.....wasp's nest.....
.....it is a term invented by my brother who has used it several times in the last 11 weeks since he and my sister in law added their second baby in two years......he usually refers to it when the house is buzzing with noises that are not soothing or comforting and the home is anything but a sanctuary of relaxation.....
....lover's lair.....
.....one of our favorite books, Mama's Kiss, refers to the lover's lair which is the cave where the family of bears live.....it's always nurturing in the lair where the hugs and cuddles are endless.....
.....our family has had a bit of each circumstance this week....always making for a good balance to keep this Momma sane because the lover's lair always makes up for the wasp's nest.....
...a glimpse of a sweet sisterly moment.....
....William....too much time has passed since we last played!
.....and watching the kids together at this festival still made the event worth it considering I lost my second born for a good 5-6 minutes at the end of the day.....it was past the point of, hold on, she was just here.....and after scouring the area and looking under the tables, I quickly realized she wasn't anywhere near us......
.....the street festival was coming to a quick close and the girls insisted on using their last tickets......lo and behold, the bake sale table was selling treats for 1 ticket each so I let my girls have at it.....every other parent there had the same idea because within a matter of minutes it went from us having full reign of the left overs to a table that was swarming with kids and flailing hands.....both of my girls fell victim to the sea of sugar starved preschoolers and I was nudged and elbowed away from the table in a matter of seconds....I asked both of the girls to make their way around to the back of the bake sale tables and I would be right behind with stroller in tow......I reached behind me to spin the stroller and when I turned and started surveying the crowd to spot my two babes, I could only make out Elsie's head.....
.....I won't go into the details of the horrible minutes of looking for Callie.....several parents started to catch on after my calm demeanor turned to slightly concerned, quickly accelerating into sheer panic.....they all jumped in to help......one Mom taking Elsie's hand and guarding our stroller and several other parents joining me in running up and down the street screaming Callie's name.....all I remember are the terrible thoughts that danced in my head interrupting my prayers for her safety.....
....and then my eyes landed on her little body sprinting faster than I have ever seen her run with sheer panic on her face....and I will never forget the embrace once I reached her because in her ripe two and a half years, she has never scared me more and I would venture to say this was her most vulnerable moment.....she genuinely thought Elsie went one way when she had gone another; sobbing, I couldn't find Elsie, Momma.....I just couldn't find her.....and I only took my eyes off her for 10 seconds.....
.....I shook the whole way home and once we arrived, Daddy jumped in so I could have a few moments to recover.....
....the wasps had gotten me good.....
.....even Brody had a chance to play with pumpkins.....plastic ones, but still festive.....
.....and I did what I do when I want to hunker down and dig my heels in the sand.....I wrapped my apron around me, asked Callie to help me wash pumpkin seeds and felt extra thankful for having my daughter by my side.....I savored the afternoon with my family and was fully present.....my lover's lair right in my own kitchen with my entire tribe safe and sound.....
......Elsie wanted a scary pumpkin and Callie wanted a surprised pumpkin.....can you tell whose is whose?
.....not to say the wasps didn't visit again shortly after.....
....as if I hadn't learned my lesson of what can happen in 10 seconds, I left the girls fully clothed in the bathroom while the water filled the tub so I could grab Brody out of his high chair and bathe the three together after dinner....upon returning, both of the girls had undressed and hopped in the tub, taking with them every dry towel in our apartment....
.....I had to grab the camera to change my perspective on this scene because I was immediately filled with frustration and defeat as I wondered how I was going to get all of the laundry done with Stefan out of town and a heap of 10 soaking towels sitting in my tub.....not having access to washers and dryers in my own apartment has become more of an issue as our family has grown and with a traveling husband, I can not leave the kids in the apartment at night to do laundry in the building next door to ours....however, the camera always changes my state of mind.....after a few clicks, Callie looked at me seriously and said, I juss wanted da tub to be comfy, Mommy.......and with logic like that, it's almost impossible to stay frustrated.....
.....and as I said before, for every moment of entering a wasp's nest......
.....there is ten times the joy to be found in lover's lair.....
....signing off to hibernate with my cubs....