the joys of motherhood

"there is beauty all around", the chorus sweetly swells on the film reel of my mind. The one where I picture my adorable, bright, obedient, cheerful children quietly sitting around me while a fire burns warmly in the brick fire place and an open book is on my lap. We have paused our read out loud to laugh together over something funny one of the small ones has observed; no one is fighting over who sits next to me, no is humming, no one is kicking anyone else.

reality: this morning H refused to get out of bed and when she did she got ready soooo slowly that she missed the bus. She had to get a ride from her father, who miraculously was actually home when we were getting ready.

E didn't like his socks, or his breakfast.

Lu cried while I brushed her hair and then didn't want me to leave her to go to work, even though she would be getting on the bus just 15 minutes later.

After school I came home to find that while Hannah did not do her afternoon chores she and her friends did have a water fight outside and the wet clothes she was wearing were inside on the carpet leaving a trail of water across the wood and a puddle of water in the bedroom.

E was nowhere to be found and not ready for soccer and Lu was crying about something.

When we finally got it together we went to soccer where H and Lu both had to pee, even though I told them to go before we left the house and so we had to use the outhouse at the park. sick.

E, who promised to leave soccer when I called and knew it would be before it was done, didn't actually want to leave when the time came. Then the children were HUNGRY, and didn't to go to church.

E changed into his scout uniform in the car and I said "quote", take off your jersey and leave it in the car so it won't get lost. He changed.

At church Lu cried because she wanted to stay with the Beehives and not come with me to clean the shed, then she cried because she didn't want to leave.

On the way home from church we got a call from Sierra saying that Jenna was stuck in the parking lot at work, she had locked her keys in her car..and her cell phone. When we got there E said "uh... I forgot my new jersey at church". What?! Why was it in the church? Well, it turns out he carried it in to show it off and then left it in the gym. I didn't know it was there because, silly me, I thought it was in the car.

J had to break in her car and get her keys, luckily her friends have skills. We watched. Then we came home where at 9:30 some of the children remembered they had homework, others wanted to watch a movie and one of them cried.

A far cry from my inner movie, although they are awfully cute when they are asleep.