Motherhood Business

There are a few things in this whole motherhood business that I did not expect.  Some of them are on the "what the bleep did i ever do to deserve this" end of things, some of them are pretty good, and some are just funny and/or unusual. And one of those is this:

I did not expect that being a mother of one would make me a mother to many.  I don't plan to have a lot of kids but I am now mother to countless beings and they all live inside my house.  They are julian's friends, his beloved toys and stuffed animals and he babies them and has relationships with them and I have found that apparently I am all their mother. He talks to them and for them and they talk to me and call me Mom. And I respond, because why wouldn't I? How could I not? I'm their mother. 

For example, his new favorite is his little pal, Finger. One time I drew faces on his fingers for his ice cream truck and Finger was born, officially joining the family.  But he refuses offers to re-draw faces. He's always around, he doesn't need a face. He's family. Sometimes i respond to him as myself, and sometimes I use my own finger.

I find myself having these moments settling disputes between Blankie and Eeyore and hearing each side and reprimanding (I try to make Julian make the hard decisions though, which he often does, resulting in someone going to time-out)   or putting a band-aid on his tractor and cradling it to give comfort. (have you ever cradled a tractor? Have you?)  And i'm laughing so hard on the inside at the absurd tenderness this moment renders.  It delights my very core and I did not see it coming.

Motherhood. A surprise at every turn. Or some other cliche.  <3>