adventure redefined

A month ago, I went to Olive Garden by myself with both boys. Yeah, you read that right. We had gone out to get Everett a helmet and since Aaron was gone for the night, I decided to go next door to get dinner. I'm not sure what I was thinking. We had 2 bathroom breaks during dinner in which I had to pack up Everett, Graham and a bunch of our stuff to get to the bathroom. Everett peed on me while I was trying to help him aim. Graham woke up and was hungry right when my dinner got there. Everett was bouncing all over the booth we were sharing. The logistics of that were ridiculous. I barely made it out of there with all of my things and children. People were looking at me like I was crazy. It occurred to me that having an adventure these days looks totally different than it used to.

Before I was a mom, I had tons of adventures --- usually exciting and unusual experiences. I'd been to places like Japan, student taught in Honduras, and traveled through Central America on chicken buses. I'd gone swimming with stingrays, snorkeled with a barracuda, and explored Mayan ruins in Guatemala.

Three years in as a mom and I've found that an adventure is something totally different. Suddenly, everyday things have become adventures. They're adventures because you're teetering somewhere between fun and something completely unpredictable all at the same time and your little person will determine which way it goes. Some days an adventure is simply going to Olive Garden or grocery shopping by myself with 2 little boys. It is often bold and risky and may not turn out the way I expected. But the thing is? It's still pretty amazing. There are moments of awesomeness, even in the crazy chaos.

I still look forward to having conventional adventures, but being a mom is a new kind of adventure all of its own. It really is the best adventure possible and I wouldn't trade it or pee on my arm for anything.