the Best (and Completely Craziest) Years of our Lives (How is that Possible?)

I can't really explain how crazy the past few weeks have been. How do I convey the frustration of having my kids break a glass picture frame, and the panicy need to clean it as fast as physically possible before my kids step in it but only while using one arm because I'm holding my 18monther on my hip and I can't put him down or he'll sever a limb, while one of my kids dumps powdered sugar into the dinner sauteeing on the stove, and someone else knocks off our throw rug onto the neighbors' balcony below us just beyond reach of my broom (I almost fell off my 3 story balcony trying to retrieve this rug, by the way), then having my other 18monther dump sweet potatoes onto the carpet that would have been protected by the throw rug I failed to retrieve despite almost losing my life for it, and forget I had ripped off one of the diaper tabs while putting on my wriggly baby's diaper until I see the pile of poo he left because his diaper came off, have my cell phone dumped in the toilet, my home phone dumped in the toilet so I'm totally phoneless, a weird mixture of oil and paprika dumped on the couch that will never come out, an entire bottle of red paint dumped on the carpet... and all of this happened within a 3 day period and many of it simultaneously (there's no way we're getting our deposit back). How do I explain all this... what's the word? Sheer and utter chaos doesn't even do it justice. No wonder I've been sick for an entire month!

Anyways, despite the insanity brought on mainly by a new phase that we are trying to get a handle on, I can't help but feel that these are the best years of my life. I love singing with my kids in the morning, dancing while we get dressed and make beds, seeing how excited they get over dandelions, seeing how crazy giggly they are when I play peekaboo with them or Ian chases them with the Gymbo clown doll, how much they love to be with me and how much they enjoy reading stories or getting excited about the holidays. I've never laughed so much or noticed how amazing everything is. We took them to the Santa Monica airport recently. It's a small municipal airport with a viewing platform set against the backdrop of the Century City highrises for people to watch the small planes landing and lifting off. The action was nonstop the Saturday we were there and all of them were totally enthralled- I love the absorbing look of wonder and fascination on their faces, you just don't see that as often with adults.


It's pure, uninhibited fascination. I love being reminded of feeling that way, and enjoying it with my kids, I've never felt so happy so I'll take powdered sugar pasta and paprika soaked couches any day because I wouldn't miss this for anything (although we recently installed a gate to our kitchen and the situation is much improved, and after my mom's visit and help from my friend Natalie I finally got over my virus. Hurray!).