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Five days a week, smack dab in the middle of the afternoon my quiet house melts into chaos the second these 5 children of mine come barreling through my door… backpacks full of homework, in terrible need of a snack and heads bursting with things they have got to tell their mother. It seems they want to tell me these important things as quickly and as loudly as they can, all at the same time. I find myself saying things like “Yes, oh really!” and “Wait just a minute, your sister is in the middle of her story” and “Please don’t spill the milk” and “Don’t cry, dear. Things will look up tomorrow” and “Doesn’t anyone want to eat a scrumptious carrot stick? Tastes great less filling…” and “Wow, you are kidding! How cool!” and “Yes, I can pick you up if you stay late tomorrow” and…well. It can make a girls head spin now can’t it. Sometimes I just sit at the edge of the counter and try to drink it in. A person needs to take a seat when managing 5 conversations at once.
Yesterday while the Whirlwind of Information was being tossed around my kitchen I noticed my little Aaron kept getting into the fridge…
and performing some kind of magic trick on many of my jars and bottles.
“This is so cool, Mom! Watch I am going to make the expiration date disappear. It’s an awesome magic trick! Just color over the date with a dry erase marker, blow on it…
wipe it with a paper towel…
and you will never ever…like never EVER see the expiration date again, like in your whole life, Mom. Really. Cool right!”
And it was cool until I realized that he had taken the expiration date off of pretty much every jar, container and and jug in my fridge.
And then we all laughed a hearty laugh and chuckled a lot at his quirky cuteness. And I didn’t even care if I never knew for the rest of my life if today’s milk was expired or not.
Because the honest truth is, the 3:00 chaos along with the Whirlwind of Information blowing around my kitchen isn’t going to last forever. The months, weeks, days and minutes that I get to keep all of these children of mine living here, under one roof, are ticking by you know. I can see that expiration date inching its way into my life…a little too fast for my taste. Especially with my oldest kids. (Can you believe my oldest son is a Junior this year! I know, right. How did that happen!)
I’ll take the 3:00 madness, the Whirlwind of Information, the spilled milk and especially the fabulous quirky cuteness. I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself when…
It Has All Expired.
(Maybe, I will finally be able to keep that blasted Stainless Steel Fridge of mine clean…don’t hold your breath. That thing is a bugger.)
Oh, how I love it! What a great story and a great perspective. Drink it in.
Very well said. Having been there, it expires pretty fast. Enjoy each day!
This is a precious story! I love that you stopped to photograph it and record your thoughts! My children are grown and now I enjoy the antics of grandchildren when they come by! Have a nice weekend!
And the electric feeling that comes into the house and the outdoor smells that come in with the children…. Yes, I remember it well, and your descriptive words put me right into your kitchen with you… Go for you, to realize it doesn’t last forever, so enjoy TODAY! Hugs!!
Good for you Aaron, keeping mom up-to-date on the “new” things of this ever changing world!! Hugs
What a wonderful post and so right on!! My oldest is moving out at the end of the month and I am full of conflicted feelings about it all. I am so happy he is moving along well with his life and I am so going to miss the daily contact with him. Someone told me once…enjoy the children no matter what. Once they are born the days are long but the years are short.
My mom told me last night, “If it still comes out of the container when you squeeze, it’s probably alright to eat.” Oh my goodness. It’s miraculous we never got food poisoning growing up. HA!
And in all seriousness, WHY do they have to grow up so quickly? I’ve learned this lately. I feel like I’ve blinked and my babies are 4.5 and 2. I was just a newlywed yesterday and now I have these BIG children in my home. Babies don’t keep.
With 5 kids nothing in your fridge will ever expire! (Said a mom of three who could clear out the fridge on a regular basis!)
Make these memories while you can. I am an empty nester and they grow up way too fast!
Lovely post. <3
WOW I never read a truer statement. The house does get lonely and quiet when they are gone. Enjoy every minute of every day. Live every day to its fullest because we’re not promised tomorrow!! Your blogging and recipes are both wonderful. Thank you for both!!