Doodling in the shower

Do you "doodle" in the shower too? Please tell me that I'm not the only one who does this. That would make me eligible for being on the verge of crazy. I do not need to add another title like that to my resume.
Most of you know that SAHM is an acronymn for stay-at-home-mom. After the birth of Ava (I had 5 children when Teagan would have still been 6 years old- Ava was born 4 days before Teagan's 7th birthday...talk about me being crazy! I was pregnant and/or nursing for like 10 years straight!!) Anyway, I lovingly coined myself a SAHM- but I referred to it as being a stuck-at-home-mom, not stay at home. There's a big difference. You see, IF I wanted to go somewhere, it meant strapping 4 kids into carseats and getting somewhere and then figuring out how to get all the kids in or out of a place. Nearly impossible. Sometimes I pushed a double stroller and "wore" one of my babies in my Baby Bjorn carrier on my front, while prodding or dragging Brock along. Not a pretty sight. Ahem. Cute, maybe...
Some of you ladies can relate to me. Seriously. Others of you feel sorry for me. And still others are simply glad you are not me. My point is that I had to REALLY WANT something or REALLY NEED something before I would venture out on "my own". Which means that I crossed my fingers and prayed long and hard that I wouldn't be too stressed out and that at least half of my kids in tow would be in the kind of mood where I could bribe them into behaving while we were out on our errand. So, if you see a frazzled mom somewhere out and about this week, please cut her some slack. I thank you for her. She probably doesn't want to be there or bother you, really. She would rather be home doing laundry. Been there.
That is my long explanation to my theory behind "shower doodle art". I doodle in the shower not as a way to express my inner being and enjoy the process of creating- but simply because as a mom with lots of little kids I have learned to adapt. And compromise. And entertain. And survive- while still smelling good- like caramel cappacino shower gel. You should try this stuff. You smell like a fresh baked Krispy Kreme for part of your day. It's part of the Jaqua line at Bath and Body Shop. If you are a frazzled mom- don't drag all your kids there. Call your hubby or friend and have them stop and pick this stuff up for you. Okay. I'm getting off the topic a bit, about shower doodling.
I learned early on that if I don't get a shower before the kids wake, I have a few options. Option #1) Skip it. Some of you have seen me on days like this. I wear colorful bandanas and head bands and sometimes I throw on some make-up to trick you into thinking I actually did have time for myself that morning. Love these days. Option #2) Skip a meal and take a shower instead. This is not a bad idea and helps to shed extra pounds especially in the beginning after having a baby. But as the kids grow, it can mean a lot bigger mess in the dining room once you get out of the shower. Unsupervised toddlers at mealtime can spell big mess. Been there. Option #3) Doodle in the shower. This is the one I choose most often.
The girls stand outside the steamed shower door and shout out pictures they want me to draw for them. Sometimes they're simple- like hearts and flowers and stars. Other days they ask for things like Christmas trees and cupcakes. I do this not just for the love of my children or the love of art- but because I get a longer shower, my dining room stays clean, and I get to soak in the smell of Krispy Kremes that much longer. Selfish really. We moms are good at disguising what we really do all day long.Doodling in the shower. I know I can't be the only one out there doing this. I guess I could be. Until Elsie has kids of her own. She will totally do this too. Others of you will follow. You just might.