Wake Up Call

The day is over, and I sigh in relief.

My day has been taken by that little thief.

The one that poured syrup all over the table today,

The one that asked for more sour cream on his pancake, okay?

But only if you mean whip cream as I think in my head, "gross"

I hear a short little whimper of a cry that says it's getting close-

To feeding time- already, I think, "How will I do it all?"

Feed her, clean up, oh yeah, more whip cream, then a phone call

But it's not my cell nor the one on the wall,
I ignore it to get back to the daily grind

Playdate for preschool, then off to swimming lessons to find,

That I need to feed my baby girl again so pull off in a parking lot,

Whoa, cutting it close on time, getting to swimming right on the dot.

My little thief, so cunningly saying without any fear

"I'm the fastest swimmer in the pool around here"

But I look around to see, that it is only him and me

When I hear that phone call again but can't see.

Where is it coming from, I haven't the slightest clue

Fast forward now, watching him put on his shoe,

"All by myself, Mommy", and I think in my head,

Get fast to Nana's, pick up other two crooks and dread,

Getting them down for naps and such,

When I get the biggest hug that says I missed you so much,

Driving back home I can see,

The boys are smiling back at me,

I hear in a distance, a ringing, but where?

But am not trying hard enough to care.

I get home and get the little ones to sleep,

To clean, to plan for dinner that is starting to creep.

After a run to the store while Nana stops by,

I hear my littlest one begin to cry,

As I start to feed her, my big boy offers to help me,

He starts making fresh squeezed lemonade with glee,

While my other one licks all the used lemons with a grin,

They start to fight over the chair that they each want to win.

I manage to get enchiladas in the oven just before six,

When in walks my husband, hooray for the daddy fix.

Dinner on the table when the other family arrives in eight,

That still small phone is still ringing and I'm still making it wait.

Read my little thief one last book and sing him one last song,

Seems like I have been waiting for this all day long.

When boom it hits me, the ringing in my ears right here and now,

It's the wake up call I've needed all day somehow,

I kept answering it, but I didn't even know,

It was that burning in my heart, that tear in my eye, that smile I meant to show.

To look at all my moments with my little thieves and realize,

They have stolen my heart all day all along, but I still have the biggest prize.

I get to have them all day, everyday, to get to watch all thier smiles, all their tears,

I get to laugh at what they say, I get to see their best of years.

I don't know of anything better, than to have a day like today,

Than just to know I need to enjoy it, that the craziness and the chaos is okay.

For all of this will go too fast,

And all I will want is this wake up call to last.