Thankful
No, this is not another late post that should have been written around Thanksgiving telling you what I’m thankful for. (Ok, it sort of is, but play along with me here.) So lately the kiddos have been driving me a little bit batty. I think that’s normal when you have to spend time with anyone 24/7. “But Missy,” you say, “you’re not with your kids 24/7. You work, remember?” Ah yes, and I am thankful for that job because it gives me a break from the crazy. We recently had 2 snow days at home because schools, daycares, and my job were closed, which gave us another 4-day weekend right after the Thanksgiving 4-day weekend, and I came to realize during that time that I’m not really stay-at-home-mom material. I love my kids dearly and would do anything to protect them, but I need some space and a little time to myself each day to just zone out. You can’t really do that when you are snowed in at home with 2 kids and your spouse goes ahead and goes to work because jeez, he’s the boss and what kind of example would that set?
So anyway, I decided in order to keep my sanity I’m just going to embrace the crazy. Instead of dwelling on how much the boy’s incessant chatter grates on my nerves when I long for peace and quiet (because my GOD, the child never shuts up), I will focus on how thankful I am that he is able to express himself through language. Check out some of the gems he has come up with lately:
“Mom, you’re my sweetheart.”
“Mom, thank you for sharing your milk with my sister.”
“Ah, Kelsey girl, it’s ok. Don’t cry.”
To Kelsey: “When the paci falls on the floor, you gotta check for hair because we don’t eat hair.”
“Mom, you’re my best friend.”
“Mom, you and Kelsey are my best friends.”
When I ask if Daddy is his best friend too, he says, “I suppose.”
Instead of dwelling on how smothered I sometimes feel because a certain baby girl wants me to hold her 75% of the day (I’m not kidding – you set her down and she cries. I can’t handle the crying. It rips open my soul.) and I can’t get anything done in the house, I will try to remember that she’s getting older by the minute and soon she won’t want me to hold her anymore. The cleaning can wait. And instead of feeling irritated that she’s whining and fussing and saying “Mamamamamamama” over and over again while she’s in her exersaucer and I’m doing dishes, I will rejoice that she said “Mama” as her first word.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed and sometimes burdened by my parental responsibilities, I will keep in mind how truly blessed I am to have such terrific kids. Instead of feeling sorry for myself because the hubby is never home and helping me, I will remember that he isn’t home because he’s working and being a good provider for his family. And finally, instead of getting stressed this holiday season about all the shopping I need to finish and the cleaning I still need to do, I will relax and remember that I have a lot to be thankful for.
So anyway, I decided in order to keep my sanity I’m just going to embrace the crazy. Instead of dwelling on how much the boy’s incessant chatter grates on my nerves when I long for peace and quiet (because my GOD, the child never shuts up), I will focus on how thankful I am that he is able to express himself through language. Check out some of the gems he has come up with lately:
“Mom, you’re my sweetheart.”
“Mom, thank you for sharing your milk with my sister.”
“Ah, Kelsey girl, it’s ok. Don’t cry.”
To Kelsey: “When the paci falls on the floor, you gotta check for hair because we don’t eat hair.”
“Mom, you’re my best friend.”
“Mom, you and Kelsey are my best friends.”
When I ask if Daddy is his best friend too, he says, “I suppose.”
Instead of dwelling on how smothered I sometimes feel because a certain baby girl wants me to hold her 75% of the day (I’m not kidding – you set her down and she cries. I can’t handle the crying. It rips open my soul.) and I can’t get anything done in the house, I will try to remember that she’s getting older by the minute and soon she won’t want me to hold her anymore. The cleaning can wait. And instead of feeling irritated that she’s whining and fussing and saying “Mamamamamamama” over and over again while she’s in her exersaucer and I’m doing dishes, I will rejoice that she said “Mama” as her first word.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed and sometimes burdened by my parental responsibilities, I will keep in mind how truly blessed I am to have such terrific kids. Instead of feeling sorry for myself because the hubby is never home and helping me, I will remember that he isn’t home because he’s working and being a good provider for his family. And finally, instead of getting stressed this holiday season about all the shopping I need to finish and the cleaning I still need to do, I will relax and remember that I have a lot to be thankful for.
posted by Missy at 2:18 PM
3 Comments:
Now, I could never get this to work for me, but a lot of moms swear by putting the must-be-held-at-all-times baby into a sling attached to your body and cleaning with them attached.
Oh, I LOVE the picture--they look so much alike from the side!
I'm nominating you for sainthood--that's your Christmas present (not really, but you know). If the Pope won't budge, I'll make you a certificate. :<)
Can't believe it has been so long that I have checked my blog friends. I hear you on this post! I have been trying to think of gratitude recently too. It helps so I don't go spiraling down into depression with my kids.
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