This is Parenting

So this morning, I found myself wondering if perhaps this is why our littlest knight has been reluctant to make his appearance--the utter chaos of Boyland. Our middle prince ran up the stairs with a strange, toothy grin on his face...and blood gushing out of it. I took him in the bathroom to inspect, as the youngest came running up the stairs, completely naked (as he had been for the past 15 minutes or so....I'd seen him zoom in and out of the room several times giggling...although Daddy said he did have a swimming Speedo on at one point...) and crying, "My Band-Aid fell off! My Band-Aid fell off!" Daddy brought him into the bathroom to replace the coveted Band-Aid on his toe...as I was busy trying to wipe blood from a VERY strong, wriggling 6-year-old who had a tooth dangling by a string downward out of his mouth but WOULD NOT allow me to just get it out of there. Daddy offered an assist and wrapped his arms around Prince Eaglet, as the child SCREAMED and thrashed as though we were going through another blood draw (see post from 11-12-08.) He kept yelling, "Don't touch it! Don't pull it out!" I noticed somewhere around this time that he had something green stuck to his neck. Turned out it was the Band-Aid from Spunky's toe...which gave us an indication as to how this mess had begun. So Daddy and I noticed now that Spunky was climbing up onto the bathroom counter...he's still completely naked...to take the matter of the Band-Aid into his own hands since his parents were obviously indisposed at the moment. I gotta say I appreciate his initiative. Simultaneously with the naked crawler and screaming and thrashing bloody hostage, in pops Prince Bobcat, who, oblivious to the goings-on of the moment, thrusts a drawing in front of Daddy's face, "Look what I drew!" Daddy and I met eyes and just laughed. "This is parenting", I said. Nobody prepares you for this. I was thinking about the little guy inside, who although a silent bystander, was listening to the whole ordeal. It's no wonder we're sitting at D-Day and he has not made the slightest move to come out and join the party. He knows this party is going to require some major strength, resilience, and readiness. I cannot promise him a peaceful, serene home to grow up in...but I can promise plenty of excitement and love.