First of all let me start by explaining that I am a work at home mother of four boys ages 6, 5, 3 and 10 months. Well if that wasn't crazy enough. I had the brilliant idea to name them all J's, as in Joshua, Jordan, Jayden and Jase. So when things get crazy around my house which they often do, I am reduced to a stuttering mess trying to figure out who to yell at. Sometimes it is hard to tell wether my home more closely resembles a jungle or a circus and I will tell you why.
Some days my home most clearly resembles a circus. The other day I awoke at 6:00 am to a furry little tail being waved around in my face and the sound of applause in the backgroud. I could clearly tell that it was time for the tiger show at the circus. For there was my three year old son dangling our newest little kitten in my face while his older brothers clapped loudly in the background rolling on the floor laughing. Well at that time I new the circus was open for business. Next about 8:00 am it was time for the clown show. How many children can fit on a tiny little babies push toy do you ask? Well three is the answer, one sitting in the seat and the other two clinging onto his back for dear life as he claws his way across the floor with his feet. The clown show didn't stop there however, although I wish it had. It continued later around 12:00pm while I was making lunch. The crowd had been unusually quite and then an outburst of applause erupted. What was it you ask? A room full of multicolored spray foam soap, all over children, beds, toys, and cieling, all while I was making lunch. The fun didn't end there, the finale of the night arrived at 7:30 pm right before bedtime. Yep you guessed it the high wire act. I finished bathing the baby, and entered my oldest son's room to encounter him teetering on the bar of his bunk bed saying "watch this mommy I can fly", well you can breathe easy I caught him. I ended the day with a glass of wine and the hopes that the circus would be closed the next day.
Other days my home is definitly more kin to a jungle. I don't know how many of you have four young children at home, but you have never entered anything scarier than a bedroom that three children have been playing in for an hour by themselves. I tiptoe down the jungle path nervously glancing side to side afraid of what I might encounter. I slowly advance upon the den of the wild tiger cubs, I peer around the entrance way, and here the nervous warnings of one cub to another. "It's mommy, mommy is coming hide." As I step into the cave I trip over, what is it? A giant rubber dinosaur, and fall headfirst onto a blackened banana peal one of the cubs snuck into their lair after breakfast one morning. I lie there frozen in horror from the site before my eyes. There are rescue heros with their heads torn off, books that have been slashed and bitten by the sharp teeth and claws of the young tiger cubs, and a Elmo doll that has had the batteries ripped from his back. As I lie there taking in the vast damage around me, I am attacked. From under the bed pounce the three tiger cubs, unrelentlessly jumping on my stomach, untill I feel like I will be sick. I crawl out of the tigers den with stern instructions to get this place cleaned up or else. Another glass of wine at night, and another day survived.
So you see I don't know wether my house more closely resembles a jungle or a circus. The truth is though that I don't really care. My home is where my children are and circus or jungle I love it, and awake each morning ready for whatever comes my way. Secretly I treasure every performance, and every attack, because I know one day they will grow up and I will miss the days of caos. My advice to you grab some popcorn, find a good winery, and enjoy the show.
