Most mornings I wake up at 5:30 am. I try to get up before the alarm goes off so God forbid Amit, my husband, or my girls, Olive and Nelly, won't be disturbed.
My running gear is already laid out from the night before.
I place them in my arms like a newborn baby and swoosh elegantly on my tipi toes, past the girl's rooms, hoping I won't hear a little squeak saying: "Where are you going, Mommy?"
Today I made it up the stairs with success. I put on my running clothes and shoes and make my instant coffee. (would not dare to use the coffee machine... too noisy).
The 10 minutes I sit with my coffee, all the house is quiet and still. It's just me and I. Absolute bliss.
The story takes a turn the moment I walk back in from my run around 7:00 am.
Olive is on the floor screaming at Daddy that she does not want to wear what she picked out the night before for kindergarten.
Nelly is whining in high pitch tone at Olive and Daddy, asking them to be quiet, so she can complete a sentence without disturbance. She never actually succeeds in reaching the punch line, bless her.
Then Amit bellows at me to dress Olive "I am not putting up with this anymore! Every morning the same thing, It's because you spoil her!"
Not being able to hear either of them, I now screech out loud so they would all shut up for a moment.
So now Amit is upset with me, giving me 'the look'.
"Why are you upset with me!?" I asked, "I was shouting at them, not you!
Are you upset at me… for shouting at them…. for shouting at you?"
"Well, you started," he said.
Did I now...?
Well, that's the way to start off your day in a positive and very calm manner. We are all about being very zen in our household.
Being married is often like walking through a minefield, with every step you are worried about setting a bomb off.
A good day is a day with no bombs going off and no 'limbs' lost.
Most people that succeed in their marriage are people that know exactly where not to step, what not to say. But how boring is that?
There is one thing that's worse than fighting with your partner, not fighting at all.
And why does it always come back to the question of who started? In some aspects of life, we have not evolved much from our 7-year-old selves.
But maybe we choose not to.
It's now 7:50 am and we are out the door with two munchkins, bags, and sandwich boxes fit for a king.
Arriving back home all is quiet and peaceful again.
Then I go on an ultimate mother guilt trip for shouting at them and decide, that from now on I will take a deep breath in, count to 10, think of wine and chocolate, and talk to them with a gentle soft loving voice.
That way for sure they will listen and they will be set for the day with positive energy.
And of course Amit, my husband will think to himself "Wow, what an amazing woman my wife is. I'm a lucky guy".
I pick them up from kindergarten at approx 4.00 pm, with a skip in my step, and of course, with my new soft voice I will lovingly ask:
"How was your day my darling?"
The first thing Nelly says, "Why did you pick up Olive before me?!"
looking very displeased. Then little Olive says, " I want an ice cream, you promised!"
Balling her eyes out sitting on the pavement, so all the other parents can see how I've got everything under control. That's me, controlled and softly spoken. Oh, and let's not forget, always smiling. Very important.
Like a mantra, I chanted in my guru's ashram or something like that, I keep saying to myself chocolate wine, chocolate wine, counting...1..2..3...4...5...6 chocolate wine.
Shit, it's not working! So I kneel down, as I will not give in to my anger rising.
"Nelly my princess, tomorrow I will pick you up first, and Olive my little hunnybunny, you can have ice cream later on, as you can see your Mommy is not a mobile ice cream van. OK?"
How good was that! I think to myself. I am reborn and so zen indeed. Well, for 30 seconds while it lasted. Olive lays face down on the ground screaming as she did not quite agree with my suggestion. And Dear Nelly decided she would start walking home while I'm trying to peel my child off the floor. And then I stood up and like the biggest volcanic eruption ever known to man, and shouted:
" Would you both shut up! and come here right now!!!!!!" I guess there is always tomorrow...
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