Getting past the drudgery

I've been up for two and a half hours already and am exhausted!  As I was putting laundry into the washer I was thinking about the fact that I wouldn't trade the "drudgery" that I consider cleaning after my kiddos for being single ever Ever EVER!  I was reading on the Mormon Bachelor's blog http://kenttuttle.wordpress.com/ and I remember how miserable I was being Single!  I always wanted to be a mom and here I am, pregnant with my sixth kiddo, a full-time student with a year left until I have my Elementary Education Degree!  I love being a mom and wouldn't trade it for anything!  Not having enough money.  Not a luxury apartment.  Not "freedom" to do whatever I want.  Not clubbing.  Not being able to spend money on whatever I want.  Not being able to vacation anytime.  None of that compares to my kids' faces when they wake up and see me and tell me a happy "Good Morning Mom!"  Or when one of my little girls finds a brush and brushes my hair.  Or when one of my kiddos is sad and immediately comes to me to help them feel better.  Or when my little girl is crying in her crib and immediately calms down when I pick her up and I can tell her that it's okay, because her mommy has her.  Who could ask for a better feeling?  I remember when I was newly graduated and one of my cousins willingly let me stay with her while I prepped to go to LSUS.  She had a little baby girl and that little girl did not stop crying at all when I held her!  One of my other cousins used to tease me about it.  A few years later after I had married and had my own baby, that cousin came to visit me and reminded me of that.  My baby had no problem calming down when I held him.  Our babies know us.  They love us and feel comforted by us.  I LOVE it!  Even when they get older and go through the Independent Twos or the Tyrranical Threes.  Or the fit fours (it seems my four-year-old throws a lot of fits).  As she jumps up and down informing me that her big sister isn't going to polish her nails even though she asked nicely!  It is not easy being a mom, and I'm super grateful to my mom for making sure that I never thought that!  I feel for those who are Single and I hope they are happily Single, but I am very happily married, happily a mom, and exhausted!  And it's all okay!  I'm very much looking forward to being done with school for this semester and having all day with my kiddos!  I have a lot to get done, but I get to be at home!  Hurray!  Now, back to worrying about money.  Ugh!