Three Minutes and Forty-Four Seconds.....

Three minutes and forty-four seconds. That is exactly how long the slide show was. I had created it for my niece, compiled of the photographs I had taken of her, for her senior pictures. My goal; to watch the 3 minute and forty-four second video, without interruption.

I sat in front of the glow of my computer monitor and glanced around the room to view what my children were up to. They were all preoccupied, so I clicked play on the video. It was not a full 20 seconds before Ethan had his hands in my face, "Mom, mom, look at this!" As he shoved a small toy in my face. I hit pause and in my annoyance, I didn't even notice which toy he was trying to show me. "Ethan, Mommy needs just a few minutes, okay?" He doesn't know why, but his 4 year-old instincts are telling him he needed my attention.

I reset the video back to the beginning. I was determined to get the full effect of my handy-work, by watching it at least once without interruption. Okay, lets try this again. It was just over a minute into the video when again I hear, "Mom, Mama, where are the crayons and markers?" Ugh, goodness child! Can you not entertain yourself for 5 minutes? Keeping my thoughts to myself, I reminded him of their location. They were actually where they were suppose to be, so that must have been what through him off.

Here I go again, third times the charm, right? Back to the beginning, the music from Owl City's, Firefly starts playing....."cause I'd get a thousand hugs from 10 thousand lightning bugs....." Once again my concentration is broken by the persistent nudging of my little Eliana. I stop and look into her big blue eyes and can't help but scoop her up into my arms.

Maybe if I watched the video with Eliana on my lap? Would she watch it with me and allow me to view it in it's entirety? Once again, I start the video from the beginning. Eliana loves it. How could any 2 year old not love a catchy song that mentions hugs from lightning bugs? She was mesmerized by the tune as well as the pictures of the pretty young girl, whom she was convinced was a Disney princes. She was wearing her prom dress, after-all. So far, so good. We're getting towards the middle of the video when from the depths of the pink pack and play comes a screech of serious proportions.

So close. I stop the video to feed the baby and put her down for her morning nap. Now it's lunch time. For all of you who've never prepared and served lunch to multiple little tots, you have no idea what you are missing!

Bed time rolls around. All the kiddos are in bed. So, I'm thinking that now is my chance to view the 3 minute and 44 second video in peace and quiet. I sit down at my computer, which is next to the large picture window in our front room. The windows are open and it's raining outside. The setting is deliciously relaxing with the only sounds being the rain and the passing of cars. The music begins to play and I am fully anticipating enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Then I hear my husband, "Honey, would you mind playing a song for me on YouTube when your done with that?"

Three minutes and forty-four seconds......I was so close.