If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
So she'll pour herself some.
The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do some laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound of
Hamburger.)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.
She will look for the checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)
Her five year old will answer it and hang up.
She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee on
Friday.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are,
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
Written by Beth Brubaker
Based on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
I have to agree, the poem is hilarious to some. Not me, I didn't laugh. Smiled yes but no laughter. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy the poem. It was beautifully written in a unique way. Very creative. Perhaps 10 years ago, I would. When I was rather naive to comprehend the unconditional, infinite love of a mother.
Then, my interpretation of the poem would be the same as I were to infer it now. How a mother's job is never done & putting patience plus love as her utmost emotion. I read, understood, maybe have ruth on her & that was it. Now, however the feeling is different as I kind of absorb into the character emotionally. After all I was once in the same boat.
Life then was tiring, I hate to lie. It was only at night I was able to pamper myself with face mask, lay on bed & watched my favourite TV programme. I was lucky enough that Yasmin at 4 & Wardah at 2 & a half surrendered early to bed. Well, sue me if you have too... but I forbade them to have day naps. I entertained them whenever I saw them yawning. Talked to them, read to them stories, played jigsaw puzzle anything that got their attention. Dinner & washing up was done by 7.30pm. At 8.00 normally, they started to doze off & bingo!... time for myself until the next morning at 8am. Hey! That was 12hrs of sleep...
HB was not in the picture I know. He was away most of the time. That was the routine whenever he was off-house. When he was home, I wouldn't say exactly that I was less tired... hahaha! Besides that, of course I loved to make a fuss over the food I cooked for him. Not plain, fried chicken, fried fish or simply fried egg. I loved to cook & still is my passion. Only when there was a company to dine with did I cook something far from simple. Perhaps his favourite Ayam Masak Merah. Or maybe my special Nasi Ayam. And something all of us loved, Sup Tulang.
Tables were turned. He would do the babysitting & I'd be busy in the kitchen. I miss those days. Really enjoyed to see him with the girls spending quality time together. Those were the days, he would help me to bathe the girls & even prepared the table for dinner.
Unfortunately, we were not blessed with that same perfect schedule most of the time. As some are aware HB does not work 9-5. There were times when he reached home in the morning just the right time for breakfast. Obviously, he needed his overdue sleep. What to expect when there were a child & a toddler sharing the same roof. I really pitied him for his lacking of sleep. With zombie eyes, he would join the girls instead or asked them to hop in bed with him. Them playing, him trying his best to nap.
When I conceived Balqis, HB suggested we got a helper. It is common for Malaysians nowadays to employ an Indonesian maid. And we realised our time had come. So now, with a helper around I have most of the leisure time I want. You think without one, I am able to have this website?
Of course, there are pros & cons. With Balqis & baby Nadeen, the attention is less compared to their sisters. What more when the helper with us now, adores each one of my children especially the younger 2. There were times when Balqis preferred her to me. Baby Nadeen looking at her with eager eyes, wanting to be carried. I am a liar if I say I am not jealous at all.
With the older girls already schooling, I give extra attention to their lessons & extra classes. Ice skating, swimming, mental arithmetic, taekwondo... (glad the list stops there!) Before Nadeen, Balqis was most of the time being left at home. Now, Balqis tags along but baby Nadeen takes her place. Anyhow, I do not leave her home too long. Remember? I'm her human baby milk bottle... ;-)
I do feel bad. Am I not the good mother anymore as I was to Yasmin & Wardah? Does that make me a terrible mother for no longer is a mirror image to the subject in the poem? HB reminds me every year how grateful he is having me as the mother to his children. Me, being the great mom & all.... But, do I really deserve that now? Sigh..
Having said all that, I am still the family chauffeur, the family cook, the family lawyer & judge, the family financial advisor, the family clown, the family nurse, the family party planner, the family shoulder to cry on, the family pharmacist.... and according to a good friend, the Prime Minister ;-D
Then, my interpretation of the poem would be the same as I were to infer it now. How a mother's job is never done & putting patience plus love as her utmost emotion. I read, understood, maybe have ruth on her & that was it. Now, however the feeling is different as I kind of absorb into the character emotionally. After all I was once in the same boat.
Life then was tiring, I hate to lie. It was only at night I was able to pamper myself with face mask, lay on bed & watched my favourite TV programme. I was lucky enough that Yasmin at 4 & Wardah at 2 & a half surrendered early to bed. Well, sue me if you have too... but I forbade them to have day naps. I entertained them whenever I saw them yawning. Talked to them, read to them stories, played jigsaw puzzle anything that got their attention. Dinner & washing up was done by 7.30pm. At 8.00 normally, they started to doze off & bingo!... time for myself until the next morning at 8am. Hey! That was 12hrs of sleep...
HB was not in the picture I know. He was away most of the time. That was the routine whenever he was off-house. When he was home, I wouldn't say exactly that I was less tired... hahaha! Besides that, of course I loved to make a fuss over the food I cooked for him. Not plain, fried chicken, fried fish or simply fried egg. I loved to cook & still is my passion. Only when there was a company to dine with did I cook something far from simple. Perhaps his favourite Ayam Masak Merah. Or maybe my special Nasi Ayam. And something all of us loved, Sup Tulang.
Tables were turned. He would do the babysitting & I'd be busy in the kitchen. I miss those days. Really enjoyed to see him with the girls spending quality time together. Those were the days, he would help me to bathe the girls & even prepared the table for dinner.
Unfortunately, we were not blessed with that same perfect schedule most of the time. As some are aware HB does not work 9-5. There were times when he reached home in the morning just the right time for breakfast. Obviously, he needed his overdue sleep. What to expect when there were a child & a toddler sharing the same roof. I really pitied him for his lacking of sleep. With zombie eyes, he would join the girls instead or asked them to hop in bed with him. Them playing, him trying his best to nap.
When I conceived Balqis, HB suggested we got a helper. It is common for Malaysians nowadays to employ an Indonesian maid. And we realised our time had come. So now, with a helper around I have most of the leisure time I want. You think without one, I am able to have this website?
Of course, there are pros & cons. With Balqis & baby Nadeen, the attention is less compared to their sisters. What more when the helper with us now, adores each one of my children especially the younger 2. There were times when Balqis preferred her to me. Baby Nadeen looking at her with eager eyes, wanting to be carried. I am a liar if I say I am not jealous at all.
With the older girls already schooling, I give extra attention to their lessons & extra classes. Ice skating, swimming, mental arithmetic, taekwondo... (glad the list stops there!) Before Nadeen, Balqis was most of the time being left at home. Now, Balqis tags along but baby Nadeen takes her place. Anyhow, I do not leave her home too long. Remember? I'm her human baby milk bottle... ;-)
I do feel bad. Am I not the good mother anymore as I was to Yasmin & Wardah? Does that make me a terrible mother for no longer is a mirror image to the subject in the poem? HB reminds me every year how grateful he is having me as the mother to his children. Me, being the great mom & all.... But, do I really deserve that now? Sigh..
Having said all that, I am still the family chauffeur, the family cook, the family lawyer & judge, the family financial advisor, the family clown, the family nurse, the family party planner, the family shoulder to cry on, the family pharmacist.... and according to a good friend, the Prime Minister ;-D
To all mothers out there "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY".
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