Are you familiar with that expression, “God doesn’t give you any more than you can handle?” I’ve always thought there was some truth to it, but now I’m a believer. (Uh oh! Look what I started. Now I’m hearing the Monkees belting out “I’m a Believer” in my head!) Why are you now a believer, you ask? (“Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer.” Sorry, I’ll try to stop.)
Well, today from 7 AM – 4 PM, I had “twin” almost-three-year-old boys in my care, while the parents of the other “twin” were tossing back margaritas in Mexico on well deserved getaway. Where was Supernanny when I needed her most? I was peeking out the windows, praying her black English sedan withe “SPRNANNY” plates would pull in the driveway by some miracle of miracles. Now I realize that God had a generous helping of mercy in His heart when deciding to give me one child, not two. I know my limits, and I guess He does, too.
Sam was so excited when Trent pulled in the driveway at 7 AM that he was jumping up and down and flapping his arms enough to take flight like a 747. Too bad he was running out of juice by 11 AM. Even though it felt like there were four little boys running willy-nilly in the house, not a mere two, the morning passed without major incident. That is if you don’t count Sam sitting in a big plastic tub and Trent trying to shut the cover on him. Thank God Sam is on the tall side so the cover wouldn’t close on him. Oh my. When I got a change to look around, there were so many toys, cushions, and God-knows-what strewn all over that it looked as if the house had been burglarized by a particularly sloppy burglar.
When I finally put Sam down for his nap at 12:30, he went right to sleep without so much as a peep. On the other hand, Trent is the Energizer Bunny reincarnated in the body of a cute blond haired blue eyed boy. I took him in the guest bedroom and read him a couple more books. When I asked him if he was tired, he assured me, “Sure, sure. I’ll take a nap.” Very grown-up, huh? Who was I to argue with such a compliant little guy? Well, within a minute of leaving the room, I could hear something ricocheting against the walls. Holy cow, what the heck was that? Was the furniture falling over on Trent? With much trepidation, I plowed open the door to Trent’s room, and there he was on top of the bureau. The second he saw me, he threw himself across the room onto the bed and tried to make it look as if he had been there all the time. I guess he wasn’t so tired after all. By that point my nap looked like it had gone by the wayside with his. Noooooooo! But yes! All I can say is thank God for the Letter Factory on DVD and the patch of sugary cupcakes I had made, so I got some time and sugar to regroup for the afternoon shift. And before I knew it, Sam’s nap was long over, Trent was still brimming with energy, and Trent’s grandparents Mee-maw and Pop-Pop were on their way to pick him up.
Although having twins for a day made time sail by faster than ever before, I’m quite content to have one boy on a permanent basis. “Not a trace of doubt in my mind.” I’m a believer — in singletons. “Couldn’t leave him if I tried.” But I could leave him for a vacation in Mexico! Our turn will come — hopefully.
LibbY