Time

Have you noticed that kids take up a lot of time? For instance, mealtimes. Preparing food for kids, making sure they eat an adequate amount, cleaning up the food that didn't make it into their little tummies, eating food yourself, and then the dishes....well, it's all quite time consuming. I don't really need to mention all the other things, like getting them all bathed, dressed, teeth brushed, and out the door....then it's another thing just getting them all buckled in the car....then we've got activities, sports, lessons, playtime....and have you ever noticed how long it can take to clean up after a good long day of playing? 

Blanket forts, Legos, blocks, play-doh, Barbies, cars and trucks, doll houses, dress-up, coloring, scissors and paper snowflakes, dinosaurs, tea parties...

Time. It all becomes about time. 

And maybe sometimes, we start wondering about our own time, you know, like when do we, as parents, get time for ourselves? Often we get very little, or we have to lock ourselves in the bathroom to get a bit of time to ourselves on one of "those days"....if you know what I mean! 

But the thing is, it's always been about time and it always will be about time. But instead of us focusing  on the amount of time we do or most often don't get for ourselves, we need to remember that:

Kids take up a lot of our time, because they truly NEED our time. They really, really do. 

So, as much as us parents DO need time for ourselves, because it's so vital in helping us be great parents, let us try to remember to not be bitter about how much we actually get....just take what we can with a full and grateful heart, and carry on. 

And on days when the older kids are in school, and the busy baby goes down for a nap, and all you have left is your toddler, who doesn't nap anymore, but very well could take one, and that would leave you with a possible BLISSFUL two hours of free time to do what you've been dying to do for weeks...well....on days like that, when there is fresh snow on the ground, and that little toddler is running around the house in a pajama shirt, underwear, and snowboots ready to head out the door and make a "sandcastle", you just get that moment of clarity....

My free time Is WITH HER. And all those other times, my free time was with my children, making lunch together, examining the floor for the missing Lego piece, brushing hair and fixing lopsided ponytails, playing monopoly with a one year old climbing on my lap, fussing and crying trying to get the cards and money, folding the twelve blankets from the "cave" or the "secret hideout"....

It's all time well spent. So don't be made when there isn't much time left....I'm going to try not to be mad either.

My three year old convinced me to build a sandcastle out of snow. That's better than anything I could've come up with had I made her take a nap. I hope that she remembers our sandcastle we built together, I hope she remembers all the times I got it right vs. those times when I forgot how much time my kids need, when I got impatient, or felt bitter, annoyed, or acted like a big fat grump! 

Time. How will you spend yours?

Yup....ah, that's where my heart is.....right there with that little person.....with all of my littles!

Who said kids need toys? All you need is a pantry....

Sometimes, kids are perfectly happy with the simplest of things.....well, not sometimes, usually always. 

This is what I found Brennen and Kya doing this morning...

Any items will do....the non-glass, durable kind...

Stack them up, very carefully....

But remember that the heavy items, like peanut butter, should not go on the very top, unless you get pure joy, satisfaction, and amazement with things crashing to the floor!

Then do it all over again....

And again....

And again!!!

Pure happiness, right?

Growing up

What happened??? I was looking at these pictures today and just thinking, "My babies are all grown up!!" It's bittersweet. I want them little and I want them big, I love that they depend so much on me and yet I LOVE it when they discover their own sense of independence. I love the baby jabber and yet I love it when they use words like "otherwise", "ridiculous", "lame" and "sperm whale". 

There is so much to love, hate, fear and be totally stoked for when it comes to babies. Same with when they get older. I LOVE cuddling a swaddled newborn. Love kissing chubby cheeks, baby wearing, the loud gas bubbles or burps that escape right during the most spiritual part of a lesson at church, miniature shoes, the smell of baby lotion, the smiles during sleep and the coos when awake. Babies are awesome! Having babies is awesome! I get so stoked when I go into labor! It is just so stinking exciting and I love it! 

...okay, so maybe I didn't love it so much when I was in labor with Kya, who was posterior....it was actually quite awful and I honestly didn't think I could get her out of me....and I am filled with nightmarish scenarios when I think about what it would've been like WITHOUT an epidural!

Back to babies being awesome....they rock! Seriously.

Engorgement. You don't rock. Sorry. And tar poop, same with you. Also, lack of sleep, RSV, circumsicions, and colic.....none of you are cool. At all. 

And then your babies get older. They feed themselves. Yes! And go pee and poo by themselves. Double yes! And they can make it to the toilet BEFORE the puke goes spewing out of their little cute mouths. 

Parenthood is amazing. It's amazing, and awful at times, chaotic, scary, and everything you expected and yet totally not what you signed up for! I love the conversations I have been able to have that only involve gurgling and wierd facial expressions with my newborns, the ones with my toddlers about everything imaginary where nothing makes sense AT ALL, the ones with kids in school where they tell you that you are always wrong, conversations about religion and being good examples at school, bullying, science, worms, reading, and everything else from A to Z. 

*sigh* 

Kids grow up. My kids are growing up. I love it and I hate it. We still have the teenage years to fear....uh....look forward to, haha, and then we have to let them make their own really important decisions that we would REALLY, REALLY like to make for them but can't. 

It's gonna be great.

And right now, I am just trying to take it all in, the good and bad, the awesome moments when I have just totally absolutely and completely loved being a mom and the times when I just wanted to get in the car and drive away and not come back for a few hours. Whatever day I might have tomorrow and regardless of what my kids do and say, I will forever LOVE my kids, my husband, and feel so grateful for the life I have been given.

....and if all else fails, well, just tickle your nose with a pencil. This tactic has been in the Meredith family for generations. It might not solve all your problems, but you'll feel better afterwards, as long as you don't sneeze while the pencil is still in your nostril. 

*if the pictures posted are still appearing cut off, well, it's super annoying, but if you want to see the whole picture just click on it. Someday I'll figure out a way to remedy the problem...