Divisions and Precisions

Mommy-itis

Well, I was going to bitch and rant about some stupidity at work, but I apparently deleted the email that caused all the furor. So... I have to recreate what's going on.

All the women in my building (we're a three building complex) got email about someone's bathroom habits. Apparently someone in the building wasn't flushing and/or wasn't dealing with a toilet when it got stopped up. And our toilets get stopped up all the time. It was a pretty typical "Now ladies, let's all remember to make sure the toilets get flushed.." sort of note. Condescending and annoying. Someone printed it out and posted it all over the bathroom. On the doors, in each stall, everywhere. Things calmed down (and got flushed, apparently) for a while, because that was the end of it.

Comes Monday morning, and all the women get a new forwarded copy of that same email. This time from the Human Resources manager. I'm thinking, "What, are they going to fire anyone who doesn't flush or plunge the toilet?" Now there are nice little smiley-faced reminders up again, in every stall, giving us all exact instructions on how to behave in a bathroom. I feel like I'm back teaching potty-training in preschool again. "Okay now, Angelique, don't forget to flush. Okay, time to wash our hands..."

Some people's kids, sheesh.

And speaking of preschool and people's kids, I've been hit with some serious mommy-itis over the past couple days. I'm really starting to miss working in daycare/preschool. Or really, I just miss being close to infants and toddlers on a regular basis. One of the women at the ritual had her baby with her, an eight month old little boy, and he was just so sweet. She carried him around in a Snugli (a cloth carrier that keeps the baby cradled close to mom or dad), and I got nostalgic. I used to carry the younger babies around that way. Funny, how I remember all the old tricks for calming a baby down, rocking, bouncing on the balls of my feet while holding them, swaying, swaddling. I miss using that knowledge.

Don't get me wrong. I do not want to be a mother. Not now, not for a long time. Even if I was in a serious relationship with someone, I'm not ready. I miss being... a secondary caregiver, maybe. I'd make a terrific aunt right now. I miss having a chance to really get to know a little person, and having a hand in how they were growing and learning.

It sort of shocked me to realize that some of the kids I used to take care of in the cradle are in school now. Or almost there, at least. Eric, one of the first babies I got really attached to, is now four and a half years old. I met him when he was a month old, and took care of him until he was nearly eighteen months. And Isaac, my little buddy, I started taking care of him when he was nine months old and did until he was nearly three. He's five now, and probably starting kindergarten this fall. His baby sister is what, three now?

*sigh* My married friends need to start having babies, and that's all there is to it.

That, or I'm going to have to get another cat.