Laundry, bills, and paperwork,
Appointments, cleaning, go bizerk.
Balance checkbook, empty pails,
Birthday cards are in the mail.
Diarrhea, midnight feedings,
Potty training, endless needing.
Child proofing, baby gates…
Remember when we went on dates?
“Mommy, Mommy, I want more!”
“Why’s there poopy on the floor?!”
Cups get spilled and things get lost.
“Wait, how much does that thing cost?!”
Big toy messes, packing lunches,
Planning parties, huge time crunches.
Bathe the kids and take a shower,
Due to be there in an hour.
Baseball practice, football, hoops,
Momma’s taxi loop-de-loops.
Who was naughty, who feels sick.
10 billions times: “no throwing sticks!”
Homework, field trips, and flu shots.
Load the dishes, wash the pots.
Day for pictures, day for trash,
Day for… Ugh, is that a rash?
And in the middle of it all
The hubby makes a booty call.
Pack for school then pack for play,
Need a day off from vaca!
Teething, falls, emergencies.
Sibling fight, go referee.
Who had it first? Who took it last?
“Say that again, I’ll spank your…!”
Time out, crying, slamming doors,
Angry feet on hardwood floor.
“Child, I will not take this crap!”
Holy smoke, I need a nap.
Cell phones, tv, video games,
Way too much will rot your brains.
Elbows down and stand up straight,
Hurry now, or we’ll be late.
No hats inside; say thank you, please.
Scrub dirty toes, kiss scraped up knees.
Brush their teeth and comb their hair,
Clip the nails… “We almost there?”
High school drama in first grade.
“Mommy stay here, I’m afraid.”
Bring in the mail, toss out the junk,
Pay a tutor so they don’t flunk.
Back to school night, chorus, testing,
Sleeping over – never resting.
All this stuff seems never ending,
Fund raise, scouting, candy vending,
Teach to drive, to read, to eat,
Wash those butts and little feet,
Pregnancy worries, childbirth,
Remind me please what it’s all worth?
Give up your life, your waist, your fun
For all this stuff that’s never done.
Day after day after day after day,
And they’re the only ones who play.
But in the end, one thing is true,
You love them more than you love you,
So who cares if your hair has grayed,
Your house a wreck, your nerves all frayed?
You did for kids what you though was best,
And you hope they’re ready for the rest
Of their lives, which they will give
To yet another set of kids.
And so it goes, right down the path.
And somewhere in the aftermath,
You meet your spouse to glow together
In the clearing, sunny weather
Of children all raised
And beds all made
An empty nest.
Enjoy the rest,
Especially that side splitting stitch
That payback really is a _____.