Have you ever had one of those days where the word “mom” is greatly overused? You think that if you hear it one more time your head just may pop off of your shoulders? I have had a few of those days. More than a few, in fact.

Those days just seem to start off on the wrong foot. I either over sleep, the coffee doesn’t kick in, or the internet isn’t working. (We all know how I feel about that!) The kids don’t want to get out of bed and when they do they all want to use the same bathroom. It doesn’t matter that I have 3 toilets in this house. For some reason, they all want to use the padded one. “Mom, he won’t get out of the bathroom and I really have to goooooo!”

Then, it just moves down to the kitchen after that. I have so much breakfast cereal in this house right now thanks to some fantastic sales, but they all want the same kind. “Mom! She took all of the Life and just left the crumbs in the box. I was going to have that kind today!” “Mom! He poured himself some juice but didn’t pour us any juice.”

Oh, it gets better. “Mom! He took my pencil. I want to use the sparkly pencil today!” or “Moooommm! He won’t quit singing. I can’t concentrate when he is singing!”

I hear the break room calling. I go upstairs and close the bathroom door and revel in the quiet. They can’t make me come out. No way. Not happening. I am staying in here until lunch. Then, I hear outside the door in a whisper, “mom? I am stuck on number 9. I can’t remember what the properties of multiplication are.”

Go. Away. Oh, I love my kids immensely. Some days are just like this. They seem to need me more than usual. Some days they can go a whole day without calling out. Those days usually have video games involved. They know that if they can’t get along while they play video games the games get shut off. Oh, if I could just plant them in front of video games and have all of their school lessons enter into their head by osmosis. That would be wonderful! Ah, a mother can dream, but I must face reality. Today is not a video game day.

“Mooomm! He won’t let me play my own character. I want Snowflake to be the boss and he doesn’t want him in the game!”

Help.

“Mooomm! She pinched me! Mom! Mom.  Mom? Mom, where are you? Mom? Oh, there you are, mom. Mom, I was calling you.”

“Oh, you were? I didn’t hear you.”

“I was yelling mom.”

“Oh, I am sorry. I changed my name. There is no mom here anymore.”

He laughs. He thinks I am kidding. Ok, maybe I am kind of kidding. I am pretty sure that I am a mom for the rest of my life, but I can pretend can’t I? And he sure doesn’t need to know the truth right now anyway.

“You can’t change your name.” He says. Darn it. He is a smarter 6 year old than I give him credit for. Well, I am not going to let him know that.

“Yes, I can, and I am not going to tell you what my new name is. Sorry.” He laughs again.

For whatever reason, this was the end of the conversation and he walked away. Problem solved. Like there was a problem in the first place, right?