Mayhem Memories

On Saturday morning, I was working in the kitchen when (b) emerged from the hallway soaking wet, smelling minty fresh, and grinning from ear to ear.  I quickly panicked as I announced “Why do you smell minty?” and went looking for the source of the situation.  Didn’t take me long to find an entire bottle of mouthwash spilled all over the bathroom floor.

 

On Monday morning, I ran to the bedroom for just a minute to grab something and began hearing cries from the kitchen.  I went running back to the kitchen to discover (b) had opened the cabinet under the sink and found the large, sticky glue mouse trap that I kept under there “just in case.”  But when I say he “found” it, I mean he had it stuck to his arm, leg, and pacifier and more was all over the floor.  It was a mess of EPIC proportion.  After I cleaned it all up (and cried a little) I called (A) to inform him he was not allowed to go to bed that night until he had installed the cabinet child locks that I had been asking him to do for several days. 

 

I was replaying the scenarios to my mom and sisters on our family group text when one of my sisters jokingly suggested we should nickname that cutie “Mayhem” after the popular insurance commercial where a man calling himself “Mayhem” continually shows up causing issues and messes.  We got a good laugh out of it, but then he illustrated it perfectly on Wednesday while we were having a lake day with friends and he showed off his intensely messy “lake hair” along with the disaster of a melty chocolate chip granola bar.  He sure is cute, but makes me giggle as I remember that parenting isn’t for the faint of heart.

 

However, while cleaning this week I had to pause a moment and think about how fleeting the days are.  I was tackling all the bathroom mirrors for water spots and smudges, and while I had the glass cleaner out I headed for the patio door as well.  This door is always COVERED with fingerprints as both boys stand there frequently watching the wildlife in the yard, looking at Daddy mow, checking what the weather is up to, or watching each other.  But as I started to spray down the messy window as I often do, this week I just couldn’t do it.  I looked at those little fingerprints and thought about how quickly they are growing.  Once I wipe them away that size will be gone forever as they grow a little each day, and while I do not want to stop them from growing, I want to remember each precious memory every little sticky fingerprint holds. 

 

At dinner last night (a) informed me “I’m sorry Mama, (b) and I are growing up, and you can’t stop us!” To which I paused reflectively and then responded, “I know buddy, and I wouldn’t want you to stop, because that would mean something is wrong.” Despite the mayhem, the messy, and the chaos, these are the things that memories are made of, because (a) is right, they are growing up, I can’t stop them, and I don’t want to.  So if you stop by and see fingerprints all over my patio door, just know I’m holding on to those mayhem memories.

 

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy…” Philippians 1: 3-4