Do you ever get an email that is so real it make you laugh til your stomach hurts?

I got one of those today and I have permission to share it with you.  It is from my great “mothering” friend, D, who has journeyed this entire motherhood experience with me.  All three of our children are one or two months apart (no we never discussed this!) and now we are moving to different cities within months of each other (we never discussed this either!).  We are kindred spirits!

Her husband has already started his job many miles away. She is holding down the fort, while he looks for a new place to live and starts his job.

Here is her email:

Subject: How to survive four nights and four days without K (her husband).

1. Wash your hair every four days. brush teeth once per day.

2. First diaper change at noon, if not after… only change him when he does #2 or wets his clothing.

3.Field most “Mommy” questions/complaints with “you figure it out” (confidence building!) add “you’re a smart girl” as a 2nd choice.

4. allow water play all over your house.  they will probably play longer with the water than the time it takes to mop it up later… and that can be a whole other activity later to keep ’em busy. 

5. It’s okay for a 15 month old to pass you plates out of the dishwasher.,

6. cook the children their breakfast, use the quiet eating time for cleaning up, and eat later (like toast and peanut butter in the car on the way to wherever it is you are going – with COFFEE!)

7. Use the gated fenced yard – go on my mom’s adage that if something happens, I’ll find out quick!

8. Strap the kids in the car, tell them you are getting a quick snack and quickly whip off the top three things you wanted to get done that day, checking in with the kids now and then… two can’t undo their buckles! YEAH! 

9. Go to dinner at a friend’s house…

Love this email, as I can relate to most of these things, even when my husband comes home after work!   My question is how did she have the time and insight to read it.  Answer, she is pretty amazing!

Cheers to a beautiful friend!