I was standing in the shower, face in the stream of water, when my daughter poked her head 'round the curtain. "I can't get my bathing suit on!" she cried. Silly her for expecting me to manage the bathing suit while I was bathing? Au contraire, mon frere! Silly me for expecting to complete a shower with a child in the house.
I never knew I'd consider a shower a luxury. And then I had a child.
You've been there, haven't you? You became a parent and presto, change-o, things you took for granted for so long in your child-free days became parental luxuries.
Not sure what I'm talking about? Maybe this will help:
1. Pooping alone.
2. Peeing alone.
3. Drinking a cup of coffee while it's still hot.
4. Eating a chocolate bar that you don't have to share.
5. Your own music on the radio.
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6. Sleeping in.
7. Water bottles that don't have backwash in them.
8. Quiet.
9. Grocery shopping without an argument about popsicles (or sugary cereals or gum).
10. Restaurants that don't have chicken fingers or hot dogs on the menu.
11. Vacations that don't include amusement parks.
12. A clean backseat.
13. Catching up on your favorite show (before 10 p.m. and without demands for water or another tuck-in).
14. Books with more than a few hundred words (none of which rhyme).
15. Breakable home decor.
16. Your own room.
17. Your own bed.
18. Letting off a stream of curse words when you stub your toe.
19. Light switches in the off position.
20. A complete thought.
Is this you? What do you consider a luxury now that you have kids?
Images by Jeanne Sager