Coffee, a Book, and Diaper Cream

That's what I'm looking at right now.  

I'm a mother.  It's true that I get a moment to ponder much, as I stay at home and homeschool 9 of my 10 kids.  I'm busy from the moment I get woken up at sunrise, to the time they go to bed around 9 or 10pm.  During my quiet time between them going to bed and me going to bed, I'm still nursing a baby and doing random stuff about the house.  

Today, as I sit on the couch nursing baby, I'm listening to the kids play upstairs.  There's no bickering.  There's noise and stomping.  There's yelling and excitement.  However, all seems quiet.  

I look across from me and see the coffee table.  This is my life.  A cup of coffee.  A book.  A bottle of diaper cream.  

My coffee is my daily "I need energy to keep going" drink.  I enjoy drinking it.  It's warm (or cold depending on how long it takes to drink it).  Usually I'm stuck finishing up a very cold cup, as I rarely drink it all while warm still.  

My book is what I've been reading to the kids.  One of the boys said the other day that "reading is boring".  GASP!!!  Noooo, you totally did not say that to me!  Reading is imagination run amok!  Reading is watching the movie in your head, only also knowing so much more about thoughts, feelings, and what's going on!  So I have them all sit down and Mon-Fri they listen to me read to them for an hour (or until my voice gives out) of the Narnia books. They love it, and I'm really looking forward to getting to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that they are familiar with.  I hope this is bringing an interest in reading for the younger ones. 

The diaper cream.  My babies.  There is always a piece of my babies lying around somewhere near me.  A diaper, cream, blanket, spare change of clothes, burp rag... Something close at hand.  It is a piece of me, and this reminds of my life as a mom.  

The picture is unedited.  I usually crop it to crop out any mess or craziness.  I left it.  There's ash on the floor that wasn't swept up.  The rug is askew.  The floor needs swept and vacuumed.  The tool bag is out, waiting to follow hubby to work tomorrow.  The wood stove is cold and won't be lit until dusk.  The ash pot is partially filled and next to the stove. It's all there.  It's my life.  Unedited and full of happiness.