While Visions of Underwear Models Danced in my Head...

Original Post 12/08/09
After being a mom for the last 7 years, I pride myself on knowing the various sounds that can happen around our house. For example: when the boys were babies, I could be deep in Dreamland with a sexy underwear model named Antonio and one of them would make a tiny snuffle in their sleep and I'd hear it and immediately jerk awake. Not only would I have heard the snuffle, I'd have analyzed it and in those split-seconds of groggy cognition and I'd know if he was just snoring or if he was having trouble sleeping or if he had a nasty fever or if he needed immediate medical attention. I have no idea how I'd know, I'd just know. Perhaps it's an ability that happens in your hormones when you give birth... I don't know.
As my children have grown older, I've learned all sorts of new noises too. I can tell you when they've just dragged a chair across the kitchen, opened the pantry doors, gotten a Pop-Tart, and cut it open with a pair of kitchen shears- all without ever leaving the office. If I listen carefully enough, I can even tell you which kid did it. I even know what a Jif peanut-butter jar sounds like when it opens.
So a few nights ago when I heard the dishwasher open and the sound of various dishes being removed from it, I paused to listen for the sounds of ice-cream being removed from the freezer or cereal being taken from the pantry. Instead, I heard Christopher humming the Nutcracker Suite and Daniel saying, "Here, Crisper, put this on the counter." Curious, I tip-toed into the kitchen and to my utter shock and delighted surprise, I saw the boys unloading the dishwasher. Completely unprompted… totally unasked... working as a team. It was all I could do to contain myself and sneak back into the office to get Dan and show him what they were doing.
I have always been proud of my boys, no matter what; but I can honestly say I cried tears of joy seeing them work together to help me out. I have no idea what prompted it… or if it will ever happen again without me having to threaten to have Santa bring only socks for Christmas… but I sure hope it happens again! I am one proud Mama!