Laugh or Cry

Motherhood:  If I didn’t laugh, I would have to cry.  And sometimes I laugh so hard that I do cry.  So either way motherhood has turned me into a teary sap.

The last 4 days have left me feeling spent.

Was it because *someone* changing the thermostat from air conditioning our house at 77 to heating it up to 79? (No one confessing yet).  Was it the rush to the pediatrician this morning for Rachel’s troubles due to her misplaced painting and the following required talk about how no toys should ever touch private areas? Was it the result of singing 100s of songs at church camp this weekend about onions, sharks eating blind jellyfish, and beavers?

I’m not sure.  But I do know that this job of motherhood could never list an accurate description of required duties.   Yesterday I was told by Elise’s piano instructor that her practice this week requires ME to play the songs side by side with her.  (what?  Good thing I play piano).  Seriously considering not paying for a teacher if I have to sit with her the other 6 days of the week at practice.

 I wonder what my mom would have done if my piano teacher had given her the same instruction 30 years ago.  Wait…she never would have…either this motherhood job really has changed or my mom did a much better job of setting boundaries.  Today when my kids expected me to play in their game of ‘stuck in the mud’, I became truly stuck when I tried to squeeze my slightly overweight body under the widespread legs of my 2 year old linebacker that was ‘stuck in the mud’.  It turned into a dogpile on mom.  I wasn’t sure whether 3 kids on my back warranted laughing or crying…but I do think it warrants a massage and perhaps a drink! 

Mostly I hope that I laugh more than I complain.  And that my kids learn to do the same.  I wonder what fun tomorrow will bring! :)