My question for the day: WHY, why, why do my kids INSIST on getting out of the mini-van on the side where I keep the diaper bag and the infant carrier and any other essentials I happen to be hauling along? It's not like it's difficult to get out on the other side of the van. I mean, they would have to press a button to open the door but otherwise it's fairly easy to get out over there. It *might* even be easier than crawling under the infant carrier, over the diaper bag, and through the plethora of stuff on the floor. But no, my kids fore-go the button pushing and easy-exit from the mini-van to climb through the obstacle course, EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Today I finally said something to them about it. It might have come out in an exasperated "Seriously? Seriously??? YOU ARE CLIMBING THROUGH ALL MY STUFF AND KNOCKING IT OUT ONTO THE GROUND WHEN THERE IS A PERFECTLY GOOD DOOR ON THE OTHER SIDE??? SERIOUSLY?" #3 said back to me, "Yeah. I don't want to go out the other door." #2 ignored me and kicked his brother headfirst through the stuff and out of the van door and then mauled his own way through. I stood there flabbergasted, though I'm not sure why. You'd think I'd be used to this idiocy by now but it never fails to amaze me.
Heading back to the car after our appointment the boys followed me to the same side of the car...again. They were hoping to fight with each other in the parking lot while I loaded up the baby and the diaper bag and then hurl themselves under the infant seat and through the diaper bag to get to their places in the car. After fastening the infant car seat I whipped around, losing my temper, and shouted at them "GO TO THE OTHER DOOR!" I even opened the other door for them. To their credit, they went to the other door. To my credit I didn't cuss at them.
On the way home I was thinking about how I can thank my children for my steadfast irritability. Like the title of my blog says, they drive me crazy. CRAZY! But I was also thinking how lucky I am to have this summer with them. I was thinking how even though I am frustrated, angry, and annoyed so much of the time, there are no other people I'd rather spend my days yelling at and chasing. This is who I am: Rylan, Spencer, Kellen, and Eve's Mama. Yes, I have other responsibilities, other jobs, other things to do, and I really enjoy those other things, but underlying all those other "things", I am a mama. And as crazy as my kids make me I thank God for them every day (okay, maybe not every day, but at least 5 out of 7 days a week) and I can't imagine life without them.
As I was finishing this post my nine year old (who tends to sense my irritability) gave me a hug and said, "I love you Mama." Yeah, I'll keep them.
