Thursday, July 06, 2006

Many Hands Make Light Work ...

... unless those hands belong to 20-month old children. In which case, many hands make a lot more work.


Just ask my mother.

She arrived in town today from South Carolina with her 83-year old fiancé, Jim. They are here for the next two weeks to lend "many hands" (of the adult variety) while I am at a business meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Yes, I'm going.

Yes, I'm a nervous wreck.

No, I haven't finished my Will - even though I said I would, before I go. There are a lot of things I've said I'd like to do that I just haven't done, yet. (Wait. No, that's the only thing that comes to mind.)

I do plan to knit while I am flying. I've finished two blankets, and am halfway through my third. Hopefully, this will help to keep my mind off of falling 32,000-feet to an untimely death. (Oh gosh, minor freak out session just thinking of the sensation falling 32,000 feet...)

All that aside, Charlie is most appreciative that we made the decision to call in for reinforcements while I am away. Flying solo for 5 days, 4 nights is down right scary. Almost as scary as falling 32,000 feet...

Mom arrived at about noon today with all of her grandmother "magic" and the babies are absolutely LOVING it. They are enthralled with having two new people in the house to play with, especially two new people who bring lots of new toys. Equally important - Charlie and I are thrilled to have family in town. Even though mom and Jim laid low for most of the day ... having an extra set of "eyes" was such a... welcome relief.

I really don't know how else to say it.

Here's the thing. I could go to the bathroom... do what I needed to do... and know that in the two minutes I was absent, a child (more appropriately, several children) was not going to climb on top of the table - pull out all of our steak knives, throw fruit everywhere, and then fall 4-feet to tile floor, below.

It's so wonderful having family in town... if for no other reason than I am getting caught up on all kinds of great Reader's Digest stories while visiting the commode.

As we tucked the babies in to bed tonight, I felt so much more relaxed than I normally do ... it was an odd sensation. Yet, when I asked my mother what her thoughts were after spending a half day with our brood, she responded, "I'm completely exhausted. It makes me tired just looking at how you do what you do."

Here's a woman who raised seven children ... the first six born in seven years (yes, she was almost continuously pregnant for seven years straight) and she's telling me how tired she is just looking at the energy expelled in the course of 7-mere hours ... while our triplets scaled the furniture, ran circles around the back yard, chased the dog, threw the majority of their dinner on the ground, and were quite simply... toddlers.

She is exhausted looking at us... are you kidding?! If that isn't complete and utter validation for the insanity that has been our lives the past month or so, I don't know what is.

Granted, my mother did the bulk of her child rearing 40+ years ago... but let's not focus on that. Let's just focus on the fact that my mother - the quintessential super mother - told ME that she was impressed how I managed to hold it all together.

Tonight, between Charlie, Jim, Mom and I... we shared a bottle of wine. When I had to go back in to my mother's bedroom (our guest room) to get another bottle of wine out of the closet (aka: wine cellar) she gave me a quizzical look. I tried to explain, without sounding like a complete lush, how most nights, Charlie and I like to share a bottle of wine. And well, since we split the bottle with both she and Jim ... that was really like the two of us only sharing a 1/2 bottle. To which she responded, "I never drank when I had children."

And to which I retorted, "You really should have. And besides that - it would have been great if you were able to keep a blog. Honestly... those two factors, once the babies go to bed, have been my salvation for raising triplets. Wine, typing ... and A LOT of prayer."

I'm so happy that without criticizing our decision to open a second bottle of wine tonight, she smiled and said "It probably would have done me a world of good to have a drink at night once our children went to bed."

As they grow older and move out in to the world, I hope that our children are always as happy to see me ... as I am to see my mom.

11 comments:

  1. If I had triplets that were 20 months old, I would be finishing off that bottle ALL.BY.MYSELF!!!

    You are great at what you do. Don't sell yourself short.

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  2. How fun to have your mom come and give you compliments. 6 kids in 7 years! Obviously, you have the appropriate background for all this!

    Have a good SAFE trip!

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  3. okay, do share photos of grandma and fiance with the rest of us! Have a safe trip, and try to enjoy being alone even for just a second!

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  4. Oh, they are so darn cute, even when they're jumping on the couch! Try to enjoy the time away and be safe.

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  5. Having a mom in the house that isn't you is always a relief, especially when it is your own. I think your kids will love having you over when the roles are reversed.

    Have a ver safe and good trip!

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  6. Nice tribute and Cute pictures.

    By the way, stop finishing things...If your work here is done well .... SO... your far from being done.

    You've got mouths to feed, books to read and miles to go before you rest ....YOUR NOT TIRED YET!!!

    Have a safe trip! Love M

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  7. You aren't going to know what to do with yourself. 5 days away!!! Whew-ho! You'll miss them like crazy, but boy what a great time to catch your breath.

    That's such a strange thing for the mother of SEVEN (AACCKK!) to say but I definitely understand.

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  8. What a nice tribute to your mom. But, you are right, a nice bottle of wine to share with your husband is a great way to end the day after the munchkins are tucked away in bed.

    Cherish the time alone . . . it doesn't happen often when you're a young mom.

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  9. So that's how your posts are so funny and entertaining! You drink some wine while you are typing. I should try that! LOL... anyway, what a nice post. Your mom must be so proud of you. I always love having my mom around also so it is nice to see how much love there is between others and their moms.

    Not sure when exactly you are leaving, but I just wanted to say that I hope the whole trip passes in a blink of an eye so that you are home and with your family again before you know it! Have a safe trip!

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  10. BTW, how did your pictures from Walmart turn out? I got mine yesterday (I went a couple of days after you) and I am beyond thrilled with how they turned out. I usually go there but haven't been too pleased as of recent with their "photographers" so I was a little scared to see what the pictures really looked like and I absolutely love them! Look for the pictures soon on my blog! Hopefully, I will post them in the next week.

    I have so many things I want to post about, but just haven't had the time. I have had a couple of stories in my mind for the past couple of weeks and still no posts! How you do it, I will never know!

    Yes well, talk to you soon!

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  11. Jen,

    I am so proud of you for not allowing your fears to control your actions. I know how difficult it is to put your worries aside and hop onto that airplane (I know so well that I haven't done it). I would be happy to send you good vibes, but don't know when you'll be flying. Can't wait to hear how it goes.

    Try to take advantage of your time away!!!!!

    Tracy &
    Mattea (almost 15 months!)

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