Caveat Mater

Once, a long time ago, there were two very organized women who fell in love and moved in together. Their house was always clean. They were punctual. They remembered all the details that kept their lives running smoothly. They planned ahead and made packing lists for trips so that no item was ever forgotten. Their lives were quite orderly. Then, these two women had a crazy idea..."Let's have a child", they said. So, they did. Their lives were enriched by their little bundle of joy but they did notice that a detail slipped here and there and they were a bit more pressed for time when planning things. Still, their lives ran fairly smoothly. Then, they had another crazy idea..."Let's have another child", they said. So, they did. They loved the second bundle of joy as much as the first but their lives fell into complete and utter chaos. There were four lives of which to keep track. There were four personalities to manage. There were many more details and little time for planning. They were sometimes late, sometimes forgot things and no longer made packing lists. Would they have traded their beloved children? No, of course not. Did they sometimes miss the control they once had over their lives? Yes. Yes, they did.   All this is to say that we are leaving for Kansas City tomorrow morning and we have not yet packed.