Whac-A-Mole

Have you ever played Whac-a-Mole? Per Wikipedia, it's an "arcade redemption game." You've probably seen it at carnivals? Anyway, I accompanied Big Girl on her end of the year school trip to Victorian Gardens in Central Park. It happened to be the hottest day of the year and we parents were literally melting and not thrilled about it, but our pink-cheeked tykes didn't seem too fazed, riding rides and running around. Big Girl saw some big kids playing the games and winning the prizes and asked if we could play. And, of course, I obliged. At first, Big Girl played by herself. But the paddle was big and her hands were small and she could barely see the little popping moles. So I decided to "help" her and we won two alligators. She brought one home to Middle Girl.

Anyway. It was fun. But it was also enlightening. I realized as I pounded those pesky moles that parenting multiple children is a whole lot like Whac-A-Mole. When you get one down, the other pops up. There are very few, if any, moments when all the little critters are settled. There are very few minutes of calm.

It's really amazing to me that you can find metaphors and meaning anywhere. When one of my girls wakes up in the night and I get her to sleep again only to have another sit up in bed, I think of that silly little game and I smile.

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Do you agree that parenting multiple children is a bit like that silly - and bizarrely addictive - carnival game? Ultimately, isn't life itself like this in that once we address one issue another manifests? Do you too find meaning in odd places?