...and babies don’t keep.

"Babies Don’t Keep"

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

 Author: Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

This poem came to mind today as I was nursing sweet baby Ava down for her nap. Blake was already sleeping and Hailey was sitting on her bed looking at books for her quiet time. The list of chores that needed to be done today kept running through my mind and I found myself wishing that she would just hurry up and go to sleep. Then like lightening from Heaven this poem came to me. I put the checklist of chores out of my head and let her sleep for another few minutes in my arms before putting her in her crib. And then I was so glad that we did this today also....

As we were getting ready to leave for the playground I told Erik that I couldn't believe I was leaving such a mess behind. I don't usually do that and I'm very proud of myself for doing that today, for just letting it go and enjoying playtime with my kids. The dishes hadn't been washed from breakfast, there were boxes all over the house, halfway packed and ones still waiting to be packed, the kitchen needed to be mopped, and so many other things that I can't even remember right now, but I left it all behind to make memories today instead. And that is a huge accomplishment for me! After the bad day I had yesterday, as I was putting the kids in bed I promised them that I would take them to the playground as long as it wasn't raining when they woke up. I'm going to do that more often, I'm going to start telling them what I plan to do with them because they don't forget and then I will be accountable to make sure that I do. You see, I have this problem with feeling like I can't have fun before everything in the house is in tiptop shape, and as that never happens I never seem to have any fun with my children. And THAT is going to change. Too much time is passing me by while I worry about how clean my house is, too many memories are waiting to be made for some day when I get everything else done, and I'm done with that way of thinking. So here is my vow to have fun. This is where I leave the dishes and mopping and replace them with memories and giggles because....                                                                                           The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

                                But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
                                      So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep                                                                 I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.