Things That I’ll Miss

Last night I was up until 11:00 picking full grown lice out of my son’s hair.  Those with experience know full grown is in fact relevant – it means they’ve been around for a while.  Further adding to good reason for a mom/dad collective groan (proudly don’t panic about this one anymore, just groan)  was the fact that husband just happened to read an article about a great evolutionary lice milestone – apparently they have become resistant to the usual treatments!  Luckily our lice must have missed that memo because they seemed to be dying quickly with the usual remedy.   I naively thought we were through this stage since both of our kids are older now and it’s been a couple years since last experiencing this lovely venture.  Thankfully I was wise enough to have kept a full bottle of lice shampoo under my sink.  I’m quite proud of this too – experienced parents also know there’s in fact no guarantee of being out of any particular stage.  This saved me either the late night trip to the pharmacy OR the all night restless sleep (the too-lazy-to-go-to-the-pharmacy-so-toss-and-turn-full-well -knowing-they’re-hatching-and-multiplying-through-the-night, restless sleep). The upshot?  My son thought it was all quite fascinating!  One interesting scientific phenomena.  He loved looking at the dead lice and each microscopic egg I delicately extracted, now lying safely adhered to a damp tissue. And he wasn’t even worried about me having to inform his closest friends’ parents or that (great timing) there happened to be a lice check at school coming up.  I prepped him what to say as there might be remnants for the lice checkers to identify and how to handle it if kids got wind of this, and he practically scolded me  – Why would I think he would care what anybody said?  (Evidence of high self esteem!  Yeah!)

I’ve always thought there was something wrong with me because while others post sentimental captions under their FB birthday photos of their kids, I’m more relieved with every birthday.  One year further from those late night fevers, logistics of school holidays (which one of us is using a day off for this one?) or worse yet the babysitter calling in sick (mom/dad collective shit!).  And what’s up with those who warned, “It doesn’t get easier, just different.”  What perfect toddlers did you have?  It absolutely does get easier!  As they mature –  no more running after them in stores, scrambling to get sitters and nannies, sitting at the park (how boring was that one?), dinners ready by 5:30, preparing dinners every night for that matter.   (When is it ok to eat ice cream out of the carton for dinner – oh yeah, that’s college).  This list of course could go on.

What I will miss?   Snuggles at bedtime.  Crawling into bed with us in the middle of the night. Belly laughs.  (When’s the last time you experienced a true belly laugh?) All the firsts (first standing up, first words, first talent emerging).  Daughter texting me wondering when I’ll be home when I’ve only been gone a couple hours (because she MISSES me!!).  Unselfconscious hugs and love-yous.  Absentmindedly playing with my hair. Three year old aphorisms: Hey, that’s a no no!  Mama, it’s a yes yes!  Hey, when did you last take a shower?  Mama, I did yesternight.  “Mama.”  I’ll never tire of being called mama.  But lice at 11:00 at night?  Won’t miss that.

Author: workingmomzblog

Just your average, working mom... View all posts by workingmomzblog