October is my birth month so there exists a natural reflection back on birthday memories with family and friends but beyond that not much is to be said regarding the anniversary of the ultimate life event for me. Instead, now that I have a family, this month, more than any other month, I catch myself conscious of day to day life. I think this personal awareness also emerged as a result of the death of my father two years ago this month too. Death forces an examination of life. This blogpost is a bit of a celebration and appreciation for the life of mundanity. Mundanity perhaps is a poor word choice because it connotes uneventfulness which is exactly what my life is not. That’s my point. . . we identify and classify things as humdrum that when you come right down to it are anything but.
My life is extremely eventful simply because I have children. Every day has its own level of excitement-not so much jumping-out-of-a-plane-excitement but a level of stimulation that has forced me to compartmentalize or chunk my days, weeks and months. Since having kids I totally get the one day at a time approach. This compartmentalization is not a bad thing, but rather a way to organize and manage the healthy chaos associated with having three young girls four years old and under, a dog, as well as an amazing wife with both of us working. It is life at its fullest. Hells bells.
Many days in fact, we are left scrambling to get pick up squared away. It helps having wonderful extended family and friends to assist in this department. Moreover too, I can’t tell you the number of times my wife and I have been in the kitchen staring at each other after just getting home with the girls after a full day and the question is asked- “What’s for dinner?” “Uh, I don’t know.” You parents out there hopefully get my drift. . .as I say often we are at the “bailing water” stage of a life with children. A bit of survival mode. Part of all this is being accepting of certain certainties. For example, at any given point in the day one of my children has a high probability to be covered in a non-specific substance that is either sticky or gooey. Remarkable really. And the smells too. . .I can’t tell you the number of times I say “good lord what is that smell?!”
And yet soon enough (not really) we will be at the stage where our kids will be out with their friends alone and as parents you hope and pray that you raised your kids right and the choices they make are the right ones. I have realized through having a family of my own that even though we tell people “same old same old” when asked how things are going, every day has its own adrenaline rush. It’s figuring out how to be two places at essentially the same time. . .it’s recognizing in the moment your kid’s discoveries and accomplishments- from writing their first name for the first time to being able to curl their tongue to literally sitting up on their own. The stuff that happens on any given day is wild. As parents we get to relive our childhood a bit with our children. And that to me is awesome. So many times, it all gets filed as mundane but it’s not. October has become my month to properly categorize it all. And appreciate it.
Lately, one of the things that I have really noticed with my two oldest girls, (a four year old and soon to be three year old) is their ability to tell when I am joking with them and kidding. I am fascinated by this development. I say something straight faced and they immediately get a twinkle in their eye and a smile of their face- “Daddy you’re teasing me” or “stop joking” is the usual response. For me there is nothing mundane about that. How could it be, right? There is no mundanity in having children- ever. Bedtime and brushing teeth is often an absolute adventure with every human emotion present. So here’s to October and a celebration of all that stuff that is mundane. CHEERS!!!!
outtatheboat 