If you think kids will build your self esteem...THINK AGAIN! :)

First I should say, my kids are great.  I love all of the hugs and "I love you's", and they are just so loveable!!  They really are the best thing that ever happened to me.  And all that I will say henceforth is meant in a sarcastic, but humorous tone.  Time flies so quickly and I am trying to not take these precious moments for granted.  And there are so many times that are so joyful, it is impossible to find words to express it, only tears.  Each day has little bursts of happiness from seeing them do something for the first time, or watching them learn to be kind to someone else, their jokes or funny stories, or just getting to be with them and their one of a kind, adorable, funny, bubbly personalities. 

But sometimes there are funny experiences, that make you wonder what in the heck you are busting your booty for day in and day out.  I'm sure they will be hilarious years from now.  After I no longer have huge piles of laundry that seem to double over night. (You know the kind, you've spent two full days washing and folding clothes, and you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  You think, "I only have about two batches left!!!  Hooray!!!"  Then you blink your eyes, and there you are again, knee deep in an endless pile of filthy clothing.  If you do actually get close to reaching any cleaning goal, other things happen, it's murphy's law right?  Like your son poops for some unfathomable reason in his pants in the night.  Instead of calling for help, he essentially plays in it; spreading it all over himself and his huge pile of bedding and stuffed animals. Then he sleeps like that.  I'm sure you can imagine the smell that smacked his parents in the face as they neared the room the next morning.  And their enjoyment of scrubbing dried poop off of him, his bed, and all of his things the next morning.  If that doesn't happen, there can be a run of flu that is severe enough that little ones can't get to the bathroom in time, over and over again so that every bit of bedding ends up soiled within a day.  These are of course hypothetical situations.  Those things have never REALLY happened to me.)  Of course there is also the kitchen that looks like a tornado hit it, even when the dishwasher runs enough to get worn out in a year and a half; and a whole house that looks like the scene of a natural disaster most of the time.  After I no longer have four little monsters combined with a few visiting monsters, who seem to be TRYING to break everything, or at least make sure that it stays in it's present chaotic state.

But I digress... on to my experience a couple of weeks ago.  Let me give you a little back story.  I had spent hours during a two day period trying to help Jayden get through an about me packet that was thirteen pages long.  Each page had a question that he had to think about and write a paragraph to answer it.  He is very indecisive and I spent lots of time helping him brainstorm ideas and then assuring him that which ever one he chose would be great.  Not to mention helping him spell and make sentences.  During the day in question, I made him follow me around as I worked on things so I could get things done while helping him.  So he was right there as I washed dishes and made dinner.  After dinner he was sitting on the stairs with his work on a book in his lap watching me sort laundry.  That's when he got to the page where he read the question:  "Who is the hardest working person you know?"  Well, it would be prideful and pushy for me to TELL him who to choose, so I told him that was a personal question that he needed to decide.  But the answer was obvious wasn't it??? :)  I know I have my days, but I have spent the last 8 years of my life making all of his meals, washing his clothes, potty training, and cleaning up countless messes.  Not to mention all of the birthday cakes I slaved over.  All those sleepless nights trying to get them just how he wanted.  All of the cookies baked, the activities planned and cleaned up over the years.   I increased my pace, to make this unspoken point more clear as I tossed some of his dirty under clothing into the washer. :)  One other detail I should mention, is that the question before had been what job does he hate the most.  He decided toilets must be the worst job, but then realized he had never had to clean one.  He then realized that meant that I always clean the toilets.  That conversation should have added some extra points right?!  He mused over it for a long time and then dashed my hopes with this dialogue: "This is so hard...who to choose...who to choose... not you...not dad...."  (He ended up deciding later, after he had finished writing about the person he chose, that dad might have been a good choice since he goes to work every day.)  The dialogue continues after several more moments of silence and obvious concentration.  I told him it didn't matter, just decide someone.  He said, "I'm trying to decide between Gavin's mommy and Gavin's daddy."  I can't blame him, they are great people, but did they change his diapers?!? :).  He ended up settling on Gavin's daddy.  Are you curious why?  Yeah, I was too, but he didn't keep me hanging.  During the summer, we were dropping something off at their house.  The whole family was in the back yard in their pool, except for his dad.  He was busily cleaning the kitchen.  So his decision had been based on that one moment in time!  He was working pretty fast though, it was impressive :).  And the things I do aren't really work, I completely love to scrub toilets and wipe bums.  Sweeping cheerios off the floor is like a fun game, how many cheerios will get on the floor today?  And cooking is a hobby that he loves to participate in, so that of course isn't work either.  I can tell you one thing I decided that night though.  He is definitely going to be scrubbing some toilets in the near future! ;)