Hmmmm, Decisions, Decisions

As a work at home mom, we are always faced with difficult decisions. Decisions like, "OK, should I finish my report or watch yet another rerun of Law & Order SVU?" or "Do I want to wear the grey sweats or the black ones?" (By the way, the black sweats show kid stains more, just so you know)

Today, I was faced with yet another difficult decision - should I clean up my house or give my kids a bath? Now, don’t automatically assume that I am a bad mother. I have a set routine, and when I deviate from it, I get confused. I am used to giving the kids a bath in the morning so they can play with their dad more in the evening.

Well, ever since we moved, I have been keeping the house pretty clean. Please don't be disappointed, I got into the habit when the house for sale, and if it makes you feel any better, my bathroom is messy. On this particular morning, I had a weird bug that was making me feel anxious because the house hadn't been vacuumed in a few days.

Thus was my dilemma - did I give the kids a bath and put off the cleaning for who knows how long, or do I clean the house and risk not having enough time to get the kids clean?

Now, normal moms probably don't have this dilemma, they just get up early, clean while their kids sleep blissfully, then lovingly bathe them. Not in my world. Every morning is a new adventure. If I wake up early, one of the kids will wake up early. If I wake up early to curl my hair, my daughter wakes up early. It is impossible to accomplish any type of personal hygiene task with her around. If I wake up early and try to go back to sleep, my son will wake up early and talk my ears off at decibels rivaling a major airport.

Bath time is a whole other adventure. During this time, I get to try and wash and detangle my daughter's hair (which looks a little like Bob Ross' hair when she wakes up) while convincing her that it is, in fact, not a good idea to jump up and down in the bathtub. My son, on the other hand, does fairly well, except that he runs around like a screaming chicken with its head cut off (yes, I realize that a chicken without a head can't scream, but you get the idea) and I literally have to corner him to get him in the bath.

On this morning, I made an executive decision. I decided to let the kids watch their morning cartoons while I vacuumed and straightened up the kitchen, then I shortened their baths, which they both protested.

Did it work? Today it did. Will it ever work again? Knowing my kids, probably not. They are the masters of adapting to their environment. By the time I develop a viable solution to a problem, they have already evolved well beyond. If this continues, I'm in big trouble when they reach puberty.