Wednesday, October 5, 2016

The Payoff for Tedium


I feel I should set the record straight on a statement I made on the last post, about parenthood always degenerating into unrelenting tedium. While true, it sounds more negative than it really is. I mean, sure, I really can't think of a great positive to the fact that every single day I have to wipe multiple bottoms other than my own, but other things that children do on repeat definitely make this gig more pleasant.

Take, for example, that book I mentioned, The Big Caribou Herd. All three of my children LOVE this book. It's about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and all the animals in it. It is, as I said, a very long book. But when I read it with Jack, he always, without fail, makes a growling sound when he sees the grizzly bear, a hooting sound when he sees the snowy owl, and a howling sound when he sees the wolves.

There are few things more adorable than a toddler trying to growl like a bear.

But there is one thing even more adorable and endearing than that. When we read Time for Bed and we get to the page with the deer: "Time to sleep, little deer, little deer. The very last kiss is almost here." On cue, every blessed time, Jack turns and gives me a kiss.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we soldier on with the unrelenting tedium.

Those kids sure are clever that way.

2 comments:

Mary W said...

You just made me choke up at my desk at work.

tu mere said...

Yep, those are the moments you have to pull from memory when they all seem like terrorists bent on your self destruction. The moments are fleeting, but well worth the wait!