And It Begins

I totally lost my nomination for Mother of the Year award yesterday. And it's only February, the second month in the new year. That's got to be a record of some sort, though not the kind I really want to shout about.

You see, I was sitting on the kitchen floor with Ashe and Soren, peeling Clementines for the two of them to devour. Sounds picturesque, right? Except for the fact I was really trying to peel them for me to eat since I hadnt had any sort of food but a handful of Jr. Mints and 4 cups of coffee, and it was 4pm and I was starving, but the two buzzards, I mean angels, kept zooming in the moment one was peeled and would reach out their hands with puppy eyes pleading as if I hadn't already fed them several times that day. But like a good Mom, I gave them my fruit, would start to peel another, and resignedly hand it over (again) when those arms reached out for more.

Beside Ashe, of course, was a cup of chocolate milk. Usually he has it in a sippy cup to prevent spills but all his sippy cups have mysteriously disappeared minus the one for his preschool which I never use in case, it too, decides to take flight and leave me when I am already rushing out the door in my PJs trying to get him there on time and I have to start a search and rescue team with 30 seconds to spare. Instead he had it in a BIG BOY cup with a straw. We're sitting there chilling, my stomach growling in harmony with the growls and gasps of delight from my boys as they shove fistfuls of orange into their little mouths, when Xavier arrives from school. Without thinking I get up, forgetting bout the cup, to greet him and help usher him to the table and start his homework. While my back is turned, rifling through his backpack to pull out his folder I hear him clear his throat.
"Uh, Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Ashes chocolate milk cup spilled in the kitchen."
"What? Oh, ok I'll go grab a towel in a sec. Thanks."
"...Uh, Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Sorens in the chocolate milk."

I turn around to see this image, now forever burned into my brain. Soren had army crawled 5 feet in a matter of maybe 30 seconds, overturned Ashes cup, and was face down in the middle of the puddle, arm around each side to keep the milk from spreading too far, lapping it up like a cat with cream, and a beatific smile upon his face.

Now here's where I lose my Mommy Award nomination. I actually stood there for a moment, my mind racing wondering what to do? Do I go race over to him and take him out of his heavenly puddle of chocolatey goodness? Or do I look for my camera first and get a snapshot????

Mommy mode kicked in and I decided to pick him up. I kid you not when I reached over to him he growled at me! I turned him over to look at my baby, covered head to toe in milk and Olvaltine, from his tiny head all the way to his footy toes. He looked at me with a gigantic grin on his face, burped, and said
"ahhhhhhhh".




I'm really kicking myself that I didn't take a picture now. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and I lament the fact I can not show you what I got to see. Maybe next time. And knowing my kids, I feel safe in saying there probably will be a next time. Especially now that Soren is officially mobile.