In which I share my heart

I started this blog nearly 4 years ago. At that point in my life I had a newborn, a 4.5 year old, and a 2.5 year old. I was an at home mommy and blogging for my family and reading other blogs served as mommy time for me. My blog has given me an outlet for all my tales and the things I was experiencing in my days with little ones. I linked up with other mommy bloggers and developed cyber support and relationships. I felt connected to the outside world during those long days at home.


Today, I have two boys in school for 6 hours a day and an almost 4 year old, who is becoming more and more independent as the days go by. We have homework, practices, and/or church most weeknights. Our weekends are full of activity, work, and play as a family. In just a few short years my "season" of mommy hood has changed. I haven't changed my own child's diaper in over a year. And I find myself blogging a little less, and perhaps about different things.


I value the blog and the outlet it gives me. I love peeking in on the lives of everyone on my google reader, and still find lot of support here. I love that my family members and friends who live hours away can peak into our lives and get a glimpse at what we've been up to.
But, as evidenced my my last couple posts, I think I'll be blogging a bit less these days.


As I'm sure I've said before, I don't do change very well. Fall is here, my babies are growing up right before my eyes, and my days feel relatively quiet with just me and my side-kick, Anna. I feel it coming, but in some ways I am resistant. Some mommies dream of the days all their babies are in school. I admit it, I dream of having another baby.


I am not one to give advice, but I have to say: If you are a mommy like I was 4 years ago, live in the moment. Cherish those loud, busy, never ending days at home. Keep on keeping on. Read your kiddos a book, or twenty. Be silly and spontaneous. Take advantage of every impressionable moment. I am hopeful that I did that most days. But I know it never hurts to be reminded.


I am faithful that this new season in mommy hood will be every bit as enjoyable as the last. I do get excited when I look in Will's 8 year old face and can see both a glimpse of the baby he was, and the young man he is becoming. It's an exciting thing. But still, my heart seems to catch in my throat when I write about it. So I cling to this verse:

Being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Phil 1:6

There ARE a couple things I don't miss....

....boy, these were sure fun days, though! (She said 5 years later :)

~Wyatt fall 2004

Today I was a fun mom

This week Rachel Anne blogged about speaking with kindness. When I first read her post I though, "oh, that's good one, I can do that, how hard can it be, I'm a pretty kind person aren't I?" Well, sure, I'm kind and polite to the gas station attendant and the clerk at the grocery store, my neighbor, and my son's teacher. But what about my own family? As I listened to my words throughout the day with a new perspective I realized how harsh I can be at times with my kids, the ones I love so much.



"Sit down and eat your breakfast!"



"Get your shoes, on.....we have to go NOW!"



"Pick up the junk all over the kitchen floor!"



I worked on it all day....but boy was it sure eye opening!



So I'm continuing to strive for kind words. It will be a daily challenge, I'm sure.



Today the kids and I just had fun. It seems to me that kindness flows naturally when I choose a good attitude and embrace joy everyday. It started when Anna came in my room this morning at 6:15. I was awake but not out of bed yet. We snuggled and talked for about 20 minutes. I asked her lots of questions and we chatted over the fact that we are both girls with blonde hair. She really gets a kick out of that for some reason. Then:



We picked raspberries

We colored with chalk on the sidewalk

I let Anna use scissors to cut a piece of paper into a million pieces of paper

We made mini english muffin pizzas and smoothies for lunch to surprise Wyatt

We read books

We talked some more

We went to Walmart and I tried not to freak out (kind words, kind words) when Anna tried to climb out of the cart multiple times and Wyatt hid on the shelving behind the vacuum cleaners....



You get my drift. Challenging? Yes, everyday. Rewarding? Absolutely!

She opens her mouth with wisdom; and on her tongue is the law of kindness. ~Proverbs 31:26