So That's What It's Like...

Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner. We had a nice time visiting, but then came time for them to go. They asked for a ride to their next appointment (apologetically, I might add, because Ben was the only one that could drive them due to mission rules and the missionaries could clearly tell that I needed Ben's help at that point.) There were dinner dishes to clean up and it was bedtime for the kids as they were showing it big time. Addie was huddled up next to me because she had fallen and gotten hurt, Nathan was hanging onto me because he was ultimately just plain ol' tired and Ryan (thankfully) was cruising around the house with his little walker. Out of desperation, I said, "Do you mind taking Nathan with you?" "Nope, I don't mind." (BLESS YOU, my dear sweet husband). So Ben grabbed Nathan, walked out the door with the missionaries, and I got busy cleaning up dinner dishes (as soon as Addie was okay to let me let her go).


Ryan saw that I had the dishwasher open and came crawling over (the twins think this means an invitation to come and pull everything out and onto the floor. What good helpers they are!) and Addie became interested in looking at pictures that were sitting on the table. Ryan saw a clean, empty sippy cup and its lid and began the task of putting the lid on the cup. This kept him entertained for quite some time. Addie was sitting quietly at the table, Ryan was busily working, and for one brief moment in time, I stopped. I stopped and realized that this is what it would be like to have only two children. Now mind you, it's not that I don't love my children and not that I don't think twins are the cutest thing ever, but I thought to myself, 'I could totally do this.' I know it wouldn't always be calm with just two children in the house, but the intensity level seemed to decrease by one million just because one baby was gone with sweet hubby (I heart you!) Wow. It was the most amazing feeling.


Sometimes in the craziness of having 3 children in a time span of 26 months, I often wonder what it would be like to have experienced it the way that most people do. One baby at a time. That I will never truly know. With twins, one plus one does not equal two. The degree of difficulty and intensity becomes exponential (remember learning about that stuff LONG TIME AGO?) And it is truly only something that one can understand if they have been through it/are going through it. I often hear people tell me: "I have two kids that are only 16 months apart so I totally know what you're going through." Sorry. Nope, ya don't. Not even close. But I guess that it DOES mean that our happinesses and joys are exponentialized (is that a word?), too. And for that I am grateful because we have some crazy good times at our house.
So, to sum up this whole experience for me that happened within a mere 2 minutes, I decided that I love my children with all my heart (always have), wouldn't want things to be any other way, but that I will be having Ben take trips with just one baby more often. Usually I send Addie with him and the twins stay home with me, but that experience last night put a whole new perspective on things.
Ryan, your turn with daddy is next.