Things I used to be good at...

Five and a half days of caring for a 1 year old and a 3 year old has brought back memories, as well as reminded me what I used to take for granted oh so many years ago. My grown children are NOW impressed with the abilities I had to make sure all my children survived their childhood years. I took it for granted when I was in my twenties. I am now impressed with myself! What was I thinking? I guess there was no time to think way back then...it was survival of the fittest-it was being smarter than a 3 year old- it was every man for himself.

Here is what I used to be good at:

Functioning with 4 hours sleep, or 6 hours sleep interrupted every two hours, for 30 minutes at a time. I could have been a firefighter!!

Finding "binkies" -pacifiers, in the dark, on my knees, by feel only- with this skill I could have been a special forces soldier, successfully completing secret missions in the night..

Running up and down stairs, carrying a screaming, kicking 30 pound weight in one arm, and securing the lid of a sippie cup- one handed, in the other hand.

Packing all the necessities required in the event of any kind of evacuation or emergency-every time you leave the house. I think the Boy Scouts call this "Be Prepared!"

Living as a hermit..unable to leave the house or the room, even, for more than 2 minutes, by yourself. I guess I could have been a contestant on Big Brother!

Remembering to knock on the door when you are leaving the bathroom..to make sure you don't knock over the baby on the other side who is banging on the door.

Knowing the difference between the hungry cry, the mad cry, the thirsty cry, the tired cry, and the "I've lost my binkie cry" which sounds exactly like all the other cries.

Living on finger foods: chicken nuggets, mixed veggies, cheerios, toast, scrambled eggs, and macaroni, raviolo or A,B,C's. I am hoping this is a new kind of diet....no seriously.

Eating dinner at 4:30 and going to bed at 8. No seriously.

I used to do all this effortlessly with cheer. Well, maybe not with cheer. But I could do it, times 4. Of course living in a constant state of goo, toys and babytalk may have caused atrophy to the brain cells a little bit. Or perhaps it was functioning on very little sleep. Who knows?

All I know is my laptop has not come out of its case, and I cannot even remember what day it is. But enough reminiscing..it is 8:30 am and it is already nap time!