This is the question my husband Jerry recently asked me when I said I was going to take a super quick shower, and did he mind watching the kids. "Are you sure your shower will be quick?" Now he didn't say this because he didn't want to watch the kids, it was far from that. He said it more as an observation, like he's heard me make this statement before about my "super quick" showers. The truth is he has heard me say it on more than one occasion, and the reality is that my "super quick" shower isn't so quick. Why is that? I had to think.
I knew that I could give him a million reasons like, I had to clean the bath tub this time, or I had to shave my legs, or Gardner walked in because Jerry got distracted and I had to distract Gardner from flushing the toilet. Now many of these things would be valid excuses. But, the truth is that the shower is my sanctuary.
Moms with little kids know all too well that grabbing a shower daily doesn't always rise to the top of the list. Therefore, when I do have an opportunity to shower (without the rush of getting out the door to work in the morning) I indulge... perhaps a little too much? Though on second thought I'm not so sure.
The reality is that after wiping kids' butts and noses, being sucked on at the breast, saying no to cooking eggs and hash browns for every meal of the day, and being asked to "help peas mom" 15 times, I just need a minute. That minute is my "super quick" shower, which quickly turns to 5 then 10 and sometimes 15 minutes.
I think I will start to change one thing. I will now ask Jerry to watch the kids while I indulge in a potentially long shower, because nothing feels better than a few minutes alone where I can regroup, clean up, and feel like a human being again. All so that I can love on my kids, snot, poop, breast milk and all!