extra good job on my zone for you :)" Then I was off to my bedroom for some one-on-one time with the computer. Ahhhhh. I visited and commented on blogs I hadn't seen in weeks and emailed a couple of contacts. My one-hour limit of screen time would be up soon enough, so I settled into a cuddlebag and watched some tv. I chatted with Hubs on the phone and then rocked out on my headphones and danced around the house.

Meanwhile... Mia looked after Elle and kept tabs on Cam and Cy all afternoon. The kids were all in on the switch, so when Cam needed his bottom wiped, and Cy needed a splinter pulled out of his palm, they knew who to call. She sent three kids to time-out for various offenses (which she enjoyed immensely). As occasion permitted, I showed her what I would have been doing, so she looked up the recipe I had in the works for dinner, did a couple of loads of laundry, wiped up marker from a doorjamb, re-swept up dirty footprints of four 9-year-olds running through the kitchen, wiped a spill on a shelf of the refrigerator, made a quick side-dish and rolls, and added cheese to the baking casserole. She figured it would be easier to just set the table herself rather than round up and prod the kids to do it, so she did. Elle was starving, so she got her situated in the highchair with her bib, a bowl of food and a sippy cup. After dinner, a diaper change, pajamas for Elle and Cam, checking and re-checking Getty's homework, rounding up the family for devotional, and getting the kids into bed.

What happened next was remarkable. Rob asked, "So, did you have fun, Mia?" She leaned her head on me and said quietly, "That was hard, Mom."

You should see the smile on my face.

To inhale suddenly with mouth open...

MK continues to insist that she doesn't like any boy in particular. Although, I did hear her inadvertently gasp as a certain teenage male of the species walked out of the church doors by our Burb, "Oh.... He's cute...." 

I don't think she knew I was in the car. I don't think she knew anyone existed outside of that beautiful specimen....

Pull-ups Prevent Translation

Rob and I are afraid Cam's going to be translated. 

If it weren't for regularly peeing the bed, he'd be perfect. We are therefore grateful for his inconveniently weak bladder. It's our insurance policy, if you will. (Plus, there's Pull-ups.)

Strike a Pose

Cy was so good to demonstrate to me how he sits, a-hem, poses on the back row during kindergarten rug time. The whole time. In this pose. This one shown here. Yes. Eyes riveted on the teacher. He barely moves. Except, perhaps, to wink at an admirer. 

I'm in love with this boy.

Skittles for Stuff

It occurred to me sometime last week... 

I used to pick up the house (heavy!) and organize the next day before I went to bed. I can't remember the last time that happened.

I used to have a "Daily Plan" I worked off of religiously (and daily). Now I use it maybe twice a week. I scribble out the day on top and write the current day, because the list of things to do is unchanged.

I don't leave the house, because Cy's kindergarten schedule and Elle's nap schedule just plain don't offer an opportunity of more than 15 minutes to run errands.

So, one day last week I actually wrote down everything I did, because I was curious. What in the HELLO do I do all day long?? I found out... I do laundry, dishes, carpool, shower, bathe and dress kids, pick up the house, change diapers, supervise chores, homework, feed kids. Rinse and repeat. 

I do stuff. 

Comforting. It's just that it's utterly forgettable. Or, perhaps I've taken the enlightened route and repressed it as I went.... 

Some days I remember. Like the Sunday Getty won Overall Reverence Child for his primary class for the MONTH of February (short month, but still...). Are you laughing? Turns out he's highly motivated by huge Rice Krispie treats and large bags of Skittles.

I wonder if maybe I'll be awarded a large bag of Skittles for the month of February. I did do a lot of dishes....