When you have a single kid, life just can be measured in simple terms. Billy had 3 potty accidents today. He ate his 2 waffles, I need to buy a jug of juice, or pay for preschool. My life has become an abstract formula.
If I am potty training 3 girls, and they have 6 potty accidents, but 2/3 of the accidents are from one kid, was it a good day?
If Kevin is going to be out of town overnight, and I need to feed 4 kids 3 meals without an emergency trip to the store, how many boxes of mac and cheese should I buy?
If the three girls are going to preschool for 5 hours/week, and I am spending 500+ /month on it, what tasks have to be completed in that period of time, and exactly how far from home can I drive, and still be back for pick-up because I don't know anyone who has three extra carseats in their van for the emergency.
Does a husband traveling 30 miles/hour in traffic have time to make it 26 miles to soccer practice on Tuesday nights if when he gets there he has to lace up cleats, and calm a hysterical wife whose newborn has not stopped screaming, and whose three three year olds have "decorated" the walls of the family room with the sharpies that were out of reach just 6 weeks ago. And if this is a true scenario, did I feed them too much mac and cheese that allowed them to grow at that clip?
Is it possible to feel any more content than I do at night when we shut off Ian's 4 night lights, put Ella back in the bed she fell out of, replace the pull-up Jilly took off, and re-cover a snoring Holly, knowing that these moments are so short, and in a moment the baby that kicks inside me will be an 8 yr old third grader who already knows "everything" and needs money for video games and braces, in her mind in that order....
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