One is Nice

One of the twins' favorite Sandra Boynton books, One Two Three, begins with the line "One is nice for a quiet walk" and progresses on through the numbers until "Ten makes a celebration LOUD LOUD LOUD!" which is kind of what I think our home feels like every day, even though we only have 4 kids. It's the introvert in me.

And because of the introvert in me, the Awesome Man has implemented a new family rule which is that if he comes home to find that the kids have left me frazzled like a frazzled thing (another Boynton quote for you), he mans bed time while I take the Trig-Dog for a walk. This works really well for everyone.

One, I enjoy my alone time. Two, Trigger gets more exercise happiness (endorphins make you happy, and happy dogs don't revenge poop on your carpet!). And three, the kids are highly incentivized to behave well during the day because when Mommy puts them to bed she is much more likely to be stalled by "Just read one more book, please?" than Daddy.

Fine, this works really well for everyone but the Man--who is selflessly stuck wrangling all four kids into bed without backup. He's a saint.

There are books that stick in your head, and One Two Three is one of them. Plus, the twins make me read it to them a lot. It's only beaten out for most often in their pre-bed book stack by the Ladybug Girl board books, Llama Llama Nighty Night, and Bruiser's trash truck book. Anyway, yesterday evening I was out with Trigs, walking under the red bud trees, and in my mind I had the final line of the book, "And one is wonderful after a crowd." And one, plus a dog, really is.

I love my children. I think they are fantastic kids, and I have a great time with them (you know, when they're not driving me batty), but I'm an introvert. It's part of my personality, and those moments when they are all asleep and I can regroup...are just wonderful.

Sometimes we make choices in life that we know are for the best--like choosing to stay at home with your kids (or choosing not to, for that matter). We pray over them, we agonize over them, and then we make them. And there are times when we feel so ill-suited to the choices that we have made (or the choices that have been made for us). We think that another person could do a better job, perhaps. Or that our talents and personalities would be put to better use elsewhere. Or that if just one aspect of our situation could be even slightly tweaked, maybe things would be better.

But I'm learning that God put me here, with these kids and these talents and these personality traits, for just this time. And he doesn't waste anything. And he doesn't want anyone else doing my job. And thankfully, he sent the Man to walk alongside me and help me be in this place at this time with these kids.

And he sent Trigger too, who, once he stopped chewing up my boots and escaping to joy-run around base all day, has turned into a pretty fantastic dog.

So, here's to full houses, children's books, husbands who help us practice self care, long walks with furry animals, and alone time.