I've noticed a major theme in my life over the past couple of weeks. The major changes of having a third baby, Gregory gone in Oklahoma, preparing our house and stuff for a major move, going back to work at Azul.... I'm moving at a fast pace pretty much all of the time.
Someone is always waiting on me to finish one task and get started with the next. I'm changing Elliot's diaper, while Jackson waits with his own mess and Ayla is repetitively asking, "Can I have a drink with juice and ice and water in it?". The cats are meowing and tripping me first thing in the morning for their food. Customers at work are watching me with hawk eyes as I serve a margarita there, run a credit card here and take food from the kitchen and back and forth. I'm rushing everyone into their clothes in the morning (not every day, though, which is an amazing break!) and compulsively grocery shopping without a list in twenty minutes.
There's sometimes even a line for the toilet at our house. Ayla is taking her sweet old time, talking about her day while I'm holding a dirty cloth diaper and jumping up and down because I haven't gone to the bathroom in six hours.
And I keep repeating the same request aloud (and in my head): Be patient!
Last night while I was cooking dinner, I served Ayla and Jackson their veggies while waiting for the rest of the meal to cook. Two seconds later, Ayla is making her way back to the computer and complaining that "the bacon wasn't coming!" Jeez, give me a minute!
Toddlers are one thing - the concept of patience might not even be humanly possible for them. I get that. But all you grown-ups that are frequenting restaurants, please wait your turn. Waving me over to your table to ask me for your food or tell me you need more water (which I already had noticed, thank you very much) or that you NEED the channel changed to the game that started 20 seconds ago (biggest pet peeve ever). Your interference in my chain of actions has only made your desired request take longer.
I'm always thinking about the next thing I have to do - and when that list gets to more than ten items, I start to freak out a little. My request for patience turns into swear words and I suddenly lose patience with everything else on the planet.
Maybe that's how we truly learn our virtues: to be put to the test by toddlers and restaurant patrons! Sometimes there really isn't much of a difference between the two.
You are the greatest mother ever. I think about how lucky our children are to have you as their mother everyday. And I already know how lucky I am to have you as my wife. I know that doesn't really help in the grand scheme of things - but just know that you are amazing and everything you do, no matter how irritated you are while doing it, is amazing. I love you. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with this ridiculousness that is Oklahoma.
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