Against the Law

All seven of us...

Katie Bear

Nolan

There's absolutely nothing easy about attending to the needs of 6 children age 4 and under. In fact, at times it's completely overwhelming...but somehow, we're managing.

Adam has been noticeably absent this week, in preparation for USTA sectionals this weekend. While Adam practiced with his 5.0 tennis team at Baseline Tennis Center at the U of M, I was solo for dinner and the nighttime routine.

I sometimes ponder the exact moment things fall apart. Tonight Nolan refused to settle in for sleep...and Collin and Aaron were needy for companionship and disappointed because I disrupted their usual bedtime routine by failing to read that critical third book. Whatever the trigger, at 9:30 pm all three kids were still awake, lying in Collin and Aaron's bed, crying...or more accurately, screaming.

My reaction, after a long day with kids, was not my banner moment as a parent. After yelling...and then crying...and finally sobbing...I walked away, grabbed the phone...and called for a life line. Adam answered his phone...and told me he had just got in his truck to come home. Since it appeared obvious that sleep was the problem, I turned on the light and told Collin and Aaron to get up...that I was no longer going to allow them to stay in their beds.

Aaron immediately stopped crying, popped up from his pillow, looked at me in amazement, said, "really?"...and quickly hopped out of bed to play blocks on the floor.

Collin, on the other hand, was not impressed with my change in strategy and started screaming, "It's against the law...Mommy...it's against the law!"

By the time Adam arrived home at 10 pm, Collin and Aaron were settled in their beds and Nolan was riding around in the Baby Bjorn...helping me re-establish order to a house overcome by chaos.

It's moments...hours...like these that make me question my parenting skills, or lack there of. I long to be less reactive and more patient. I long to get this right...to be a great Mom to my children. I HAVE to get this right. Unfortunately, tonight, I feel like a failure.