Cliches and Idioms

The amazing thing about cliches and idioms is that they are so darn true. There are countless sayings related to parenting, and I find them popping into my head all the time. "Children should be seen and not heard" "Parenting is the hardest thing you'll ever do" "They grow up so fast" "The terrible twos" "Soft as a baby's bottom" I could go on and on. Reading other people's blogs, talking to other moms and dads at the playground, getting unsolicited advice from grandmotherly-types in line at the grocery store, all these interactions lead me to believe that all parents go through the same trials and tribulations that we are experiencing right now. This commonality of experience must be where the cliches come from.

In some ways this is all very comforting, but it's also a little disappointing! I guess part of me would like to believe that the hardships Cap and I are dealing with are particular to our life with Eleanor and Rose. But, then again, when we are out and about and someone says to me, out of the blue, "Is she TWO?" a wave of relief washes over me. Thank goodness there are other people out there who have survived this and can look at our new little family with some perspective! Maybe soon I'll have some of that perspective, too.

But, to come full circle, it also makes me sad to think that by the time I have gained some perspective I will have also lost some of the experience itself. Each day is ridiculously difficult. Each night I am left feeling disgusted by the smell of spit-up on my shoulder and with my ears ringing from Eleanor singing at the top of her lungs, "happy birthday to the spaghetti sauce!" Nevertheless, although I want to distance myself from the madness, either in space or time, I also don't want these days to become cliches in my mind.

Children should be quiet, and not scream or talk incessantly. And they do grow up so fast. And, so far, the twos are as terrible as they say. And Rose's bottom is really really soft. But, I want to remember every sweet and grueling detail of these things in living color, not in those tired old phrases.

I guess I just have to take time to stop and smell the roses.

But not my little Rose... 'cause she just pooped her pants.