The everydays

After a busy couple of weeks, I finally got to spend several mornings at home with my boys.  It's the everydays of life that sometimes bring us the greatest frustrations and stresses, but I believe these same everydays can bring us the greatest joy.

If you are a mother of young children you understand the luxury of an unhurried, uninterrupted shower.  Most mornings I rush through showering and dressing like I am part of a racing pit crew.  It is not unusual for one of my sons to be yelling and banging on the bathroom door.  I have learned to lock the door otherwise one of them will undoubtedly come in and rip the shower curtain wide open and stand there and stare at me. 

I also, often feel like a referee.  The days I'm home I usually spend the mornings intermittently playing with them, preparing food and doing household chores.  Somedays it seems like every 5 seconds one of them is screaming or crying.  We have been teaching my oldest son to share, no hitting, no pushing and etc.  He is beginning to grasp this (I think) but now comes the harder part of enforcing these same principles to his 12 month old brother.  And the playing field is beginning to level, our 12 month old weighs in at 22lb. while his 2 1/2 year old brother only weighs in at 27lb.

The other thing that tends to drive me crazy is the constant sticky, dirty floor under their chairs at the table.  I mop my kitchen floor once a week (before kids maybe 4 times a year) and it never fails as soon as it is mopped one of them will spill a cup of sticky apple juice everywhere.

But before this starts to sound like I am complaining and griping, let me assure you I am not.  I remember my years of aching to hold a child in my arms.  I constantly remind myself that there is no greater joy than rushing through a shower, refereeing little ones and mopping my kitchen floor.  No greater joy because the reason I have to do these things are the treasures of my heart.  They come from the little hands that reach up to me wanting to be held and snuggled, they come from the shrieks of laughter as I tickle them in their tickle spots, they come from the sweet "I love yous" and kisses I give and receive, they come from the tears I kiss away as only a mother can.  I assure you there is no greater joy in my life than these precious children of mine and I refuse to allow the doldrums of everyday to let me forget this!

Little laugh: I was playing with my son and he was giving me a pretend piece of pie, when I asked him what kind of pie it was, he replied "cutie pie"!

Postitve proverb:  "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."  Proverbs 4:23