It Takes Hard Work

Just when I thought I was finally getting into an "easier" stage of life, life reminded me that each stage presents new challenges. Yesterday was yet another reminder of that truth.

It started at the chiropractor's office when Elliana pulled all of the various sizes of exam gowns off their shelves and into one big pile on the floor... and then when Isabel threw a foot-stomping fit in the lobby, lost her footing, and fell face first into a ceramic vase, cutting her lip and coming up with a with a mouth full of blood.

It continued in the Wal-Mart parking lot when, as I was loading Isabel into her car seat, I turned to find Elliana standing in the empty cart basket where I had left her, giving me visions of a tipping cart and a falling child... and again in the Hy-Vee parking lot when my sweet Amariah (who is suffering with a sinus infection) began sobbing with pain while Isabel threw another fit, Elliana again dared gravity (this time standing in the top part of the cart), and Abel yelled above the noise in a plea for silence.

Yes, yesterday morning I felt like a walking advertisement for a negligent, pulled-in-too-many-directions mom.... Not the kind of image I want my family and myself to portray....

Was it humiliating? Yes. Eye-opening? Yes.

I have come through some tough stages of motherhood, but yesterday's not-so-impressive public displays certainly didn't portray that the current one is "easy." It isn't. And it shouldn't be, because raising well-trained, happy, obedient children requires hard work.

When Isabel threw her fit in the chiropractor's office, I wasn't working hard. In fact, I was taking the easy way out, doing something that I don't even approve of--ignoring it and hoping it would go away. And what was the consequence of my laziness? She fell and got hurt. I must say that I felt I somewhat deserved the extra embarrassment that came to me, because I should have handled Isabel's naughtiness differently--or maybe I should say, handled it period....

I may be past the "hard" stage of twin infancy. And, I may be done with the "hard" stage of breastfeeding twins. But now is certainly not the time to look for "easiness." Instead, now is the time to gear up and to buckle down, because I have some hard work ahead of me. Just ask anyone who saw my advertisement yesterday.... Eek.

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