I have a teenage daughter who recently moved to Nebraska for college and to “find herself.” She’s balancing full-time classes while starting her first “big girl” job. Can I just say—I think she may have picked up a little too much from me about taking on more than we can handle.
She called the other day and admitted she didn’t realize how good she had it at home. (Insert mom smirk here.)
Meanwhile, on the home front, our middle child just started preschool—so yes, the snotty noses and all the new germs have arrived in full force. The baby is on the brink of walking, and I know once those wobbly steps start, it’s game over for keeping anything out of reach.
My husband came home recently, looked around, and declared that we needed to hire a nanny because the house looked like a tornado had swept through. Honestly, he wasn’t wrong. Today alone, between work calls, dishes, and laundry, I got peed on by my son… who then wiped his powdered-donut-covered hands all over my black pants. Motherhood is not for the weak.
We’ve also started asking our preschooler to share about his day. Yesterday, he proudly told us he played with a baby named James—who, apparently, was very upset that he couldn’t go on a walk with the others. The details are always questionable, but the storytelling is gold.
Sometimes, I sit back and laugh. My husband and I could have been on the verge of empty-nesting—but instead, we decided to add two more little humans into the mix. They keep us awake at night, leave chaos in their path, and turn our house upside down… but they also give us endless stories, belly laughs, and moments that fill our hearts in ways we never imagined.
Life isn’t perfect, but it’s ours—and it’s beautifully messy.
