Go, Mommy, Go!

We love reading Dr. Seuss and P.D. Eastman books around our house. So much so, that my 4 year old and 2 year old can recite some of them verbatim. (Which by the way, I find to be one of the cutest things ever; especially when they read with the same rhythm and emphasis on words that my husband and I use when we read to them.) One such book that has been a particular favorite in our house since Liam was little is Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman.

Tonight, as we were sitting around the dinner table and I was waiting for the big kids to finish eating, I rested my face in my hand and closed my eyes. Liam felt the need to immediately recite his version of a page from that great book, which seemed perfectly appropriate to him at that very instant. He yelled, “Wake up! It is time to get going! Go, Dogs, Go!” As I slowly lifted my head, opened my eyes and smiled, I realized that the page from which he recited his quote captures exactly how I feel each morning, when the alarm goes off sometime during the insanely early 5 o’clock hour, and I prepare to face a new day of mothering.

“Get up!”

It is day.

Time to get going.

Go, Mommy, Go!

The New Year

I love new beginnings … fresh starts. I love the clean slate that the birth of a new baby represents. I love the unlimited potential that marks the first day of a school year. I love the change of pace that comes with the first day of summer. Therefore, I obviously love the endless possibilities that exist for each New Year. But I have a problem with New Year’s Day – its date! Why does New Year’s Day have to fall on January 1^st ? A mere 7 days after Christmas and the insanity that leads up to that wonderful, but very tiring holiday season!!!

As the mother of three children under the age of 5, I typically find the demands placed on me in my everyday life to be exhausting. Don’t misunderstand; I am in no way complaining about the state of my existence, which I knowingly chose for myself (along with the help of my husband, of course). I’m just stating the truth. Especially since the birth of my third child, I have found that anything “extra” in my life has the potential to totally wipe me out. The Christmas season is definitely one of those “extras”; something that places demands on me that are significantly above and beyond those of everyday life.

Motherhood is without a doubt a 24x7 job. And with three young children, it REALLY is a 24x7 job. So, despite my valiant attempts to modify my schedule or adjust the way I do things to eeek out some extra time for the “extras” in life, the result is always the same; I end up functioning on less sleep because there is no extra time to be eeeked. I’m left feeling tired ….really tired …and often times, burned-out.

So when the New Year rolls around just one week after the most exhausting “extra” of the year, I am unable to capitalize on the promise it brings with it. I’m too tired to invest a lot of time reflecting on the previous year and planning for opportunities and goals I would like to achieve in the coming year. Instead, I want to enjoy the last few days of the holidays lounging around the house with my kids and hubby, traveling to visit family, or tinkering with my new Christmas gifts. I want to keep life simple and use the least amount of brain power necessary to function as a responsible parent. I want to vegetate. I’m not up for grand thoughts and lofty aspirations. I want to sleep.

And then there is the post-holiday shock to our systems – the return to the daily grind. My husband returns to work, leaving one less able-bodied adult to care for the unable-bodied monkeys. The schedule returns to a fast pace of trips to preschool, activities, playdates, grocery shopping, doctors appointments, etc. No more sleeping in. No more vegging in our jammies. And the things I dread most, a permanent home must be found for all the new gifts and the decorations must come down. As a result of all this, I have decided that it takes me a full month to really recover and take on the New Year with an undecorated house, rested body, and clear mind. Only then can I aspire to live the New Year to its fullest and take the baby steps necessary to accomplish all of the goals I have set for myself.

Today is February 1, 2010. My house is undecorated. I am rested. My mind is clear. Happy New Year!!