Five Minutes of Quiet

Is it just me or is there something about parenting that makes you want to hide in your bathroom at the end of a long day and just get to read a good book and possibly poop in peace? Five minutes, that's all I ask of you. Just five minutes to regain my sanity.

But instead there are tacos and realizing that your five year old daughter has the best burp in the bunch (though you refrain from praising her for it) and sunset rummikub and beating the other five year old at tic-tac-toe. Then there are last minute wrestling matches and the inevitable tear filled break down from at least one over tired kid and the realization that, even though you reminded them fifteen different times, someone has forgotten to brush teeth. Then there are bedtime prayers and good night kisses, back scratches and quiet songs sung to half asleep kids. And then the straightening of the house, laundry that needs folded, shoes that got left in the middle of the floor, dishes to be put away, counters to be wiped. And by the time I'm done and make it to the bathroom, my body has completely forgotten what to do in there.

Tonight I chose to come outside and enjoy the blue light of dusk since the Man was stuck at work late. There are bugs crawling all over me, and my laptop screen is fogging up from the Florida humidity, but there's also a breeze blowing towards me from the water, and I think that if I could just stay out here long enough, breathe deeply enough, I can remember why I want to get up in the morning and do this all over again.

I remember:

...the sense of accomplishment on my kid's face when he tackles something hard and succeeds.
...pure mischief in more than one pair of brown eyes.
...that evidently there is such a thing as parent teeth.
...that I'm not doing this alone, no matter how long the days might occasionally be.
...earrings are replaceable, memories are forever--well, at least until Alzheimers sets in--and you never know when your thirteen year old self has your back.
...multiple cat naps are allowed. Sometimes they are even encouraged.
...picnics are always worth the prep time, beach walks are always worth the sand to be vacuumed.
...a little rain makes PE even more fun, but a lot of lightning can ruin your run attempt.
...bears are adorable and fuzzy, but goats get more attention.
...it's never too late to try something new.
...just because a day has some rough patches doesn't mean you can't turn it around and end on a good note. And the Anne books are always a good note.

There is always joy to be found. Sometimes though, I wish I didn't need five minutes of quiet in order to find it. Five minutes of quiet is not always easy to come by these days. But when I get them, I'm putting them to good use.