Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Surplus of Silence

I woke up this morning completely alone. My husband left for work at the crack of
dawn and the kids spent the night with my parents. It is very strange, this lack of activity in my house. Normally, I’d have put at least one kid in
time out, taken a speed shower, cleaned up a spilled drink, changed a diaper,
fed three people, struggled with getting all of us dressed and done my best to
straighten up the house; all before 9:00. It’s 9:10 now and I’m sitting in silence in front of the computer
screen. It’s an odd feeling, typing
without interruption. I’m so used to
doing all of my work in 5-10 minute increments that I’m a little concerned the
quality of my writing will suffer as a result.





Shhh
As I was getting dressed I tried to recall the last time
that I was truly alone in my house. I
could not come up with anything. I
honestly do not think that I have had any quality alone time since I had
children. Someone is always here making
some type of request. An observer in my
home on an average day would be hard pressed to witness a ten-minute period
that did not involve some type of Mom request. They never stop. My daughter
even calls out for me during the night.





It’s amazing what we can get used to. I don’t remember life without kids. I remember the big events: the carefree
vacations and the frequent date nights; but I don’t remember daily life. My husband and I were married five years
before the first child came along so we had lots of time to live a carefree lifestyle and I am very grateful for those years.   In some respects, though, it feels like my
life didn’t really start until I had children. That’s when I found my groove. That’s when I discovered my first true sense of purpose. So, am I enjoying this silence this
morning? Absolutely. Do I want it to continue long term? No way. When your primary purpose is providing comfort, nourishment,
entertainment and support to two irrational, little human beings, the coveted
surplus of silence and time feels surprisingly empty and boring.








P.S.: Clearly my
writing did suffer as a result of the silence. This entry is very sentimental and unfunny. Sorry folks, back to the funny stuff tomorrow.





10 comments:

  1. Hey! I laughed! But it's time to get those 2 irrational children back in that house ;)Isn't it amazing how we beg/crave some alone time, and when we get it, we don't know what to do with ourselves?! Enjoy it girlie! It's a rare, yet beautiful thing :)

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  2. Don't apologize it was a great piece.
    I like the funny stuff but it's also nice to read something I can relate to. I enjoy the 'blogs' that let me know that I'm not alone in this parenting 'life'
    Farm the kids out again soon, I'd be interested to see what 'serious' and 'unfunny' stuff you come up with next. :)
    PS. What the heck's a culotte?

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  3. Candice-
    Yes, it is. I complain about them constantly but, truth be told, I feel a little lost without them.

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  4. Leanne-
    Thanks. I appreciate it. I checked out your blog (www.tiredmama.com) and you and I seem to have similar views of the world. It's always nice to find a common thread, especially with a fellow writer mama.
    Here's the definition of "culotte" from dictionary.com:
    women's trousers, usually knee-length or calf-length, cut full to resemble a skirt.
    Suffice it to say, no one (except Will's Nana--see previous blog :) wears them anymore.

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  5. I am glad someone asked about the culotte! Although now that I heard the def. I know what it is.
    I have only been home once or twice with no kids and I don't like it! I can't stand the silence! I thrive in chaos!

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  6. Thanks for checking my 'page' out. I've only been up and running in this format for about a week, so I'm sure as I get it all figured out it'll get better...at least that's the hope.
    Ah yes, I remember the culotte now too, sort of a capri with extra baggy knees..capris on steroids? Hmmm....

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  7. Glad you could get a little R&R time all to yourself, the serious stuff is a little out of character, but, enjoyable on occasion. About the culotte, legend has it that back in the day of Rob Wallace, the English had just kick a little Irish Butt, and decided to try it in Scotland, the first thing they did was outlaw the Kilt, the Scots, not wanting to go without a wardrobe, and, being ever so frugal, put a few stitches in the crouch of their kilt, made a bold fashion statement, then, chased them back across the Channel. And, THAT'S why you can't why you can't believe what you read in the English Dictionary!!

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  8. Glad you could get a little R&R time all to yourself, the serious stuff is a little out of character, but, enjoyable on occasion. About the culotte, legend has it that back in the day of Rob Wallace, the English had just kick a little Irish Butt, and decided to try it in Scotland, the first thing they did was outlaw the Kilt, the Scots, not wanting to go without a wardrobe, and, being ever so frugal, put a few stitches in the crouch of their kilt, made a bold fashion statement, then, chased them back across the Channel. And, THAT'S why you can't why you can't believe what you read in the English Dictionary!!

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  9. Leeanne-
    Capris on steroids, huh? I like it!

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  10. Wow, Papa Dale. I'm speechless. You should write for Wikipedia!

    ReplyDelete