Babies Don't Keep

Yesterday, amid this disaster,

I started the swift descent into my periodic stay-at-home-mother crisis, which is that I can never seem to keep all my balls in the air at one time.

Here are the balls:
1. Daily baby care
2. Family business (which lately includes steps leading up to the big move in a few weeks)
3. Household maintenance
4. Food procurement, preparation, and clean-up
5. Social obligations
6. Personal health
7. Family harmony 

At any given time, I can give only give time and attention to maybe four of these, and number one is not optional, so the rest get my attention on a rotating basis. So despite being on top of a few things every day, I'm always going to be failing at a few other things.

Yesterday, for instance, I was sitting at the computer making travel plans to attend Jill's wedding in January.  I was feeling very proud of myself for taking care of this in advance, so that I don't have to panic at the last minute. Then I turned around to the tornado that had taken place behind me. Family business: PASS. Household maintenance: FAIL.

And then today, because I wasn't looking for it, I just happened upon some perspective.

Song for a Fifth Child
Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

I feel better already.