Babies Don't Keep

In one of my Bible Study classes a few months ago, a group of us moms were lamenting about how there is never enough time to get everything finished that needs to be done. One of the ladies spoke up and shared some wisdom that her mother-in-law had recently told her. She'd reminded the young mom that one day she would have nothing else to do but to clean house. As we all mumbled in agreement and solemnly nodded over that thought, another lady (who has 18 month old twins, God bless her) broke the silence and said, "That's all well and good. But seriously - who's going to do the laundry?" Hi-larious.

If only there were just a few more hours in the day, right? How would you spend them? Personally, and assuming Audrey was asleep, I'd probably catch up on housework, cook a decent dinner, or actually finish my Bible Study homework. Maybe I'd find time to get back into coupon clipping, return some calls, or write more blog posts (I know...you're begging for that to happen.) A few weeks ago I would've added exercise to that list, but I'm actually doing okay in that department at the moment...check back with me in another month.

However, the one thing I try really hard to keep off that "not enough time to do" list is spending time with Audrey. Yes, the laundry has to be done. Yes, the bills have to be paid. Of course there needs to be a level of basic housekeeping that gets accomplished to keep the bugs (and child services) away. But, after I lay her in her crib at night and go downstairs to put her toys away, I'm happy. As I throw everything in her toy basket, inevitably turning on the one with the most annoying music by accident, I smile. The mess means we played hard. It means I took time to get on the floor with her and interact. I'm not always the best at remembering how important that is.

And, though it sounds ridiculous because she's only seven months old, she has grown so fast! Everyone warned me ad nauseam how quickly it would go by. I already wish I'd held her more when she was teeny tiny and would sleep in my arms. Now she squirms like a big girl who has a million things to go discover and see and do. Breaks my heart.

So, yeah. I wish I had more time. But there will come a day when all I have to do is clean house. Or work out. Or read. Or do whatever else I want to do that I just can't seem to squeeze in right now. But if the to-do list is longer than the day is long, as it usually is, I think I'll err on the side of enjoying my kid.

I'll leave you with this precious poem I found that fits so perfectly:

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
The shopping is not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there is a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

Another version:

I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you're not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.