Mothering

This picture was taken after Austin ate a blue "fruit" Popsicle. Nathan's reaction to the mess was "are you sure you weren't out on the deck sucking on a blue marker?" For some reason, this image has made me laugh every time I think about the incident. By-the-way, the picture was taken after we cleaned him up.

On Sunday I was wanting to blog about how wonderful it is to be a parent. I truly love listening to my children talk and watching them develop. Their minds work so differently and I love them each so much. It is incredibly rewarding for me to sit back and watch my husband interact with our adorable children--he is such a loving, patient father.

However, on Monday and Tuesday my blog Title would have been labeled "WHAT?" As in . . .

What have we done?

What were we thinking getting pregnant again?

What are we going to do to survive the next 18 years?

What are we going to do to prevent this from ever happening again?

Fortunately, Wednesday rolled around and brought with it two adorable, docile, little obedient children uttering phrases such as "I will obey you mother,"and "Okay, I won't get out of bed" (both Livi quotes). Today, Thursday, I asked Austin if he'd like to go jump on the trampoline and he said, "I'd be delighted to."

Now I remember why I can feel my bladder getting kicked. We actually look forward to having another personality around to guide, learn from, enjoy, and love. This is something for which we are both capable and excited.

It is amazing how parenting can take you on a roller coaster ride just as quickly as a real roller coaster. The following are some tricks I've used to help me enjoy the experience more fully:

1. Knowing "this too shall pass."

When my son is throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of Walmart and all the Wamart patrons are watching me carry him out under one arm, I think "this too shall pass" and I know that we could have a completely pleasant evening in just a few short hours.

Or when Livi sticks her hand in a poopy diaper and spreads it around her room just as we are about to walk out of the house, I think "this too shall pass." I just have to clean and then it will all be over. It's not like I'll be scrubbing poop for the rest of my life, it only feels that way momentarily.

This phrase is also worth repeating when things are going well. When I have a kid on both sides of my lap and we're reading adorable children's books I think "this too shall pass" and it makes my heart long for my children and cherish the precious, fleeting moment we are sharing. When Olivia tells me "night, night princess mommy" or Austin says "Thanks Mom" after I compliment him, I think "this too shall pass."

2. When all else fails, lower your expectations. This is pretty self explanatory and highly effective. Who needs a freshly painted wall? I didn't like those dishes anyway. God made dirt so dirt don't hurt.

I've got a secret for you, I went to bed last night without doing the dinner dishes or putting away toys (I'm pretending like I normally would never go to bed without getting those mundane tasks accomplished). I didn't shower this morning and guess what, I feel great.

3. Remember the Savior. When I'm thinking about Jesus I end up feeling so much love for my children even while disciplining. It is possible and preferable to have your heart burning with love while you are reprimanding your little ones. Discipline doesn't need to be about loosing your temper or yelling, it is about teaching. One little trick I love is to whisper when I feel like loosing control. When I quietly tell my children to behave better, it helps me remember the Savior and what I'm really doing here.

At the end of the week, I can honestly say I love being a Mother. It is the most rewarding responsibility I've ever had. I love sharing this responsibility with Nathan. As we were both camped out in the hall one night (waiting for a mischief-maker to wonder out of bed) Nathan told me Liv wanted to sleep with her sunglasses on so he let her. I started laughing so hard knowing there was no way she'd ever fall asleep with such a fun toy. Nathan reminded me that I had put her down for a nap without a diaper on the other day (Liv's not potty trained in the slightest) and I had to laugh pretty hard about that wise parenting decision--which led to more laundry for myself. I feel blessed to be going through life with Nathan.