I just love how I am given sweet moments in my every day life as mom. I struggled with the title to this post, because I just didn't know how to sum that up. I think our lives are all that way most of the time, but I know when I get very busy, it is easy to overlook the sweet little tidbits that would somehow balance how the harder parts of a hectic or bad day. I think my boys are both in some pretty tough stages right now, yet I could not love them more. (Sure, sometimes I want to love them from afar while someone else cleans, disciplines, and listens to them scream, but love them, I do.) LO did not seem to hit toddlerhood until NB was weeks from making his debut. Then he kicked it up a notch when NB was 4 weeks old and never looked back. It is hard sometimes to remember that his negativity and fits lately are really displays of just how much he loves me and how hard it is for him to share me. Truly, he could love me just a little less fervently most days, and I could roll with that. With LOs toddler-ness shaping our days and threatening my sanity (seriously, DH told me this morning that I have "acute stress disorder"...that's a real thing, and I am lobbying for poster-child), I try to take note of the sweetness he throws in to my time with him. Don't get me wrong, that sweetness is thrown in intentionally. Yep, he's working it like a pro. That is not lost on me. Sometimes, though, he's accidentally sweet or funny, and that just melts my heart. Here are a few examples that I want to remember:
LO and I were running an errand just the two of us. You know you have more than one kid when running errands with one of them suddenly becomes a treat for you both. From the back seat of the car I hear: "It's nice to meet you mama!" After two and a half years, it was still nice to hear.
On another day, we had spent a lot of time trying to counsel LO about his hurtful behavior towards DH and me. After a minute or two of trying to explain to LO what he had done that required an apology, I added, "you hurt mommy's feelings when you...." To that my still confused boy added "and I need to kiss them!" How does one keep a straight face during such moments?
After a similar infraction with DH the next morning we tried again...
"You need to say to Daddy, 'Will you forgive me Daddy?'"
"I forgive you Daddy."
"No Buddy, say 'Forgive me Daddy,'
"Forgive me?" LO finally asked with a finger up his nose.
"Yes, I forgive you."
(then, as a peace offering) "Here, have booger Daddy!"
Ahhh, toddlers really are fun, you just have to remember to notice.
I connected with this post. I especially laughed in agreement when you talked about how it feels to go to the store with just one of the children :) I took Sam to the store last night and we had the best time. It was the first time in a long time that he had my undivided attention. It was such a sweet trip to the store :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.