Rub-A-Dub-Dub Four Kids in a Tub

Here is the play by play on how all FOUR of my kids ended up in a bath that was only intended for TWO.

Mommy: "Matthew, Emily- do you guys want to take a bath? Do you want to go kick, kick, kick, splash, splash, splash?"

Emily kicks her legs uncontrollably which only means one thing . . . YES!

Matthew: "Yeah, bath time! It's naked baby time!"

I draw the water and prepare the two little ones for the bath. Emily CANNOT control herself! She just loves it. Matthew is excited but is now preoccupied with making sure he has the right toys for the bath!

Mommy: "Okay, it's ready!"

I place both kids in the bath and have to stay close to Emily who is now out of her little baby bathtub and in the big tub now! She is dangerous beyond measure so I have to really watch her because she is on a mission to submerge herself!

About five minutes go by when I hear a knock at the bathroom door.

Claire: "Oh my gosh! Emily is in the big bath now? I hate that she is growing older. It makes me so sad."

Mommy: "I know. She is growing up way too fast, just like you did!"

Claire: "Can I go in the bath with them? I have never taken a bath with Emily!"

Right now, that annoying micro-managing voice pops into my head and tells me to tell her no. If she came in, Emily would be even more crazy and dangerous. But then the other, 'Oh What the Heck' voice overpowers it and says to let Claire in. How many baths will they be able to take together in their lifetime? It might be a bit crazy in this pink tub, but the more the merrier.

Mommy: "Of course you can go in, Claire!"

She literally shrieks with excitement! I then chastise that micro-managing voice because it almost cost Claire a memory with her siblings! The three kids are in the bath having a great time and starting to get a bit hyper. Emily is doing her excited grunt and Matthew is so happy to be with his two sisters! It is now loud in here and I knew it was only a matter of time before Michael heard the commotion and came to check it out. Again, a knock at the door. It is Michael and he can't believe his eyes!

Michael: "Emily is out of her baby bathtub? (Sad sigh) Ohhhhhh. Can I go in with them?"

I look at the already full tub and before that silly rational voice talks to me I quickly answer . . .

Mommy: "Yes! Come on in, just be careful!"

Michael can't get his clothes off fast enough. He is so excited! He hops in next to Emily and Matthew and all three of the older kids start giggling.

Claire: "This is hilarious!"

Michael: "I know!"

I stare at all four of my beautiful babies. How did I get here? How did they get so big that they barely fit in the bathtub together? I get misty thinking about how life isn't going to always be this simple. I think about how they are not always going to be together. My mind drifts to Michael going off to college and I think about how Emily will only be in the fourth grade! I think about how precious these years are- how we will not always have these beautiful kids at our fingertips. I hold Emily's chubby arm and grab more firmly when I think about the fact that I can feel and touch all of them right now. Their lives are unfolding right in front of me and what a gift it is to watch this beautiful show. Thank God I didn't think purely out of logic a few minutes ago. Thank God I let them all cram in like anchovies into this little bathtub. We are making a memory that we will keep forever. I make a mental note to stop micro-managing life. I think about the opportunity I have to let them do things that are more fun than logical and how I need to make sure that fun beats logical more and more. I love my kids. I am so insanely proud of them. They love each other. What a gift it was to be pregnant (no matter how difficult) and be able to create what I see in front of me.

Through my tears I stare at Emily and say,

Mommy: "Kick, kick, kick, splash, splash splash!"

And before I know it, the older three kids are repeating it, too. Kick, kick,kick, splash, splash, splash. Through our laughter- I am reminded that these little moments are what make life so incredibly special. Michael, Claire, Matthew, Emily . . . I love you with all my heart.
Love, Mommy