A Reminder

Sometimes I complain about my kids. No scratch that, I very often complain about one or more of my children. I complain that it takes so long to do everything, that no meal is right, that the screaming never ends, and that bedtime lasts hours. Sometimes I get caught up in the day to day mundane tasks and forget how lucky we actually are to have these boys. Sometimes I forget that despite the tantrums, the screaming "Mommy I HATE YOU!", the food on the floor, the laundry that never ends, and the fact that I actually can't remember the last time I took a shower without feeling guilty about how long I had been in there it's all worth it. I am grateful for the reminders though. Michael, despite his stubbornness is a sweet kid. He says things sometimes that make me think we will get through the terrible... preschool years, he has a sweet side. Tonight as we were getting ready for bed he said "Mom I love spending time with you" He is a sweet kid and says stuff like this a lot but today I actually listened instead of hurrying him to the next thing. It was a gentle reminder to slow down, step back, and breathe. A reminder to appreciate their childhoods, because let's be realistic there are some days that are easier to appreciate than others.

So here's to appreciating them more. I want to say that I will be less frustrated, rush them less, and just bask in the joy that is childhood. But I won't, it's not my personality, "chilling" makes me terribly anxious. Instead I think I will look for the little moments and remember those.