I sit in the living room hitting the keys on my computer while my baby stands behind me partly playing and partly cleaving to me. As she cleaves to me, her sharp nails occasionally dig into my neck, causing me to let out light screams. For the umpteenth time, I deceive myself that I am going to trim her nails when I go upstairs. I still can’t understand why trimming a baby’s nails is such a difficult task to me.
Girl number 1 is talking to me non-stop while girl number 2 is being disciplined for throwing a tantrum when her request was not granted. In addition to Girl Number One’s zealous talking, Girl Number 2 starts telling me with an amplified voice, “Mama, I’m sorry, I will not do that again.” I ask her to stand up. She quickly springs up and finds something to occupy her hyper self.
As my eyes catch a glimpse of the rug in the living room, I feel disappointed in myself. The once cream-coloured rug is now a light brown version. It addition to that, it is generously garnished with stains. Each stain has a story. I still remember when that banana fell from one of the girls hands and mushed into a part of it. My rigorous cleaning didn’t stop a dark patch from appearing. There is the strawberry red stain, the milk stain and the juice stain. There are many small particles lying around. Some black, some brown and some not quite conspicuous but they are there.
I stand up and promise myself that it’s going to be a cleaning evening with the girls. I start from the kitchen. The sink is filled with soiled plates, a saucepan and some cups. I grab my mid-life sponge from the site of the faucet and squeeze some dish-washing liquid onto it and start washing. As I wash, I hear the crawling steps of baby girl. She hurries towards me and clings to me. I know she is hungry so I resolve to leave the dishes and feed her first.
I grab a leftover wrap of Fufu and place it on a dish. I pour some Okra Soup by it and put it in the micro-wave to warm up. It’s about 7:30 pm by this time. Bed-time for the older girls is fast approaching. I have piles and piles of laundry to fold. I planned to have a fun folding session with the girls but that won’t be happening tonight. If that happens, they will go to bed late and I really just want to get them to bed.
Baby girl keeps reaching for me so I carry her in one hand and do my chores with the other hand. I tell the older girls to go upstairs for bedtime. They run up. Girl Number 1 has picked two books they want me to read for them tonight. Then I go into their room, read to them while baby girl sits on my lap and tries to grab the book from my hands. We pray together and I instruct them to brush. I hurry downstairs and feed baby girl while licking some of the Fufu and Okra myself.
Once she’s fed, I place an order for a customer for my beauty consultant business. I also respond to some important e-mails. Then I give baby girl a bath and dress her in her PJs. I prepare her formula and start grooming her to sleep. It takes a while before she gets knocked out. Then I place her in her crib and tiptoe away. I am pressed but I want her to be deep in sleep before I pee. I’m scared the sound of the toilet flushing will wake her up.
I tiptoe like a thief in the night back downstairs where I take a deep breath and pop some corn in the microwave. I pour some sparkling juice into a wine glass and start chewing away the corn and taking sips off my cup. I am enjoying my life. This is pure enjoyment to me after a chaotic day.
More dirty dishes are still in the sink. The living room still needs vacuuming and those one hundred loads of laundry still need to be folded. I’ll just sit here and pretend that those things don’t exist. Body no be firewood. At least I kept Mr. N and the girls alive today.
In church, we x-rayed the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. We saw that Martha did what was good but Mary did what was better. We were reminded that this season is all about Christ and not about the shopping and baking and crazy things that fill our lists. Life is all about choices so we should learn to choose right!
Well that’s what’s up! How are you doing? Blowing kisses your way.
Arrey Echi says
December 15, 2015 at 9:19 pmRaw unedited. The struggle ia real! Respect to all the full time moms and home makers!
Try enjoy ya mimbo and puff corn ya body no be truly fayawood. 🙂
Love it.
http://www.joy2endure.com
Lucy W. says
December 15, 2015 at 9:19 pmabeg ma friend na true o, body no be firewood at all, u know say you like cooking so teh and if you come break down now, wetin go happen to de all the fryable on 25 Dec.
Lolz..pretend if fit…but know say na you go still do am..
make i comot here before you kill me wit laugh!
Precious Nkeih says
December 16, 2015 at 4:00 amHahaha ma friend I no sure say fryables go dey on Dec 25th but I must cook a storm abeg. Cooking no dey heaven… so I must cook all I can before Jesus comes. LOL
Precious Nkeih says
December 16, 2015 at 4:03 amThe struggle is indeed real. That work for shiddon house lukot pikin no easy, ma sista.
SoldtoChrist says
January 17, 2016 at 12:12 am*the*
SoldtoChrist says
January 17, 2016 at 12:12 amWell done! You will reap he fruit of your labours in Jesus name.
Precious Nkeih says
January 18, 2016 at 5:15 pmAmen! Thank you so much.
Anonymous says
February 13, 2016 at 11:55 pmhahahah Cameroon pikin. I feel you mami.
Body no be firewood indeed.Good write up Precious
Precious Nkeih says
February 14, 2016 at 12:19 amHihihi thanks dearie!