I just spent the day with Melissa of The Lilting House. And you did not. Nyah!
Between the two of us, we oversaw a group of SIX children. Or more accurately, Melissa gracefully and effortlessly oversaw her five (gorgeous and ridiculously well-behaved) children while I kind of bumbled along helplessly after my one lone child, who very almost totally ate a stray piece of random poop off the floor at Barnes & Noble when I wasn't paying attention.
"HOW DO YOU DO IT?" I must have shrieked at her on a dozen different occasions. "IS IT NYQUIL? DO YOU GIVE THEM NYQUIL?"
It is not Nyquil. It is just really good mothering. And really sweet, really well-loved kids. And multi-tasking and organization and everybody pitching in.
And possibly maybe the ice cream we gave them all for lunch. But, you know. It's mostly the mothering.
For those of you who don't know Melissa, she has seen her oldest daughter through leukemia and is currently guiding her two-year-old son through a variety of special needs. She homeschools her entire brood and is a published author. And as I watched her little Wonderboy race around the bookstore like any other toddler, and the care he received from his outgoing and clearly well-socialized big sisters, and the boundless excitement they all had over being around BOOKS, I suddenly realized that dude, I TOTALLY WANT TO BE MELISSA WHEN I GROW UP.
I'm so jealous. That's all.
Posted by: Jennifer | August 24, 2006 at 04:53 PM
Me too. Can we both be Melissa when we grow up?
Posted by: tracey | August 24, 2006 at 05:03 PM
I too want to be Melissa when I grow up. I am sad she is moving to CA since right now it would be easier for me to stalk her when she is only a few hours away. CA is just too far for a stalking commitment. Well, at least I have her blog(s) to read.
Posted by: mrscrumley | August 24, 2006 at 10:57 PM
That was a very sweet post from someone who must be a great friend.
Posted by: Amanda | August 24, 2006 at 11:27 PM
Maude. Does she consult?
Posted by: Kelly | August 25, 2006 at 05:56 AM
I'm a Melissa-wanna-be, too!
Posted by: Jennifer G. Miller | August 25, 2006 at 04:10 PM
Me, too!
Posted by: Shrinkingmom | August 25, 2006 at 04:19 PM
Me three!!
Posted by: KC | August 26, 2006 at 09:33 PM
We're all Melissa wanna-bes. Except, of course, she *does* have to do laundry now. That might bog her down. Maybe. But I doubt it.
Posted by: Karen E. | August 27, 2006 at 08:54 AM
And me! Count me in on the wannabe list!
Posted by: janny226 | August 28, 2006 at 09:48 AM