Three's Company

Yes, I know I'm what you might call a little inconsistent. This is officially a cry for "help!" Stress-wise I don't find three too bad, but I have discovered this is the magic number when a day planner is an absolute necessity. My time management skills are lacking...and a lot of things in my life are inconsistent right now...

Luckily, Kennedy, the little diva, is a BIG helper! She's so capable and I can already see how she is going to turn into me, a miniature mommy by age 11! She's feisty, self-assured, confident, and headstrong. I think we can agree she comes by those traits honestly...a little scary, I know, but if we can just nurture her little testimony I know she can use them for good purposes.

My mom (mother of 6) has always told me she thought 3 was the hardest adjustment. I sincerely hope she's right. We watched some of our friends' kids on Sat. so they could have a date night, and that was a breeze. They have a 6 yr. old, 3 yr. old, and 6 mo. old. The baby slept and so did the toddler (thanks to a dose of Zyrtec). The 6 yr. old was so well-mannered and played well with Kennedy and Macy. On the other hand, today I watched another friend's kids, aged 18 mos. and 3 yr. old. This was acutely different from the previous experience. Not that the kids are difficult, just that the ages are more demanding (oh, and minus the sleepiness in the toddler). In my non-scientific experience, 5 kids ages 4 and under was astronomically more demanding than 6 kids ages 6 and under (of course there is that anomaly of a sleeping toddler). I think the big doosie was the 18 mo. old. That phase is all over the place and into everything. Having two infants in the house wasn't so bad because they took long naps and neither are mobile. Where is all this going you are wondering? I'm still trying to figure that out...what my outer limitations are. What the ideal spacing is b/w kids (not that I'm contemplating another pregnancy in the near future), and when I'll hit that magical number when I know I'm done...

In the meantime I'm eternally grateful for these three who each bring something extra special into our hearts and home. Macy is my tender-hearted lover. From the moment she arrived on this earth, she has craved touch and affection. It was clear to us very early on that she would be our cuddler...

And this little face, the soft touch of his hand as he nurses, always fills me with joy. It is kind of a marvel that when he wakes me at 3 a.m. I am bleary-eyed & grumpy, yet when I pick him up and he nuzzles in for his feeding, all that melts away and a profound sense of happiness washes over me... I ask you, could you resist that dimpled face?

So, while many days I stay in m ypajamas far too long, and the dishes pile in the sink far too high, I AM learning a lot about myself and making a concerted effort to have a purpose-driven life. A recent favorite talk of mine discussed the need in each of our lives for creation and compassion. While it's not an overly ambitious goal, for now I'm striving to be a dependable friend and to create a sense of community and warmth in my own home. It's not much, but it's a start...