I can’t think.
My oldest, middle and youngest sons all have friends over. They are downstairs playing basketball. Boom boom boom. They are up in the living room playing SmashBrother on the WiiU while rummaging through leftover Valentine’s chocolates. Munch munch munch. They are up and down the stairs playing hide and seek. Stomp stomp stomp.
I go around picking up empty crushed water bottles and discarded heart boxes and am happy to find a few chocolates half hidden under the crinkly brown paper shells. On closer inspection, I notice they all have little finger indentures revealing brightly colored cream inside. Orange. Ugh.
The boys are loud, squealing with delight as they find each other hidden behind furniture and under tables, and they are loud, yelling with outrage over a missed turn on the X Box or a controversial point.
But they aren’t the reason for my poor cognitive functions.
I have a headache.
I don’t have a headache.
I have stress.
Jeez, I’m so dramatic. I don’t have so much stress. I live a cushy life, baking brownies for my kids, volunteering at the schools, watching their sport games and writing in between. Occasionally I meet a friend for sushi lunch and indulge in a massage. I am like a princess. Cinderella? I do have an awful lot of laundry. Snow White? There are all those little people I cater to. Fiona? Well, I’ll just leave that one to your imagination.
No. I am princess Ice Scream Mama and my life is a fairy tale in so many ways but alas every fairy tale must have its wolf.
His name is dad.
More fiery than a dragon. More insecure than an evil queen. More suffering than any beast. He is dangerous and inconsistent. He is desperate for sorcerer’s magic potion or the kiss of true love. Who could blame him? They have the power to heal even the most wounded souls. If you just click your heels and believe…
I wish I could but I lost my ruby red slippers trying to climb out of the tower I’ve been imprisoned for decades. If only I could let down my hair and just let it go, but this beanstalk isn’t going to climb itself. The sky is falling, the woods grow dark and it’s a long way up to a giant problem and believe me there are no golden harps to steal. Not that I would. Jack is a thieving, greedy pig.
Once upon a time I believed in magic, but now know that happily ever after is about acceptance and compromise, finding the good in the bad, not running away from either the old man and the old woman who want to save you, or the farmers, the bear and the fox who want to eat you. It’s about facing the truths in life and appreciating the reality, not the fantasy, but still leaving room to dream.
But what am I saying?
It’s all the noise.
I make no sense.
I think.
Dang! I need a new wand!
*Hey all, give a click here and check out my original essay up on Mamalode, A Mother of Mama’s Boys Grows Up. 🙂
Icescreammama 
Beautiful!
thank you darlin! 🙂
Perfectly capturing the imperfect world of family life!
thank you. it’s all so imperfectly perfect.
Makes perfect sense to me!
Should I just say amen to that.
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Absolutely. Amen! xo
❤ beautifully written ❤
What’s the old Mae West quote? “I used to be snow white, but I drifted.” 🙂
love it
It sounds like you have a severe case of fairytale fallacy rejection. You may need to lie down for a while until it goes away. Might I suggest you have a grown-up book handy for reading while you are there? And a margarita. Everything is better with a margarita.
Ha! Agreed!!
I loved it, very creative!
thank you! so appreciate.
Best title ever!
Thanks for noticing. i was going to go with you can huff and you can puff and then go blow it out your ass, but it didn’t have the same ring. 😉
LOL! That is perfect for many of my days. I’m a Dad of 3 boys (11, 14, 16). I huff and puff all the time. They don’t care. The only thing they respond to is when I say “I’m telling Mom”.
Ha!! That’s funny! I love it! 🙂
I enjoyed how you weave in all those fairy tale characters and plots. Nice.
This is really good and very clever! I think you have captured what many mothers think, especially while raising young children.
Thank you. I guess sometimes it’s better not to be able to think. 😉
That’s because Cinderella immediately becomes the fairy godmother as soon as she puts on the wedding ring. Didn’t you get the memo? It’s so not about the wife and mom. Are you even visible? LOL