What's That?

IT WAS REALLY LOUD HERE TODAY. LIKE, THE ENTIRE DAY. WITHOUT CEASING. THEY EVEN TALKED IN THEIR SLEEP...HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!

Oh, I'm sorry, was I yelling? I've lost all ability to modulate my volume.

One of the things that I didn't factor in when starting this business (it's a really, really long list, yo) was the sheer decibel level of my days from now on. All day, every day, it's loud. Loud cries, and yells, and tantrums. Loud laughs, and shrieks, and squeals. Loud door slams, and toilet lids, and cabinet doors.

More times than I care to admit, B has come home and asked me to stop yelling. "I'M NOT YELLING...WHAT ARE YOU TALKING AB...oh. Sorry. Right."

There's good loud, of course. The shouts on the playground, and snoring in my ear from the baby on my chest. The shrieks and giggles while I play tag with a newly-walking-toddler. The exclamations when we do some cool science project, or the hysterical laughter while we watch a funny video or movie scene.

Thankfully, the Good Loud far outweighs the soul-crushing, please-just-make-it-stop Bad Loud. The loud that makes me cringe, and clench my jaw, and search desperately for a safe place to plop the screaming baby so that I can take a time-out. Loud that makes me wonder if chugging Rescue Remedy would be beneficial.

We talk all day long about using inside voices, and using our words instead of screams. I give them plenty of time downstairs or outside to scream their heads off and they have, no joke, actual screaming contests. I've taken to watching TV with the volume almost off and the closed captioning on. That may be a tad bit extreme.

Putting 6-10 children in one confined (albeit several-thousand-square-foot) space will always be loud, I suppose, no matter how you slice it. Too bad ear plugs are frowned on.

Time to schedule my physical and be tested for hearing loss.