Every evening, we pull into the driveway & I wearily lift Harrison from his carseat. I’m tired, all the way to my bones & my leather pumps are screaming to be kicked off in favor of barefeet. I gather up any toys & cups that found their way into my car & walk the boy up to the front step. ”We’re home,” I sigh. The dog & boy run circles around me while I put down my pocket book, kiss the husband, & try to figure out whether I should just drink straight from the bottle of wine that sits on top of the fridge.
Harrison races over to the back door, shoes in hand. ”Outside?” he asks hopefully? A tiny part of me collapses every time he asks this, although I know that a good mother would be happily skipping through the grass. ”OUTSIDE?!” he demands a little louder as I pull my straggly hair back into a ponytail & reach for popsicles from the freezer.
“Okay, buddy. Let’s go outside.”
I sit down on the steps of the back porch, picking up my camera & practicing in the fading daylight. Whoever thought of slow-melt popsicles is a genius. I bet they got one hell of a raise.
God, it’s like the mosquitos are shooting fish in a barrel with me. I slap my legs, scratch my knees, curse the South & tell my kiddo that he’s doing awesome by kicking the ball, but dear precious baby Jesus, stay away from the spider!!
Push, push, push. He laughs harder the higher I push him, legs kicking as I try to catch the laugh on camera. I focus on that laugh, rather than the demanding contract dumped on my desk that afternoon. Or when the printer shot out my mail merge on plain paper versus letterhead & OH MY GOD, I have to do it again?! Leave the office in the office, I tell myself sternly. I pin my bangs back with a bobby pin.
I sit on the grass, breathing in the air & trying to let the stress fade from me. Would be wrong to put wine in my Camelbak? I wonder as I pull crabgrass from the flower beds. It’s like a toddler high ropes course & he kills the slide twenty times, each time standing at the bottom to leap off. Harrison the Fearless!
I clap & smile for him, commending his bravery. I grew up with brothers that knew no heights or distances or challenges, so watching Harrison throws me back twenty years to the backyard I grew up in. I daydream of making the most kick-ass playhouse ever, then cringe over my iPhone when I realize playhouses cost big dollars. Well, there goes my idea for bean bag chairs & a chalkboard wall & a “No gals allowed!” sign. Or maybe I can learn carpentry.
You know, in my spare time.
ha! You can totally learn carpentry in your spare time. Although I don’t recommend practicing on something Harrison will actually climb in…
I’m attempting to learn the art of patio making in my “spare time” and I’m not so sure it’s going all that well…
I love this post so much. It is like my life, only with more grass! (We have two GIANT pine trees in the back yard so everything is pine straw and scraggle grass)
this was perfectly written, from beginning to end….
I struggle with leaving the office in the office, mainly because I’m on call ALL THE TIME and it’s just the nature of my job. Clearly, I am contemplating a new job because I really didn’t think this career choice though.
This post makes me tired. But only because I live it. Only it’s x2 (which you’ll experience someday, I’m sure). It’s really tough but we’re just doing our best to make them happy, right? But DUDE.
I so wish we had a jungle gym thing in our backyard. Right now we have to load them up and take them to a nearby park. Maybe next spring?
Don’t worry I have a really hard time shutting off my work brain in order to use my mommy brain
He’s so adorable! My little one drags me to the door and puts my hand on the knob since he’s not really talking much and just runs in circles outside. We don’t have a fenced yard, so there isn’t much sitting for me because I’m scared he’ll run in the street. When it’s time to come in he screams and cries…its times like that when I wish I didn’t work so much and had more energy too!
He’s such a cutie. Enjoy this time while he’s little.
his cuteness is overwhelming! he looks like such a sweetie!
Wait. THERE ARE SLOW MELT POPSICLES? Where have I been?
I must go buy some now.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!
They’re made by Popsicle. Either the Dora ones or the Mighty Minis.
He’s so cute! Look at him just running down that slide! Even though you were exhausted… it looks like he loved it.
Hmmmm…jungle gym = free hands for mommy to do whatever she so desires….
Sounds like a good plan
It’s tough when all you want to do is come home and just be one with a bottle of whatever and the couch and DVR’d goodness…then the wee one tugs at your heart strings.
It’s tough.
This is my life – from start to finish every single day only X3 and I still have to make dinner b/c hubbie is usually at work. I try desperately to leave work at home but have a hard time not thinking up strategy in my head for a client while stiring something on the stove (or unpacking take-out!), clapping at jumps off a slide and breaking up one of many sibling rivalry events. These are our lives and because of this it is perfectly acceptable to drink wine out of the bottle!
I hear ya. Me too. Every day, I think, “Maybe he’ll just want to sit quietly inside tonight.” But I think I’d miss going outside if he did.
I have been a stay-at-home mom (exhausting), and now I’m a working mom (still exhausting), but I know that I would never trade the title of “Mommy” for anything in the world. Ever.
Also – I forced…um…asked….my dear husband to make our son a playhouse because they are outrageous to buy. And he did! Here’s the instructions we found (and he used). It looks awesome. http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-log-cabin-Playhouse-for-under-%24300/#step1
Is your husband handy?! Like…I fear that if we tried to build one, it would just cave in. We are NOT carpenters. But that looks amazing & JUST like what I was picturing.
His eyes look fantastic in the one on the swing. And damn his legs are long! When did he get so big? You did good, mama.
Random ?, but what kind of playset do you have? My son is 15 months, so I’m begining to research one to put in my teeny tiny backyard.
We have this one – http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1649
But we got it last year on sale at Toys R Us for $300.00. It’s PERFECT because it will be easy to move when we do move, it doesn’t take up much space, & it’s not too big for him.
umm when did he start to look like such a little boy?
RIGHT?! It’s like I woke up one day & he’s a kid, not a baby.
How badly do his feet stink after a whole day in those sandals?
they. smell. AWFUL.
I have to regularly soak the sandals in hot water & dish soap.
I want a jungle gym! & Harrison slays me. One of the cutest kids EVER.
I love this post. I live it too. And Harrison is so big and gorgeous. You’re a great mom. Clearly I haven’t had enough coffee yet today to write a coherent comment. But yeah, good job. Ha.
Wow. This describes me life perfectly! Nice to know I’m not the only one dead tired but pushing through at the end of the day! Great post!
Weird. You totally stole my evening/ thoughts, exactly. Except, I have a blond little girl, two weeks younger than Harrison. Down to bobby pinning my bangs back.
How is Harrison only a month older than my little guy and yet H looks sooo much older??
& also, I’m glad my husband builds houses for a living because Braxtyn *will* have a kick ass playhouse!
He is THE mini me of your Husband, oh my gosh!
I am usually not one to recommend wal mart, however, we got our playset there for $500, maybe $590 and so far it’s been great. it’s not anywhere near like those kickass $10-15k ones but jeebus who has that kind of coin to spend on it, when you still have to assemble it and stain it? But, if you are moving, I am not sure i’d want to spend the weekend putting it together only to leave it behind?
Totally lost my train of comment thought when I saw the word “douchebag” above. Cracked me up.
Anyhow, I was going to say something clever about the multitude of things I also have booked into my “spare time.” Good thing spare time doesn’t exist, because it would be all booked out!
LOL – Yep! Toddler Sandal Funk can knock you out Batman style. Ka-pow!
Harrison’s dimples are delicious. Seriously yummy city. My little girl has them too and I get the evil eye every time I kiss them. She’ll deal
That face and that hair! DIE! So cute!
Good God, he’s cute!
I have big plans for my spare time too. Big plans.
Beautifully articulated and go you for being an awesome mom! He’s gorgeous!
Beautiful post. I completely recognize my post-work evening. My husband is a DIYer which is both good and bad. He wants to build my son’s playhouse himself, which is great, but I’m afraid it will take forever. He put in hardwoods in our downstairs while we were expecting my son, and it took 6 LONG months.