Dispelling the myth

I'm afraid some people might be taken in by the false advertising on this blog (birthday parties, shiny faces, crafts and projects, smiles) and actually think to themselves, "Wow, she's such a good mother!". (Well, other than those people who are thinking, how could a really good mother have so much time to blog?)

Here's a little slice of reality. Last week I discovered a new trick. After I laced up my sneakers and strapped my two children into the double stroller for our morning walk, I turned on my Mp3 player (no, it's not an iPod but it does the job) and cranked up the volume.

Suddenly life was good again. Ethan's incessant babbling became nothing more than a gentle, distant mumble. Easy to ignore and no problem of mine. I checked both ways several times before crossing the street and kept my eyes peeled for serial killers at all times but otherwise was in a blissful world of my own.

Of course, at some point Ethan became wise to my silence and the mumbles became louder and more urgent noises, sounding vaguely like, "MAMA! MA---MAAAAAAAAA!" Since that first walk, I just warn Ethan ahead of time that I won't be able to hear him or talk to him unless it's very important.

Some people are lucky enough to drop their kids off occasionally at grandma's house or the house of some other close relative or friend. Some people even hire regular babysitters or a nanny. I have my Mp3 player. And I use it.