I don’t know if it’s just me, but as a mum, I feel like I’m always waiting for things to get ‘easy’. I tell myself “it’ll be easier once he starts crawling”, “it’ll be easier once he turns one”, “it’ll be easier once she’s down to one nap”, “it’ll be easier when she’s on solids”… the list goes on. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t ever get easier. ‘Easy’ is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You think you’re getting there and it’s just fucking. out. of. reach. Gaaaaahhhhhh.
So it’s one of my new year’s resolutions to enjoy the ‘easy’ now.
Right now I feel like life would be tremendously easier once Sofi is Sam’s age. I feel like she’d be so much more independent. But I know the perspective will change. It’ll become easier once she’s five. Once she’s in school. Once she’s able to fend for herself. Once she moves out. Once she gets a job. Once she sorts out her mid-life crisis. Once she makes her first billion. Once she retires. Oh wait, I’m DEAD.
It never ends. And so I’m making a conscious effort to appreciate things that have become easier now, instead of wishing for what might (or might never) be.
It’s so much easier now that Sofi’s on one nap, which can happen at any time in the afternoon. We have a huge window in the morning to go out, and as long as she gets a sleep (at home or in the car) at some point in the afternoon she’s fine!
It’s been so much easier since she started eating the same thing as everyone else. No more separate food! Although she now steals most of my food.
It’s been so much cleaner since she started walking because crawling around the shops and playground… ewwwwww.
It’s so much easier now that she (mostly) gets off the couch all right. I can be away from her for more than three minutes, go to the kitchen, duck upstairs, and know she’s not going to kill herself.
And Sam? It’s so much easier now that he talks properly. He tells me exactly what he needs and how he feels and I’m not playing the guessing game.
It’s so easy now that he knows he has to wait for his food when we go out. He just sits patiently (most of the time!).
It’s awesome that his attention span is longer now and he can watch a whole 30 minute show (not quite an entire movie yet). He’s sitting next to me right now watching Transformers: Rescue Bots and I’m blogging! Oh and thanks Netflix 😉
It’s great now that they both feed themselves so I can do stuff in the kitchen while they eat.
And it’s so much easier now that they are actually playing together. Sofi chases Sam (so I don’t have to!) and I can send them out to the backyard together.
So things are easier now. And maybe they will get even easier or maybe the ‘hard’ will just evolve. Because coming up are things like school and homework and friends and bullying and trends and independence and SEX AND DRUGS AND OMG I DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
So actually, now is super freaking easy because I have complete control of them. I just need to remind myself of this every time I feel like life is not easy. And take a moment to breathe and appreciate the beauty that is now.