An Ode to Single Moms

A clip from last week:

I think an Ode is supposed to be a poem. This is not a poem, but rather an account of last week, the week I met my match and decided that single moms deserve some sort of huge reward, like their very own personal nannies, housekeepers, chauffeurs, and cooks.

I spent the week babysitting our 3 nephews while their parents vacationed in Hawaii. With Rick stuck at home due to a poorly scheduled final, for 3 days I was left to care for 4 boys, ages 5, 2, 1, and 4 months BY MYSELF. To put it plainly, I simply do not have the hands, patience, nor energy to give adequate attention to this many children at once, especially for 3 days straight. By the time Rick arrived, the house was an absolute mess, Carson was wired and overtired from so much noise and chaos all day long, and the boys were aching for someone to play with them for more than the 15 minutes-at-a-time that I could give them. The only reason I made it through those 3 days and nights without having a total breakdown was knowing that Rick was coming to save the day. (note the word total... meaning I did have several breakdowns, just not one that led to me actually leaving the house and not coming back.) I also owe a huge thank-you to JenSwen, who came for a playdate one morning, actually cleaned Ryker's face for once, and ran to the store so the children didn't starve. (There was no way I was going to attempt taking all 4 boys to the grocery store. I'm certain someone would have gotten lost, dropped, or stuck in a freezer.)

Carson spent a lot of time in the exersaucer...

...and entertaining himself, especially during the hectic morning routine, which included making everyone breakfast, bathing all 3 at once, dressing them all, loading them into the car, and taking Landon to kindergarten.

Unfortunately, it was cold and SNOWY, so playing outside wasn't an option for the first couple of days.

Tons of toys and games, like Mousetrap, were brought out to channel the energy.

and Ryker always had food or nose products encrusted on his face, no matter how many times I tried to wipe it.

So, we survived one toilet that overflowed all the way into the next room, an entire bag of tortilla chips dumped on the floor and consequently stomped on and eaten by everyone, innumerable other spills, including Xander's entire plate of dinner one night, several sleepless nights due to Carson's being way overstimulated, one incident in the bathroom that involved... a huge mess... (I'll spare the details on that one), and a few other adventures.

After Rick finally came and helped us get ourselves back in order, I just could not imagine what it would be like to be a single mom. I deeply admire and respect anyone who has had to go through a period of time raising children without a spouse.