Take Note. There are only TWO people in these pictures. Count them. One. Two. Ahhh... And at the beach no less. There's no need for swimmy diapers. 50 proof, purple SPF. Sippy cups. Or plastic shovels.
No. Just two in love sweethearts, glaring into the hot sun.
And here...eating dinner. We have no plastic, unbreakable plates. No bibs. No baby wipes. Just two people, able to eat in peace. Without wiping mouths, noses, or rear-ends.Before babies came into the picture, intimacy with your spouse was leisurely. Dates were plentiful. Pictures of the two of you were strewn throughout your spotless home. Conversations could go for 2 hours without ever breaking eye-contact.
If you had a thought, you could express it. And know that it would be heard, talked through, and brought to closure.
After babies, all of those things become somewhat of a memory. Though, for the sake of habit, you do try to regain footing of once familiar ground:
You greet your spouse at the door. But conversation with said spouse includes quick bursts of needed information over the yells of knee-high competitors each vying for daddy's attention.
And the eye contact? Gone. For you must keep a constant eye on Little People at all times. As competition for attention sometimes turns dangerous. And you need to know who is telling the truth about who poked out whose eye first.
You no longer have leisure. You have jury duty. 24 hours a day.
Pictures of the younger you and your betrothed are now replaced with pictures of the kids. Kids in bath. Kids with dog. Kids with food on their faces. Kids with one sole parent.
...Because the other parent is needed to take the picture.
So, you not only have lost your cherished, framed wall space... you now have become permanent Photographer-in-Training.
Sole purpose in life: to document all the wonderful things that your children do. All while in the same room as you. just without you.
Thank you, God, for Photoshop. Later on in life, I will come to depend on this little method of cut-and-paste-Mommy. to let my children know that they did, in deed, have a mother during their growing up years.
And spotless home?
Well...I'll just suffice it to say that I'm yet to clean up the spit up from last week. There it sits on the rug. hardened. molded into the floral design. Most likely for the rest of All Time.
I'm doing good to make sure that the spit up running down my arm is cleaned up. Though the spit up on my shirt...well, that's negotiable. As long as I know no one is coming to visit.
Have I mentioned that being sexy at all times becomes a far less attainable goal? Uh yeah. I look at pictures of my younger self and think "Dang. Who is that girl?!"
Dates become almost non-existent because the price of childcare is equivalent to dinner out. Not to mention your energy level. *poof* Gone.
You now resort to take-out and a rental movie after the kids are in bed. All the while keeping an eye on the staircase for roaming escapees. Again, nixing the whole uninterrupted-eye-contact thing.
Remember those deep thoughts you once had the time to share? Oh, well there's time. Once you're in bed. But no matter. You've forgotten them somewhere between reading Dr. Seuss, kissing boo-boos, and refereeing sibling rivalries.
And intimacy with your spouse (if said spouse can remain awake)? It takes on the form of avoiding the "enemy." And in my house the enemy is under 4 feet tall and fully equipped with bat-like radar. tuned in to when Mom and Dad's faces touch.
You kiss and suddenly out of no where comes a cry from the dark.
Someone needs water. Or the potty. Or the reassurance that they will, in fact, remain the youngest child for for-e-ver and you will not do anything remotely close to creating another one.
Yep. When children come along, you do sacrifice. Any parent will tell you as much. Your relationship with your beloved does change...sometimes in ways that challenge the very core of what brought you together in the first place. AND that requires a huge amount of humor on your part.
But man! to watch Jet interact with our daughters... to have their pudgy little arms engulf you in a tight, albeit it sticky, bear hug... It. Is. Priceless. And I wouldn't change my life for the world.
Yeah, Jury's in...and I think I'll keep them. But. I may loan them out every now and then. Any takers?
Eh, didn't think so. Today being Valentines day and all...you're probably trying to dole your kids out for the evening too. Right? :)
Happy Valentines Day!! Go snuggle up with the one you love. Just make sure to keep one eye on the stairs tonight.
With as much candy as we all know the Littles will be having, I doubt an early bedtime is going to happen.
HUGS to you.
