Today I Will Laugh

LAUGH

Today I have taken a vow. I will laugh.

I am so serious about this, that I have made a sign to remind me. Out of orange construction paper (classy!), hung in the most noticeable place in the house: a constant reminder that, actually, this life of mine is hilarious!

Sometimes it gets so crazy I feel like crying. Or pulling my hair out. Or running out to the back yard and taking a deep, deep breath... 

But today, today I will laugh.

I will laugh when Asher piles all of the couch cushions and throw pillows and blankets he can find in the middle of the living room floor.

I will laugh when Gray gets stuck on the dishwasher door (again), and I will laugh when the boys decide that the stacks of freshly folded laundry make a perfect landing pad for their running jumps.

I will laugh when I catch them making mischief in the toilet together. 

I will laugh now, because I know that in ten years I will laugh with them when I tell them all the wild deeds they did when they were toddlers. This is funny stuff! And the ability to see the humor while it's happening is what makes loving these "little years" possible. 

I don't know how long the sign will stay up. But, sometimes I get so lost in the sticky fingers and temper tantrums that I am tempted to forget how absolutely goofy these little guys are. I'll enjoy the paper reminder until one of the boys figures out how to scale the curtains to get to it (I've noticed both of them eyeing it...) and then I'll laugh when the crashing curtain rod rips a massive hole out of the drywall in our rental town house! (Well, I'll try to!)

Here's a funny story: My sweet Asher has his moments, and during a fit of rage one day he decided to grab the closest thing to him and pop me on the head with it. What he grabbed was my copy of "Loving the Little Years,"* and the irony of being smacked upside the head with that little reminder mid-temper-tantrum was so great, I couldn't help but get the giggles!

Motherhood is hard work. It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done. This vocation is filled with mundane tasks that cycle through each day and each week on endless repeat. But when there are little people around, it is impossible to get bored. 

So long as you're looking at it the right way.

I'm ready for a good laugh. And the best part? I'm sure to get plenty today!

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*Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches By Rachel Jankovich.