Quieto
The One Thing a Mom Never Gets…
I remember when I had my first child I couldn’t wait to hear him say that magical word…Mama. Little did I know that I would hear that word almost all day, every day, for at least the next 20+ years. Although “Dada” is usually the first word a child says, it appears that is one of the last times they utter that word. It’s basically a one and done for “Dada”, but “Mama” is uttered (or yelled) whether you are standing in front of them or hiding in the garage drinking a glass of Malbec. Good ol’ Dad can be standing in the same room, but does he get a shout out…nope…everyone wants Mom, even the puppies. Can you tell it’s been a long week?
Now don’t get me wrong, I love being a mother, but sometimes I just want a break or at least a little peace and quiet. As much as I like to be in charge, I would be happy being second in command once in a while. I could be like the Vice-President or Runner-Up in the Miss America pageant. They still get to attend the parties and wear the pretty dresses, but they don’t have the launch codes and can be a bit scandalous from time to time (well Miss Runner-Up can whoop it up because no one remembers her anyway).* Maybe I should put second in command on my vision board. After-all, I do look good in Converse shoes ;)
Even now when I said I was working, I’m being bombarded with phone calls, texts, and questions. Some of the questions they already know the answer to, but keep asking anyway.
“Have you heard from Dad”?
“You mean other than the time he called when you were sitting in the same room with me and heard the conversation”? (insert eye roll)
This is where I take a deep breath and pour myself another glass of wine. I’ve tried locking myself in the bathroom to get some quiet time, but they always find me. It’s like living with Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken”. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, they find me. I wish their “particular set of skills” included cleaning the house and doing the laundry.
Always wanting the kids to reach for the stars, I often encourage them to expand their skills to include searching for Dad once in a while, not that Dad would hear them calling. Dads have what we moms like to call selective hearing. Somehow they can’t hear the dog throwing up at the end of the bed, but they can hear the score of the football game on a TV in another room even though the volume is set to 2. It appears, my first parenting mistake was to answer my kids when they called for me. Perhaps if I was a little more selective in my hearing, I could catch a break now and again. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Just like the Monte Quieto is a family winery with respect for wine making traditions, I suppose I should embrace my own family’s wine making traditions. They traditionally expect me to be at their beck and call which gives me my own nightly wine pouring tradition. It would be heaven to quietly sit alone in a family vineyard sipping on a nice Malbec, but for the time being I guess I will have to sneak in my quiet moments, hiding from my family while I drink a glass of Merlot.
Until Next Time…Salute
*I’m sure it is not PC to call a second place pageant contest Miss Runner Up. I suppose everyone is a winner these days. I apologize to all pageant people, non-pageant title holders, and grown women who still have their sash and crowns on display.
**Opinions expressed in this blog do not reflect those of Mr. Schloemer, the Schloemer family, or the vineyard.