Parenthood loves company

A spontaneous group trip to Yo Mama for frozen yogurt.

A picnic lunch at Hoyt Park after a morning of swimming and sand play.

Lucy and her friend Rain on a topless stroll.

Neighborhood kids enjoying a snack and some zone out time.

Now, please don't think that I'm trying to say that parenthood can be put in place of 'misery' in the above phrase... Indeed that is not what I mean.  But I will say this:  I have had to work all summer. I have had to work a lot. Tad has been home with the kids and each day, leaving, while they are all cuddled up on the couch, watching cartoons, Tad drinking coffee...I have been so envious.  Well, this week, Tad went back to work and I stayed home with the kids.

(pause here.  Tad went back to WORK! How glorious is that!)

Anyway, Tad went back to work and I have been with the kids Wednesday through Friday of this week as we did not have any other daycare options.  I was so excited. Finally! Finally, I get to be home with my kids.

And when Wednesday morning came, I expected lazy bliss, drinking coffee on the couch while my children peacefully watched Sesame Street.  Did that happen? No.  I put my coffee down several times to get up and referee such arguments as "He's touching me!" "She's on my side of the couch!" or simply "STOP! Don't!!!"  Erg!

After the not so relaxing morning time, I planned on us going to the grocery store together. How lovely it would be. We'd all pick treats for our Washington Park picnic night and they'd each push a cart and we'd have a wonderful time.  Wrong again.  Lucy wanted a car cart and Coen wanted to ride in too, but as he's almost 8 years old, he does not fit in a car cart, especially when trying to fit beside his sister.  Oh the fighting that ensued.  Then I finally got him interested in pushing his own cart and halfway through the produce section, Lucy wanted to push HER own cart too. After the trouble of dragging them both back out to retrieve one, hers was abandoned in the juice aisle. 

After that exhaustingly frustrating venture, we came home where there was more bickering and my patience grew thinner and thinner. I thought to myself...what is WRONG with me? Why can't I enjoy my own children? Why can't I even HANDLE my own children?

Then the neighbors came over and suddenly each of my children had a same-aged peer and there came the peaceful bliss I was hoping for.  While I enjoyed conversation with a peer of my own.

So we passed the rest of our three days home together among other parents and children, and I enjoyed it almost thoroughly. 

Yesterday, we stopped at our neighbors to play and I heard another parent complain of the impossible trip to Target they'd taken. A trip during which both of his children had to be dragged from the store.  I had to smile.  I was not taking pleasure in his pain, mind you, but the fact that I was not alone in it. 

Being a parent is hard.  But we try, we try, we try. And we love our kids and someday they will grow up and away from us and we will miss these days dreadfully.  Isn't life funny?

Happy Friday.