Kids at Play

My mom irons.  ALOT.  She bought a Sgt. Steam a few years ago….for the iron attachment.  Whilst I thought I had a good explanation for her obsession (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), I only learned the real reason recently.  It lulls my dad to sleep.  My mom travels a lot and so when she’s home, she iron’s to “relax”.  It’s comforting for my dad to have her ironing because in his mind it means my mom’s at home, not on some airplane.  It triggers his brain to sleep.  Its the comforting drone of the steam and the methodical movement of the iron as it slides across the fabric- that create a white noise for my dad.  For just that moment in time, all is right in the world and he can check out and take a nap.

I’m a mother of four young, rowdy, active children….I don’t get to indulge in such frivolous pleasures.  I don’t iron.. in fact last time the boys were with my mom and she said she was going to iron, Hurricane asked her what “iron” was.  The truth is, to me its a medieval form of slavery still miraculously alive.  But it got me thinking…what is my “white noise”?

McDaddy travels….alot. (see a pattern here?)  The other day while he was home, I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when I realized just how content I was.  There I was in the middle of the kitchen, elbow deep in dishes, dinner on the stove, cookies in the oven… kids screaming in the background.  I was in complete and utter bliss.  That’s when I started to tune in to the noise.  Mixed with the delighted squeals of the FON’s (Forces of Nature) was the hearty chuckle of their daddy.  Doing what daddy’s do.  Wrestling on the floor with the kids.  All four of them were jumping on his back and screaming as he wrestled them to the floor and tickled them until they said “daddy you’re so cool”.  These moments are few and far between.  Raising four kids means lots of busy time.  Between the extracurriculars, school, etc, there isn’t much “veg” time.  Throw in the limited amount of time McD is here; with a honey do list a mile long, and these occasions are very VERY rare.

It was today…….

That I realized….

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Just how my dad feels.

In a life full of hustle and bustle, sometimes your “oasis” presents itself in a truly unique form.  My job is just to recognize it and find the joy in it.

Until next brag…..