That thing you do...

Our town has a big relay race every year (somehow that description doesn't begin to do it justice but we'll leave it at that) and my husband has participated in it the last couple of years. The other evening we were with his team for a pre-race gathering and as they went to talk business I was left with the other wives whom I'd just met, who were, both childless and participating in the same event. Have I ever done said event they wanted to know?...

Huh, uh, no. No, I am not and have not participated in this event. Why?? Well, I suppose I'll save the whole part about me being described once by my husband as "totally physically worthless" - and this was when I was young and in shape long before I was married with children. Alas, there is no event in this race for the 15-20 minute mile walker, the slow asthmatic swimmer. The only event in this race that I can say I've actually got any experience in, is the river canoe and uh-hum, I've never RACED in a canoe unless you count the middle schoolers at camp. So, I decided to spare them the whole story of my life-long lack of great athletic talent.

Instead, I just said, "Nope, I uh, well, I have 4 small children, so I don't really, uh, well, do much of anything."

How does one describe what it is I actually DO to a couple of childless people. Before kids, I could say "I'm a teacher" and people could picture what I do - at least a little bit. Now, I do a lot, but I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that and a whole lot of nothing at the same time. I don't do a paid work position. I don't even do a lot of leisure activities (I like to kid myself that I read on occasion). I don't go a lot of places and I don't get done have the things I'd like to. I don't have time to do a lot of things that would be nice.

Each day, though does not bring the same old monotony. Well, OK sometimes it feels like it does but in reality each day brings a new challenge, a new joy, a new thing to worry about, a new piece of exciting news... A good report card, a nightmare, this one learns to read and that one learns to jump and this one won the soccer game and that one lost a tooth, and this one had a fight with a friend at school and that one got a prize, this one fell off their bike and that one peed in their pants and that one learned a new word. This one needs a snack and that one needs a band aid and the other one needs their shoes tied and that one needs a new diaper. This one is taking time out to dance to the music and that one is smelling the flowers and this one is in time-out and that was is taking a nap.

And while somehow I do "mom" does even less justice to the position as "relay race" does for this fabulous mountain to bay extravaganza held each year in our area, it is what I do these days. I don't "do" much else these days ... and I wouldn't have it any other way (well, at least most of the time!)