the chaos that is motherhood

While I waited with Zach today for Sarah to complete her piano lesson, I realized that motherhood sometimes feels to me like the way the Peanuts character Pig-Pen looks-like a cloud of chaos, noise, messes, and stuff. I'm surrounded by all things kid all day as the whirlwhind of children roars around me. As my sidekick, Zach, and I go throughout our day, he requires cars, trains, goldfish, apple juice, wipes, and diapers. They seem to float around me wherever we go-in bags, in the car, or in shopping carts. I must administer them as needed, keep track of them continuously, and make sure they are never left behind. His train noises, car noises, crashing cars, squeals of delight, grunts of frustration, and commentary about what we're doing or where we're going seem to whirl around me. Sometimes I don't even realize that he's making the noises until I notice that someone else has noticed. He's often like an additional appendage to my body-a very wiggly one. Unless of course he's running away with me in hot pursuit-goldfish, apple juice, and Lightning McQueen in tow. Sarah's incessant chatter follows me wherever I go-especially when I'm on the phone. Sarah's backpack is apparently my responsibility. There are library books to keep track of, notes and lunch money to be read and sent, and toys to be scavenged from everywhere but where they should be. It seems someone is always tugging on my leg. Legos and trains and princesses and dolls and cars and trucks and snacks and crumbs swirl around me in an endless tornado of chaos. And don't even get me started on the hurricane that is sacrament meeting. We leave a trail of destruction greater than any hurricane has ever dared. I used to be organized, but now I'm a mother with the inevitable chaos that comes with it.