Did you poop?

On Sunday we embarked on a cleaning rampage. Nothing makes me happier than to be in the mood to clean. I was working my way from room to room and really going to town, while Mike was deep cleaning the kitchen - putting random gadgets in a "garage sale box", taking apart drawers and cleaning the insides, throwing out old condiments, etc. I was loving every minute of this.

Sweet baby Miles was entertaining himself on the floor with some toys, but Maxwell was all up my business. He was being mostly cute, like using his toy vacuum alongside me and my toy vacuum. But as I was scrubbing the bathroom floor, his cuteness turned to mush. He started spraying me with Windex, unraveling paper towel, stealing the duster and using it as a sword...basically anything that falls into the category of counterproductive. Finally I just turned around and said, "Max, you are so annoying!!!" And as I said it, I realized how terrible it sounds but my goodness, it was so true. Even though Max owns a very large chunk of my heart, that kid sure can be annoying.

However, he is also quite hilarious lately. Just in the past few weeks it feels like he is really turning a corner in his talking. He is learning some key words and phrases to get what he needs. The best part though is that he has now started to accuse everyone of pooping: "Did you poop?" That must be one of the most common things we say to him, as now he's really taken it and made it his own. Ha. The face that he makes when he asks this question is so disapproving, like he's just disgusted with us. I really hope that is not what we do to him...although, where else would he learn it?? And whenever I change Miles, he's the first to exclaim, "Ew!!!" while plugging his nose. Interestingly enough, he doesn't think much of drinking the bathwater that he just watched Miles pee into. I guess he is still developing his cause-and-effect thought process.

Max and his favorite tool: the pointed finger.

One of these days

I love to understand how life is full of various seasons. Each season comes with good and bad, but we know it won't last forever. That's just the way it works. With the all-consuming season I'm currently in, I sometimes forget that it won't always be like this.

I won't always have to step around a kids stool, a kids toilet, a plastic bath, and 5 million toys to get into my shower each morning.

I won't always have to draw up a Super Bowl-worthy game plan just to go to Costco with both boys in tow.

I won't always need to keep a full snack cup in my console just so that Max doesn't cry all the way home each night.

I won't always make dinner for one child while nursing another child.

I won't always know about their poop contents.

I won't always start my day with a crying toddler who doesn't want to get dressed/wear socks/get a new diaper.

And as I look forward to those days, I have to remember what I'll be losing when this season comes to an end.

I won't always be able to hold these boys entirely in my arms.

I won't always be able to hold them as they fall asleep.

I won't always be the first person they see in the morning and the last person at night.

I won't always be the one they need the most.

So even though this season overwhelms me, and leaves me in tears on the bad days, there are enough good days sprinkled in that remind me to just laugh. These tiny humans will one day be fully capable adults. We'll share meals and conversation. We'll all take care of our own hygiene.  This season is just too wonderfully ridiculous to not find it absolutely amusing.