my ugly bathrobe i once lived in

I had just changed Turner’s poopy diaper and was headed back into the kitchen to wrap it in a plastic bag before disposing of it properly.  As I entered the kitchen one of my precious children had spilled a drink and the moisture was rolling toward things that I did not want to get wet.  I quickly put Turner down, set his poopy diaper on the counter and headed toward the spill.  I caught it just in time to keep it from doing more damage than it already had.  At that moment the doorbell rang.  Who could that be this early in the morning I thought.  I looked at the clock.  It was 11:00 am.  11:00 am, how can that be? I was still in my very, extremely ugly and unflattering robe.  I actually still have that robe and my 84 year old mother wears it when she comes to visit us in the cold winters of Nebraska. 

i told you it was ugly!!

I contemplated just not answering the door.  If I quieted the children, maybe whoever was at the door would not realize we were home.  Ever try to quiet a baby and an almost 2, 4 and 6 year old?  I knew I was going to have to answer the door.  With that realization, another realization immediately followed.  I remembered that we had scheduled a market analysis of our home for that morning.  I had completely forgotten.  I was horrified!!!  I would not be able to answer the door and use my body to shield the messy contents and keep my visitors on the porch.  No such luck, they were coming in.  Not only coming in, but going into every disheveled room to measure it. 

I picked up Turner and headed to the door.  Not only was I wearing the hideous bathrobe, but my hair was sticking up in every direction AND I was wearing the ugliest bathrobe in the city of Omaha.  Oh, and I had not yet brushed my teeth!!!  I opened the door and there stood two sharply dressed female realtors looking so together and "with it".  They not only looked good, but smelled good too.  I felt like a complete loser.  If the ground would have opened at that moment and swallowed me up that would have been fine with me.

 I have never forgotten that day so many years ago.  What I now realize is that I was doing the most important job in the universe.  I was spending my days nurturing our four precious children.  There is nothing I would rather invest my time in and if I had to wear an ugly bathrobe all morning and not get my teeth brushed before noon, that was a price I was willing to pay.