Monday, February 27, 2012

Chocolate

It was 6:00 am she heard the pounding of her toddler jumping in the crib. It was wake-up time. Lindy stumbled over the pillow she had thrown out of her bed in the middle of the night, found a pair of sweat pants, somehow navigated her glasses, and placed some slippers on her feet that she had never bothered to put away.

“Hello baby,” she said with a sweet enthusiasm.
She grabbed the baby, and immediately felt and smelt the urine soaked pajamas. This is going to be a long day, she thought. She fumbled through the clean laundry she hadn’t hassled to fold and dressed her sweetie pie in something dry, not matching, but dry.
Poured her daughter some cheerios and set her in her favorite little green chair. For the moment things seemed content. Lindy stepped into her office, to check her email, vowing she would just be a few minutes. Within those minutes her darling daughter had managed to mess her diaper, dig into this diaper and come up with poop covered hands. A toddler’s treasure, apparently. The little darling shoved Lindy’s office door opened, leaving her evidence smeared down the door, and swirled over the coffee table.
Lindy rushed the trouble-maker to the tub, thinking, is this really my life now? She scrubbed the screaming child, and placed her daughter in yet another outfit. Then proceeded to wipe down the feces coated doors and table. Lindy looked up at the clock, 7:30 am, ah shit; this is going to be a very long day. The entire day took on the stink it started with; by nap- time momma was ready to abandon ship.
In her previous life she may have taken to the streets pounding the pavement with steps of frustration. Back then she possessed healthy vices, the kind that would get her heart pumping, sweat flowing and calories burning. Now, stuck at home, she sipped back 32 ounces of diet coke, and crunched her way through almost the entire bag of chocolate Cadbury eggs. Her numb mind formed only one thought. Oh my, how things have changed.
This was a little challenge from Write on Edge: 400 word limit where wine, chocolate, or coffee are featured prominently.

8 comments :

  1. I'm probably going to comment on all of your motherhood posts because sometimes I feel like you are taking words right out of my mouth. I appreciate your stories, it's nice to know I'm not alone!

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  2. I think this is something we all can relate to!

    I do wish that you would write it in the first person; I think it would convey your emotions even more clearly.

    Also, Cadbury eggs? With the candy shell? I love those.

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  3. I am sure you found no humor in the moment, but I sure did. Especially when I assumed your reference to chocolate was the poop until I got to the very end.

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  4. All that before 7:30am...ahhhh the good old days and not funny to the mom who is experiencing this! I used to think it was an indication of how the rest of the day would go. Perfect prescribtion...Diet Coke and chocolate. Then at night, add wine!

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  5. Oh my, how I relate. And I love when women talk/write about moments like these because I think so many of us can relate, yet we don't talk about it much!

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  6. Oh wow. That's a lot of poop before the dawn! I completely symphathized with your plight: thanks to your compelling prose. ;)

    - barbara, via Write on Edge, www(dot)derebus(dot)net/home

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  7. It's funny that you were eating chocolate after cleaning up poop. It is amazing what we get 'used to' as parents! I used to swear that I would never wipe a nose without a hazmat suit, but of course, I do that all the time now. With my own kid, anyway!

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  8. Oh my. I pray that this never happens to me! I think it is right up there with vomit in a bunk bed!!

    Great post! I hope you have had better days since then!

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