Last Wednesday was a rude awakening for all of us. Madison was working leaving the house around 6:00 each morning. I had been called in to the office (gasp!) for an interview with a potential new client. The kids and I had to leave the house by 7 to meet Meme so they could go spend the day with Meme and 'Ammy. Smart ladies. They decided to keep the kids together. This was the first time Naomi and I were away from each other. That morning (well really the night before getting ready for that morning) felt like utter chaos. It made me so afraid to go back to work. But I'm learning I can cope with difficult situations much easier now. Kids cry. That's just part of it. My amazing sister-in-law, mother of three, imparted her wisdom to me that at any given time someone's needs are not going to be met and most of the time it is your own. I have found that to be so true. Usually two of our needs are not met because I have come to terms with the fact that I'm really not the Superwoman I imagine I am in my head and can only meet one of our needs at a time. So, when I have to put in a dvd for Jacky, Naomi is usually crying ready to eat or sleep. When Naomi is eating, Jacky needs to be prompted to go to the bathroom before he decides to go pee in her closet (true story). Naomi has a radar that any time I am planning to sit down, well truthfully stand up, to eat or go to the bathroom she decides to cry for attention for any number of reasons. Just this week I have finally started eating dinner with other people again instead of cold, two hours later. As I said, that's just part of it. So the morning was chaotic. I had 7 bags with us in the front seat of my car (I have found we have a 3 bag minimum everywhere we go). Jacky fell apart on me. "NO, MOMMY NO WORK! NO, MOMMY NO WORK!" Over and over again on the way to meet Meme. Jackson has always been happy to go anywhere. He used to cheer "Yay School!" every time we pulled into the parking lot. His first day of daycare when he was 3 months old, no tears. He has always made it easy on me. It was heart wrenching to listen to his protest for 20 minutes until he realized he was going to go see his wonderful grandmothers that he adores. However, the harder part was the day after, when he woke up saying "No, Mommy no work". I assured him I was staying home with him, however it occurred to me that one day soon I won't be able to say that. Let's hope he is cheering "Yay School" again at the new school so it won't be a concern.
Jackson has spent his days entrenched in an imaginary world of dinosaurs, pirates, Mommy and Baby giraffes, and playing animals of all kinds... lions and zebras from "ah-rica", doggies, jaguars, chinchillas. It is SO MUCH FUN to listen to him when he is playing pretend. It also makes me understand the phrases I say too much. Those poor stuffed animals spend so much time in time out. I feel I need to rescue them from their strict care giver. He was in pirate world on Friday night when we had cousin Sarah and Anna, Uncle Jordan and Aunt Kim over for dinner. He went around the room to each person announcing "Arrrrggg, I'm a pirate" with his pirate patch on. He was so tough until Jordan's dog Barley gently snapped at him and poor little guy had tears seeping out from under that dang pirate patch. He has Piratitude even when he's crying. Piratitude is a song that I cannot get out of my head most days from Backyardigans. Ya gotta have Piratitude... that's the pirate attitude... show me show me what cha got ... and well that's enough to get it stuck in my head again. I definitely have Piratitude these days. If you are around Jacky at all lately, you've heard the song and seen the dance. It's quite a performance that is performed anywhere for anyone, Mom and Dad, Naomi, friends while on playdates, the lady we don't know relaxing in her lounge chair at the pool. Yep, everywhere.
Little Miss N is mesmerized by these performances. She watches everything her brother does. And so it begins. Her little world is full of discovery these days. I love watching the little girl take a bath. It is the funniest, cutest little nekid thing I have ever seen. Man, that girl gets with it. She's a mover and a shaker, a splisher and a splasher. But then she screams bloody murder when I take her out. Still haven't figured that one out. I thought maybe she is cold, maybe she instantly gets hungry cause she gulps a gallon out of the ol' boob once the fit is over, or maybe she's just really mad I took her out of her beloved bathtub. Who knows, but she's a water baby. She's smiling and interacting with us. Her second favorite to the tub is just to lay in her floor on the quilt, or in the window seat, or on the sofa looking at the tree prints and kick kick kick. She is so close to holding her head up on her own. I can't believe she is two months already. It's going too fast y'all.
That's all I can say is it's all just going too fast. I never felt that way with Jacky when he was newborn but it's all different with the second one when you are fairly, pretty positively, almost certain there will be no more babies after this. ;)
