okay?”
“Umm, Mommy…I have to go potty.” Her neck shrinks down as her shoulders raise, and after a lift of her eyebrows, an apologetic half-smile splays across her face.
“Potty!” I shout. And that does it. Blake lets out a roar of laughter, adding a few snorts for effect. Mature.
I straighten back to my original standing position and grab her little hand. I don’t even bother to look back at him as I guide my baby down the hall to the bathroom.
Payback is a bitch, my dear . He’s gonna get his later tonight.
And he does… multiple times .
Boxes. Everywhere. A sea of brown squares with handwritten labels reading, “Movies”, “Pics”, and “Kitchen Utensils”, among many other things, line the walls of my already tiny living room. I’m starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.
Hands on my hips, I let out a long exhale, blowing the hair out of my face. That’s the last box I’m doing tonight. I’m freakin’ wiped.
Just as I begin to bend over and attempt to pick up the one I just labeled “Books”, my attention is redirected to the room Nycole and Kyndall share. Giggles and Blake’s low murmur pique my curiosity. Setting the Sharpie down on top of the box, I begin taking steps toward their room but turn back quickly, only to pick the marker up and place it on the bar. All I need is for Rylie to get a hold of that thing.
I make my way down the now bare hallway, and as the laughter of my girls gets louder, the corners of my mouth begin to lift. Once I’m outside their door, I barely push it open, so it’s just slightly cracked. Peeking in, I can’t help but giggle.
Blake lying with his stomach flat on the floor, raised up onto his elbows, with Nycole and Kyndall sitting in front of him, and Rylie perched on the backs of his outstretched legs. She picks up his feet so that they are in the air, and hugs his boots while he pulls her back and forth, and side to side, trying to get her to fall off. She screams with excitement every time he changes direction, and even though I can’t see his face, I know he’s grinning from ear to ear. I raise my hand to my mouth, covering my own smile.
Rylie looks up to see me in the doorway. She raises her hand to wave, but when Blake’s feet change direction, she loses her grip around his ankles and topples over onto the floor. Giggling, she pushes herself up, jumps back onto his legs, and pulls his boots back into her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly. Jeez, how long has this been going on?
Kyndall suddenly bursts into laughter. I watch as the girls try to teach Blake to make a bow out of colored duct tape. When duct tape became popular, I have no idea. It must have been over the last two months when I was replaced by a narcoleptic, cheese and orange juice craving zombie.
Literally, I would be speaking to Blake or the girls, and then…snore.
Out.
Like a light.
For hours.
Only to wake up and find the girls’ bathed, their teeth brushed and hair brushed, and already put to bed, all while I was dozing and drooling on the couch. I feel incredibly guilty that he barely had a chance to get used to married life before I was struck by the constant need for sleep during my first trimester. But, that being said, the smile on his face right now tells me he didn’t mind too much.
“Blake!” Kyndall shouts through her laughter, “What’s that supposed to be?” I giggle again as I watch Rylie land on the floor before jumping back up. I think she actually bounced a couple of times.
“What? It’s a bow, Kyndall. Mine looks just like yours and Nycole’s.” I glance to the hot pink crumpled up piece of tape in his hand. It looks nothing like the perfectly shaped bows my daughters fashioned. “ No it doesn’t, Blake!” Nycole laughs, then sighs. “Okay, let’s try it again.”
I watch Blake’s determined expression as he tries to master the impossible. I stifle a laugh when his lime green attempt looks worse
“Umm, Mommy…I have to go potty.” Her neck shrinks down as her shoulders raise, and after a lift of her eyebrows, an apologetic half-smile splays across her face.
“Potty!” I shout. And that does it. Blake lets out a roar of laughter, adding a few snorts for effect. Mature.
I straighten back to my original standing position and grab her little hand. I don’t even bother to look back at him as I guide my baby down the hall to the bathroom.
Payback is a bitch, my dear . He’s gonna get his later tonight.
And he does… multiple times .
Boxes. Everywhere. A sea of brown squares with handwritten labels reading, “Movies”, “Pics”, and “Kitchen Utensils”, among many other things, line the walls of my already tiny living room. I’m starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.
Hands on my hips, I let out a long exhale, blowing the hair out of my face. That’s the last box I’m doing tonight. I’m freakin’ wiped.
Just as I begin to bend over and attempt to pick up the one I just labeled “Books”, my attention is redirected to the room Nycole and Kyndall share. Giggles and Blake’s low murmur pique my curiosity. Setting the Sharpie down on top of the box, I begin taking steps toward their room but turn back quickly, only to pick the marker up and place it on the bar. All I need is for Rylie to get a hold of that thing.
I make my way down the now bare hallway, and as the laughter of my girls gets louder, the corners of my mouth begin to lift. Once I’m outside their door, I barely push it open, so it’s just slightly cracked. Peeking in, I can’t help but giggle.
Blake lying with his stomach flat on the floor, raised up onto his elbows, with Nycole and Kyndall sitting in front of him, and Rylie perched on the backs of his outstretched legs. She picks up his feet so that they are in the air, and hugs his boots while he pulls her back and forth, and side to side, trying to get her to fall off. She screams with excitement every time he changes direction, and even though I can’t see his face, I know he’s grinning from ear to ear. I raise my hand to my mouth, covering my own smile.
Rylie looks up to see me in the doorway. She raises her hand to wave, but when Blake’s feet change direction, she loses her grip around his ankles and topples over onto the floor. Giggling, she pushes herself up, jumps back onto his legs, and pulls his boots back into her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly. Jeez, how long has this been going on?
Kyndall suddenly bursts into laughter. I watch as the girls try to teach Blake to make a bow out of colored duct tape. When duct tape became popular, I have no idea. It must have been over the last two months when I was replaced by a narcoleptic, cheese and orange juice craving zombie.
Literally, I would be speaking to Blake or the girls, and then…snore.
Out.
Like a light.
For hours.
Only to wake up and find the girls’ bathed, their teeth brushed and hair brushed, and already put to bed, all while I was dozing and drooling on the couch. I feel incredibly guilty that he barely had a chance to get used to married life before I was struck by the constant need for sleep during my first trimester. But, that being said, the smile on his face right now tells me he didn’t mind too much.
“Blake!” Kyndall shouts through her laughter, “What’s that supposed to be?” I giggle again as I watch Rylie land on the floor before jumping back up. I think she actually bounced a couple of times.
“What? It’s a bow, Kyndall. Mine looks just like yours and Nycole’s.” I glance to the hot pink crumpled up piece of tape in his hand. It looks nothing like the perfectly shaped bows my daughters fashioned. “ No it doesn’t, Blake!” Nycole laughs, then sighs. “Okay, let’s try it again.”
I watch Blake’s determined expression as he tries to master the impossible. I stifle a laugh when his lime green attempt looks worse
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