The Way Things Are

There's something about the continuous kitchen rotation from sparkling to shambles and back again.

Something about a pile of shoes thrown to the bottom of the stairs, by a baby who loves shoes more than most kids love their blankies, while humming what I'm almost certain is the chorus line of a Beyonce song from three albums back.

There's something about original lego creations in stations set up in the most inconvenient and adorable places around the house.

Something about the living room lounge chairs always being rearranged for the ultimate video game comfort.

There's something about a pee diaper wrapped neatly and set on... the kitchen table!

That basement light that you have to walk way to the back to turn off ALWAYS being on.

Something about never having dry cuffs on my sleeves, or dogs in a state other than ravenous hunters in search of floor scraps, and car seats sprinkled with crumbs, books, and Mentos wrappers.

There's something about wearing a little girl's button bracelet and matching toe polish.

Something about that ring of milk in the bottom of the bottle that reminds you why people have those bottle scrubbers on a stick.

There's something about sink baths, and a line up of bikes, and huge stinky piles of tiny clothes.

The way he flirts and giggles when I sing, "he's Leo and he knows it"

Or the way the oldest asks a second time, right after I assure she can go and play, "are you sure you don't need me to do anything for you Auntie?"

The way my own son has stopped arguing with me and completely stopped complaining all together about anything.

The way the middle one can simultaneously light up my life while letting me know that I light up hers, just with her eyes.

Even though I NEED real sleep, I rarely shower until I can actually smell my own stank, and I'm far more easily persuaded to hand over an entire box of glutinous soy filled Cheezits than I'll ever be proud to admit...there's something about all of this that Greg and I are becoming more increasingly aware, as our days as a family of six draw closer to their end, we are going to miss very very much.