Showered, not Shaved

Today was special.

I took a shower.

It wasn't naptime. It wasn't 4 am or 10 pm. Grace was awake. And she wasn't strapped, buckled or nailed down to anything. She was sitting in front of the t.v. watching Elmo and drinking a sippy cup of milk. How great is that?

I didn't linger. There was no enjoyment of hot spray melting away the tension. In fact, I was tense as ever, waiting for little feet to pad their way into the bathroom and a tiny nose to press up against the shower stall glass. The razor never got to make an appearance, and the conditioner was shunned. Lather, rinse, no repeat.

I was in and out in a matter of minutes, my heart racing as much from the excitement of this new freedom as from the fear of finding a two year old coloring on the walls, climbing onto the countertops, or worse - climbing into the crib with her brother. I shut off the water, threw on a towel, and almost ran down the hallway to peek around the corner...

And she was just sitting there. Right where I left her. Watching Elmo and holding a now empty sippy cup.

I always knew there would come a day when I could start to do things without having to constantly watch every move my kids made. A day where I could take a shower after the kids awoke and the house would still be intact when I got out. I just wasn't sure what age your children had to be for that to happen. I was hoping it was before they could vote.

Well, it appears that day has arrived! At least for now. Mark is already threatening to become mobile, in which case I will have to resort back to the strapping, buckling and nailing... but for now I intend to enjoy the small bit of freedom I have. Who knows? I might even shave.