Dishes, dishes, dishes.
There are days when it seems like all I do is dishes and yet they are never done.
Behind me, the sliding and shuffling and clanking of a baby hard at work. I want cabinet locks on all the cupboards in the kitchen because I’m tired. Tired of cleaning the same things over and over and over. Tired of trying to be patient when all I want to do is scream. Tired of overreacting and hearing the children say,
“It’s OK. Mommy just hurts because of Tiggy.”
I turn around. Three pots, four lids, two ice cube trays, the lid to the yogurt maker and all the plastic parts of the juicer are back on the floor. The floor which is now carpeted with the pages of my favorite cookbook. It was already falling apart. The pages had been stuffed in the front, out of order, with the intent of some day straightening it all out.
And there’s Micah at an open cupboard, pulling out the slide-out shelves until he finds what he is looking for. A red plastic lid. He looks up at me and sees me watching. With a smile and a giggle, he shows me his plastic lid and adds it to the growing pile of things on the floor.
“Are you working, too?”
He giggles and I can’t help but smile. I sit down on the floor and start putting the pages back in the cookbook.
“You know, someday I just might decide to cook something and I just might want to sit down and browse through my cookbook first rather than just printing it off the internet.”
He hands me some pages. I bop him on the forehead with them and he grabs his head with both hands with a smile so cute I can’t help but do it again. This time he giggles.
“Oh, Mookie, what would I ever do without all of your help?”
I put the cookbook with its loose and out of order pages in a drawer he can’t reach and hand him a spoon. He doesn’t know what to do with it so I take another one and tap a pot with it. Now he wants both spoons and bangs happily on his assortment of instruments from my cupboards. His notes join those of five siblings who all sat at my feet drumming on my pots and pans while I worked in the kitchen.
“You make such beautiful music, Mookie. And music makes work light.”
I return to my dishes and decide maybe I don’t need those cupboard locks after all.
Welcome to Roscommon Acres, my little home in the country. I write here about life more abundantly, from the joy of a baby’s smile to the almost unbearable grief of losing a son. I am seeking beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3).
Just place "Tiggy" in the subject line.
Precious! May He continue to fill your days with Joy as you seek to serve your precious family. What a good mommie you are! You chose well, dear tender-hearted one!
There is lots of joy. And it really doesnt seem to matter what trouble he’s getting into, his little antics always warm my heart. I wish I could say the same for the other children whose behavior is also mostly just age-approrpiate stuff. Slowly learning patience, I guess.
Is there any other way to learn patience?
Glad that you’re enjoying your baby! And do not get discouraged about learning to deal with “age-appropriate” bad behavior…I think families are the place where patience is learned for all parties involved. The kids and I pray to have patience and love for eachother each morning before we start our lessons–we talk about how it’s something that everyone everywhere can always improve on, even mommies and daddies. I think being human and fallible with our kids, and apologizing for our mistakes often teaches more than our perfection can.
Our baby loves pots and pans too! For awhile we were giving them to him at the dinner table to entertain himself since he wasn’t interested in food
This made me smile and tear up with joy for you and your little Micah.
I have had not a fraction of your grief nor a fraction of your patience. I snap at the kids far too quickly in times like that. Would that have been my house, it would have inevitably ended in tears and not giggles. You’re an inspiration, Dana. One day I’ll learn.
thank you for so beautifully sharing this moment.
tell mookie to keep making a joyful noise unto the Lord!
(ps i think yours is one of the few places where words still captivate and inspire me to write.)
Sweet story and thank you for sharing your heart. We have a daughter who was born in Nov. of 2010 and that girl is SO busy. It is constant work to keep her safe and clean up after her. But of course, it IS a joy. As for older kids, I think we all struggle with patience — and I have far less cause for impatience than you do. God bless us moms and dads with patience!
Your cookbook sounds like mine…and when my older daughters want to cook something, they look it up on the internet
It can get very tiresome doing the same things over and over (I know from experience lol), but isn’t it wonderful how Our Lord knows just how to break up the monotony by letting a little one’s giggles/smiles into our heart?
Take care, momma.
This sounds much like my days (and much like my cookbook!). Yes, tired tired tired and dishes dishes dishes…but there is nothing “ordinary” about having a little one around – every day is a new discovery. Blessings to you, Dana! <3
Ugh, I can’t stand having all my cupboards emptied, but when I’m busy, I just let it happen. Because he’s ‘busy’ and that lets me stay ‘busy’.
Praying for all you, especially Bear.