Can't Be Done With Kids In The House

Those of you with children will completely understand where I'm coming from here. You'll relate, whether your children are still small toddlers or about to leave the nest. Those of you without kids, you probably won't understand this as much. But, you'll be be able to laugh right along side the rest of you who have already been there--done that with kids. Yours are grown and gone, perhaps with kids of their own, living the same things you went through when they were small.

From the moment a little one takes control... I mean, joins your family, there are some things that change. Some things that you simply can not do anymore. Granted, its differs depending on the gender of your particular child. But I would hazard a guess that your parenting partner in crime and love would then be the one experiencing this!

For starters, no longer can you walk from your room to the laundry room wearing less than your pj's. If your child is still small, you can probably get away with a towel, but that changes when they become teenagers. And heaven forbid they have friends staying over! Then, not only do you need to be actually wearing something, you should be completely ready to begin your day before you walk out of your bedroom!

If your child is small, its probably best to put the dog food dish in a different room. Behind the baby gate. Failing that, you should probably just start buying the softer stuff until all their teeth come in.

Quality time with your spouse is no longer spontaneous. If you don't plan for that contingency, trust me when I tell you it will reach a point where you will find yourself locked in the bathroom with your spouse out of desperation. Err..... I mean, you will begin finding more creative ways to express yourself with your honey. ;)

There is no more sleeping in on weekends, either. At least, not at the same time as your spouse. When the kids are toddlers, its the fear of what they might be doing that gets you up and running. When they're in the later elementary years, its the blaring of the cartoons that rouses you. When they're teenagers, you're back to wondering what they might be doing!

Movie watching? Well, that never has to be done all by your lonesome again. If you are extremely fortunate, you don't even have to pick the movie any longer, it will be picked for you!

And who ever really wanted silence in the background when you were on the phone?

Or a nice, quiet place to read a book, uninterrupted?


On the other hand.......

Its simply not possible to spend an evening with your kids and not smile. At least once. Probably more than you can count.

Forget going to bed without hugs and kisses anymore. Those days are behind you. When the kids are small, you're even blessed with all the slobber they can ever share with you. But nothing beats the levels of tightness when they hug you, pretending they're a different wild animal with each one. My favorites? Monkey hugs. You know... the ones that use arms AND legs.

You know what? Given the choice between a movie alone, and a Monkey Hug? I'll take the Monkey Hug, please.

But I reserve the right to beg Grandma to take them for a night so I can walk out of my room and down the hall in nothing but a towel at least once a year.