How Motherhood is Like a Merry-Go-Round

Ever feel like your days are a wash-rinse-repeat cycle?

A constant picking-up of shoes, books, clothes, iPods and whatnots?

There is a mall in Iowa that our kids used to love to stop at when we lived in the land of flat and were on our way home.

It has a merry-go-round in near the food court.

Carousels (I had to look that one up to spell it right) are much like motherhood. As we approach day 12 of Christmas break, and the precious offspring have been underfoot, under quiet, and over sugared, I am reminded that the daily ins and outs of being a parent to 1 or to 10 children is a monotonous round and round of the same thing.

I lose count of how many times a day he says, "can I play the Kindle?", and I follow with, "no, maybe later".

Don't ask how many times I eventually give in.

I make the same breakfast.

Wash the same clothes (and fight the same stains).

Repeat and repeat and repeat myself

Stop hitting your brother

Quit saying that word

Did you brush your teeth? Wash your hands? Say "thank you"?

Rotate the same dinner menu every week.

Pay those bills and clip the coupons and balance the checkbook and keep up with homework.

I begin to get dizzy with routine, and yes, boredom.

I wonder if those horses ever feel the same.