Babies in my blanket.

Sometimes, I roll my eyes at my kids when they sass me.
Sometimes, so we all look tough, I dismiss them as overreacting when they are weeping over a stubbed toe.
Sometimes, I shrug when they get their feelings hurt, because I want them to get thick skins, and I want to appear thick-skinned myself.
Sometimes, I walk away when they whine at me.
Sometimes, I am on the phone and making them lunch and I tell them to back up, because I can't triple-task.
Sometimes, I put them down so I can type a paper or blog for a moment without them banging the keys.

But, when I hang up the phone and close the laptop and everyone goes home...

Sometimes, I gather all three of us up into a warm blanket and carry them around the house together. While they're all wrapped up, I kiss my favorite spot under their chins, and I lightly scratch their hair and they giggle. And Eleanor calls me her "darlin'" and Josephine repeats after her.