Staring Ugly in the Face

Originally, today's post was going to be about the awesomeness of Miss K, our eldest daughter, losing her first tooth. With both kids tucked into bed and Hubby tucked safely away into the garage, I had just sat down to begin writing.

In the blink of an eye, today's topic changed from the wonderful happenings of children growing up and lamenting of the time already passed to musing about how being a parent forces one to either endure and become better or to break and give up.

Thrice tonight my darling girl has woken up restless teething Baby A while she was supposed to be going to sleep so the tooth fairy could come. First by jumping around in her loft bed, under which Baby A's crib resides. Second, by bawling about losing her tooth out of her tooth fairy pillow. (And Hubby wonders why I queried him on making sure she knew not to play with the pillow. Silly Hubby). And most recently, by peeing on the floor.

Yep, you read that right: Peeing on the floor! Climbing down from her loft bed over an hour past going to bed and she manages to soak the ladder, floor, toys and clothing underneath. She's yelling for me down the hall, Baby A is screaming and all I can do is resign myself to the situation.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my kids. At least up until the age of 4 1/2 when all hell breaks loose and the emotional catastrophe strikes. Constantly. I'm waiting for 6. Six years old has to be better, right?

After throwing everything into the hamper (toys included), changing Miss K, and wiping down what I could, all while holding and soothing Baby A, I came to a startling and wonderful revelation  I'm not mad. Not in the least. Where a month ago I would be snarking at Miss K over the whole situation, I find myself chuckling thinking about how the greatest adventure in life is to be a parent.

There is no great adrenaline rush packed, exciting, heartbreaking and physical endurance testing thing in life. No other way you could learn so much about yourself as a person, inside and out, good and bad, than to try and raise a child. They make you stare the ugly right in the face and never back down.