The Truth

Believe it or not, I think about this blog every night, feeling guilty that "once again, I didn't record anything." Most of those days though, there's a reason I don't write a post: my life is the same day, after day, after day. The main events being, breakfast, dressing everyone, snack, lunch, nap, snack, dinner, bedtime. Everything in between consists of a variation of children's play, learning numbers/letters and colors, enduring tantrums, breaking up fights, and time outs. Oh, and let's not forget the never ending cleaning, heaps of laundry, and mountains of dishes (with no dishwasher - what a joy). Every day. Always the same. Slight changes to our routine are always welcome: trips to the library, grocery shopping, outings with friends, or even the rare outing with Daddy.

This life may sound depressing (and sometimes it is), but I would never trade the way things are for anything else, because I know for sure that I would never find as much satisfaction anywhere in the world as I do from being a mommy to somebody. Two somebodies. Two amazing, absolutely incredible somebodies.

Anyway, everyday I look back on what happened and  have a hard time coming up with things to write about that I think might be entertaining to somebody else. Because, let's face it, snack time and piles of laundry really aren't that interesting. And as dramatic and loud as fights and time outs can be, I just can't seem to figure out a way to write about them that will hold everyone's attention. I just can't. Because, I'm not naive; I know that the everyday events of other people's lives are usually boring. Unless you're living it, it's really only fun to hear about other people's lives for two reasons: if there is humor involved, or if there happens to be an exciting, out-of-the-ordinary event. And the 10 times a day I wipe someone's butt, or sweep the floor, or chase down a tantrum throwing child through Walmart, just don't make the cut.

I follow and read several Mommy blogs out there, and surprise surprise, they are all funny! That's why I read them. If you can't find the humor in the things that happen while being a mommy, you will go crazy. Psyco, maniac, I'm-going-to-run-away-and-never-come-back crazy. So I read the humorous antics of other mothers to help with that not going crazy thing. Sometimes though, what you need is a, "This mommy thing is really hard, but you are doing great and here's why" type of read. One of my favorites (if not my most favorite) blog for when I need that type of fix, is written by a lady with seven kids. Her main focus is finding the joy in motherhood and it's genius, heartfelt and relatable. Her post from today was all about the monotony of your days with young children and how to survive. She calls it, the days of "treading water," which is exactly how the majority of my days feel. It gave me some validity in feeling like I just don't have anything worth writing a blog post about. Some days I don't. And that's okay. My life, and what I'm doing with it right now, has more value than anything else I could be doing. And that's the truth.

Making Memories

One of the, let's say, "conveniences" of being a parent to a newborn and toddler, is that you can almost guarantee they won't remember anything from that part of their lives. If you happen to have a not-so-great parenting moment, it's probably okay. If you slip a bad word out, you're in the clear. If you walk around in your underwear, so what? But then, all of a sudden, they are mimicking you. You may hear that naughty word come out of their mouth in their cute little voice. Usually at an inopportune moment. Or maybe, when you ask them to pick up a toy, they may tell you, "Not right now, I too busy." And of course you automatically kick yourself for ever using those words to them, or even in front of them.

But at the same time, watching my little Jean pick up on the good things we try to teach her, is one of the most rewarding feelings I've experienced as a parent.

I've been watching her lately, realizing that everything that happens from here on out, has the potential to become a memory for her. That realization has made me a lot more aware of the things I do, the things I say, and any other things she is exposed to. It also makes it fun to watch her experience things, play pretend with her toys, and interact with other people. Particularly her little brother. I wonder which moments she is stowing away to call on later. Which memories are she and Alex going to laugh and cry over as they reminisce about their life as kids?

I love that Jean and Alex have become such good friends. They push, hit, and scream at each other sometimes, but for the most part, they love each other. They laugh, hug, and play nice more often than not. Just today, I lowered my rear view mirror to look at them in the back seat, and saw them holding hands across their car seats. Something that happens often, but makes me feel all good inside every time I catch it. I hope they stay good friends through life. It would sure make this mommy happy.