Musketeers

Things that went right today:

1) Walkthrough went well on our new home last night.

2) First day of Autumn...my favorite season.

3) Finally took car to shop to fix the horrible noise it was making and it turned out to be an easy and cheap fix. How often is that the case?

Today is a messy day. For several reasons. One is that we are moving soon so routines are pretty few and far between right now. But it is mostly because of the "three musketeers". That is what we call our youngest three boys ages 1, 3 and 5. They are a dynamic trio for sure and have a knack for creating chaos where ever they go. Remember that old "Peanuts" character Pigpen who always had a swirl of dirt surrounding him at all times? The musketeers are pigpen times three. But instead of the dirt following them around in a neat little cloud like in the cartoon, they seem to leave streams of it behind them making their marks on ceilings and floors and...well everything. And since there are three of them and only one of me I am usually losing the battle against grime, and clutter and various other nasty gooey unidentifiable gross stuff. Their exploits are legendary actually. They have been responsible for floods in the master bathroom that leaked down to the lower level (twice), a feather pillow disaster (you can imagine...we were finding feathers for weeks), and the infamous moon sand incident (as if I didn't know better...why did I buy it??? Seriously.). Something gets broken almost daily (the worst being the time they put a lotion bottle down the toilet...$700) We buy gallons of paint for touchups due to artwork on the walls and have now banned permanent markers from the house...permanantly. The issues we have had with bodily functions are too disgusting to put in print. It is a mystery to me why they insist on taking the diaper OFF while in the crib? Is it a punishment to me for making them go to bed? Perhaps. I have lost count of how many board games we have had to throw away because of scattered pieces. Sometimes even before we have ever had a chance to play them. Today's particular mess is a direct result of the baby learning how to open the refrigerator. For reasons I do not fully comprehend he is particularly drawn to slimy things like eggs and yogurt. You don't realize how much yogurt is actually in one of those little cups until you see it smeared around the house. Today I have decided that for the next little while yogurt is going the way of the sharpie pens. Banished! One might think with all of the destruction they cause that they are not being supervised carefully. I assure you that is not the case. True confession...they are faster than me. My typical day consists of running around after them trying to prevent and/or repair whatever the damage might be that day. They have tricks too. They have learned to divide and conquer since Mom cannot be in three places at once. And they have learned that while Mom is busy cleaning up their current mess they have a window of time free to go and make another one in a new location. Crafty little guys! Some days it can get very frustrating and I find myself daydreaming about miniature straightjackets. Ok not really, but the frustration part is true. What I really day dream about is the day when they are all older and we can walk through the house without stepping in something sticky (my husband insists his only piece of parenting advice as a father of nine is "wear shoes in the house"...oh and the related "buy a carpet cleaner") I dream about how wonderful it will be to be able to buy nicer furniture with no fear of it being spilled on, written on, peed on, thrown up on, or otherwise defiled. I dream about a day when I can have beautiful music wafting through the air instead of the surround sound crying and constant "Mom, Mom, Mom!!!" I dream of being able to finish tasks uninterrupted (I swear I have had to stop at least thirty times so far just while typing this one post). But today on this messy day my reverie was pleasantly paused by a cute little head resting quietly on my knee. He looked up at me with chocolate smudges on his nose and the biggest smile and said "Love you Mom". And it hit me. The problem with the perfect world in my daydream is that is isn't perfect at all. Why? Because my babies will be gone. No messy rooms means no more sounds of my little ones giggling. No more tripping over little shoes in the hallway means no more little feet running in to hug me in the morning. Nicer furniture will indeed be nice but will it feel more like a museum than a home? I will probably not miss diapers I admit, but I will definitely miss pudgy little fingers reaching up to take my hand. And gazing into clear blue eyes that are completely and totally innocent. And watching the joy of discovery on tiny faces. And the faith and trust of a young child who has scraped his knee and runs to Mommy to make it better. The day will come too soon that they no longer believe that I know everything. Nor will they want to spend an hour reading stories with me or cuddling on the couch in a thunderstorm. Will the day come that Santa Claus and The tooth fairy do not come to my house anymore? When my little ones grow up where will the magic come from? Who will tell ridiculous knock knock jokes that make no sense but make me laugh every time? I look forward to grandchildren and have faith that they will keep the wonders of childhood alive in my life even when my kids are grown and have moved away. And I know that at every stage of life there are blessings to be had. I would not keep the musketeers small forever because then I would miss out on getting to know them as adults and watching them grow and learn. But I am thankful this day to have them JUST as they are right this minute. Mischievous and adorable. Silly and sweet. Wild and affectionate. They are happy, playful wonderful children, and I love them with all of my heart. If having them in my life means a messy house than bring it on! It won't last long. And I want to enjoy it while I can. Oh dear...baby just took the chocolate syrup out of the refrigerator. That never ends well. Gotta run! :-)