One day I will be able to drink my coffee in the peace and quiet of a still morning. But that day is not today.
One day I will be able to write a blog post without a squirming baby on my lap. But that day is not today.
One day I will be able to sleep for eight hours straight, but that day is not today.
One day I will be able to eat a hot meal uninterrupted, but that day is not today.
One day I will be able to clean a room and it will stay clean the entire day, but that day is not today.
One day, I won't be in "teacher mode" all day long, but that day is not today.
One day I won't be changing diapers, wiping running noses, or taking little ones to the potty, but that day is not today.
One day I will be able to sit and chat without making sure the baby isn't killing herself, but that day is not today.
One day I will be able to leave the house and do errands without worrying about the kids with me or at the house, but that day is not today.
One day, Sunday morning prep won't be exhausting, but that day is not today.
One day, I won't find half eaten apples everywhere, crumbs in my bed, or wrappers all over my house, but that day is not today.
One day the house will be quiet and peaceful, but that day is not today.
So for today, I am going to enjoy the chaos. I am going to embrace the crazy- the kids, and the dirt, and the half eaten apples, and the putting out of fires all day long, and the mess, and the exhaustion, and the sheer bliss of it all.
Because.....
One day, I will be drinking my coffee all alone. No more cold, half drank cups sitting around, but no more baby antics to laugh at as I sip my coffee.
One day, I will have all the time in the world to write about those chaotic years of my life, but the house will be silent as I do so.
One day, I will be able to sleep to my heart's content, but I won't have a baby to nurse at 1 am, or a toddler to soothe at 3 am. I won't be able to sit there and stare at the beauty and perfection of their little toes, and their little fingers, and see them stare back at me with pure love in their eyes.
One day I will be able to eat a hot meal, but I won't have the laughter and conversation of a bustling family around me as I do so.
One day I will be able to clean the house and it will stay that way, but I won't have the tiny fingerprint smudges and hand smudges on my window anymore.
One day I won't be in "teacher mode" all day, and I will miss having someone to teach.
One day I won't be changing diapers or wiping noses, and I will miss having those chubby arms wrap around my neck, and the giggles as I tickle a chubby baby belly.
One day I will be able to sit and chat all I want, but I will miss holding my baby, and watching my two year old twirl and spin.
One day I will be able to do errands without worrying what's going on at home, but when I get home, I will be met with silence, and I will have to unload the groceries all by myself.
One day I will wake up on Sunday morning, and only get myself ready for church, but I will miss watching the girls do their "pretty spin" for their dad in their adorable Sunday morning outfits.
One day, I will be able to grab an entire apple and eat it whole, without finding three with bites taken out of them, but I will think back on those little bites wistfully.....
One day, the house will be quiet and peaceful.
And I will sit with my hot coffee, looking around at my clean home, well rested up, weekly blog posts written, and....I will miss these days.
I will miss the chaos. I will miss the mess. I will miss the sloppy kisses and the crazy and the stress and the beauty and the wonder and the sheer exhaustion and the loudness and the magic and the simplicity of this thing that I call life- my wonderful, beautiful life.
Live in the moment, Mama. Embrace today. Embrace your crazy, wonderful life, because one day- your kids will be grown and your life will be sane again- and if you are anything like me, you will look back on these crazy years with a little bit of longing and a whole lot of happiness.
You might not know it, but one day- you will miss it.