Snapshot of Craziness

Life seems like pure craziness right now.
G is in a constant state of wanting mom. I walk into the room, he huffs and hyperventilates, til I pick him up. I leave a room, he cries. I try to do the dishes, he pulls my pants down as he tries to climb up my leg to be held. He is getting 4 teeth. FOUR. At once.
And he has separation anxiety. From me.

This all equates to a big fat O of getting anything done. I know I shouldn't always worry about to do lists but I am a lister. I try to be "present" as much as I can with the girls and help them read a story or patiently try to explain, once again, why xyz is not a great choice. And I am already sad this little man is getting so big (insert 30 lbs). But let's be honest, it's hard to be "present" and read any books or even take the trash out when G has been wailing in my ear for an hour and my arms/back/body is aching (carrying a 30 pound 9 month old is not for the faint of Anything). Let's just say there is some extra enjoyment of quiet time around these places lately. :)

So I try to enlist the "sisters" help with picking up or clearing the table. And they do what they can. But sometimes a 3 and 5 year old get a bit distracted. Like tonight, when we had brushed teeth and were supposed to be reading scriptures and for some reason B is crawling through the hallway neighing loudly as S leads her with a scarf tied around her neck. Somehow between the time it took for me to say, "time to read the scripture book" and put away the toothpaste they became enthralled in the game of "horse."

I laugh now as I think about it. Although at the moment I was not so amused, just rather awestruck by the quickness of it and annoyed that the sequence of bedtime had been interrupted.

So I trip over toys and find a wet diaper that didn't make it's way to the garbage the night before. Wow. That sounds gross. 

picture by Monica Willits at ReadMywalls.blogspot.com

But in it all, I feel like time is slipping through my fingers even as I write. Every day goes by so quickly and busily, with need after need of each child and all that comes with maintaining a family of 5. I see pictures of B as a baby flip by on my screensaver and I get teary eyed thinking of how those days can never come back. I regret not relishing them as much as I should have. But I didn't know. Or rather, I didn't believe. I didn't believe that it would pass so fast. Sometimes the days seemed to pass so slowly with just one baby. 5 years? Has it really been that long? 6 years ago I was not even a mother and now I have 3 kids?!

Craziness.