The Listening Game

Right now, I am typing this this blog while my:
- 5-year-old draws pictures of the two of us and tells me endless stories of what we are doing together in said pictures
- 1-year-old demands that I feed him yogurt at lightening speed
- 9-month-old squeals for her "side" of the yogurt - hey, girls have to eat, too!
- 7-year-old explains a really intricate method of dissecting words for his homework assignment
- 12-year-old tries to convince me to come to his school and COOK FOR THE CLASS.

*My 9-year-old is busy hiding, pretending that he isn't playing his new 3DSI; therefore, he is currently missing from the above scenario. Notice no one is arguing - I sense a direct correlation here.

While multitasking is truly my forte, right now, I just want to lock myself outside on the porch alone and put my headphones on for 20 minutes. Too bad it's 25 degrees outside.

It's amazing how my kids just don't seem to realize that I can't really listen and answer intelligently when more than one child is talking and expecting a response at the same time. I try, really I do. And I do answer everyone at some point. I also get caught more often than not.

"Mom, I didn't say that - aren't you listening to me?"

"Um, yes, sorry, I was talking to your brother. But back to you - I want to be able to give you my full, undivided attention." Because there are so many of them, this occasionally works. Whew.

"Yeah, right." Doh! My 12-year-old is one smart kid.

OK, now it's just me and the babies. And my 5-year-old, who singlehandedly manages to make both babies laugh at completely separate things. All is right with the world again.

Life sure is good.