Cookies For Dinner

The night I sat down and wrote my children's book Cookies For Dinner was one that I think most parents can relate to. I quickly ran through my nightly routine of convincing my children to eat, walking them through the basic steps of brushing teeth, getting them changed into their pajamas, tucking them in each with their separate stuffed animal, reading a story, then just one more, then just one more...Getting that last drink of water, listening to the very important thing they forgot to tell me, giving hugs and kisses goodnight, re-tucking each child one by one, giving them each one more kiss- because now they are claiming that I have not kissed them or hugged them...Then of course making it down the stairs to grab a snack, only to find at least one child somehow beat me down (Do they know about a secret elevator or something?!), re-tucking that child again,  getting another glass of water, finding a stuffed animal that has now mysteriously disappeared, and finally starting over the entire process until eventually I am forced to raise my voice.

Most nights after I have somehow conquered the small humans and they are ( at least until around 3 AM) in their own beds, I will sit down. My head will be buzzing, my body exhausted from the long day and I will just sit there and stare at the TV or lets be honest even the wall. Once I realized after 45 minutes, that I had been watching Dora The Explorer on mute- really just zoned out. This is what a full day with three small children will do to a person. You become zombified- really just a shell of a person. ( Okay, yes I realize that may have sounded a bit dramatic.)

So on this particular night I chose to sit and write. I opened up the note pad on my phone ( Most likely because I was much to tired to go back upstairs for my laptop.) and I sat at the counter in my kitchen on the bar stool that was wobbly from children spinning on it. I sat and I thought about the craziness of parenthood, and the daily battles we fight of broccoli and homework and clean-up times. I sat there and wrote a story about a family that was not too different than my own. I tried to include words of comfort for my fellow parents going through maybe the same things as I was. I thought about what I would like to hear, and what I am sometimes in need to be reminded of.

Cookies For Dinner was written as a children's book, but I really hope parents get a little something out of it as well. I hope that they get a reminder that sometimes it is OK to say screw it and just do something fun with your kids. It is OK to call halftime and make a blanket fort and sit and make shadow puppets with your kids and miss that karate class in between bringing your other kid to soccer practice and girl scouts if it means you will end the day not feeling like a raving lunatic. It is OK to after an hour of trying to figure out a common core math worksheet with your six year old who is practically in tears, to press pause and throw on music to have a dance party even if it means you practice spelling in the morning instead...And yes, sometimes it is okay to have Cookies For Dinner.