Normal

The other night, in a fit of fighting the bedtime ritual, my eldest spits out "Why can't we be like a normal family?" Normal. Huh? I'd not realized we are not like the normal family.

Are there other families who's children don't use a huge dumptruck as a wheelchair?

Doesn't every mom spend an afternoon digging guinea pig litter and hay from the vacume?

Are there not bandaids stuck to the floor of every bathroom in America?

Don't all families run over toys strewn through the yard with the lawnmower while cussing?

What third grader is not wearing a necklace of broccoli?

Normal. What the heck is this and how do I find it? I too cry out for normal, even though I know that there is no such thing.

I break my back trying to maintain a household for a family who doesn't even blink an eye at all the work it takes to stock clean laundry, fill cabinets with clean dishes, pay bills kind of on time most of the time so that we have the things we like- like electricity, purchase gifts that are of appropriate selection for every.single.occassion and produce them in a somewhat attractive wrapping presentation, sort toys (and more toys), run circles around town trying to provide opportunities for my children and somehow manage to make sure we kind of have what we need most of the time to put a meal on the table. I had no idea what motherhood and wifehood was going to involve, and at times it feels like an overwhelming burden- like today. I know this is nothing out of the ordinary, nothing all of you are not doing if you haven't already done it. But right now, I wonder how on earth I will ever be able to continue to do this.

You want normal- dude, she's got it!

I'm making a schedule of everyones time. Just like super nanny. We are going to plan out our days so that everyone has plenty of opportunity to assist our family in being normal. Because I am freakin' exhausted and I'm apparently doing it all for nothing.

Normal.

Whatever. Don't misunderstand me, I love my children and my family. But one woman can only do so much. And I think I am done. For tonight at least. Tomorrow- back to the basics.

Hope you all have a normal day : )