Motherhood...Who Knew?!

Motherhood.  Nearly eight years ago I entered into the club of mothers.  For as long as I can remember I have loved children.  When I was young, I impatiently waited for the time to come when I could babysit and when it finally arrived nearly every weekend was filled with a job.  If there was a baby or toddler running around at a gathering, I was always waiting in the wings to be asked to hold or play with them.  My passion for children lead me to a career in education and after graduation I found myself teaching young children with special needs.  It was a challenging job, but I enjoyed it and swelled with pride when those sweet kiddos met a new milestone.

Naively, I assumed motherhood wouldn't be too much of a challenge and life would carry on as normal, just with a baby in tow.  After all, I had plenty of experience since I had spent much of my life with children.  Boy was I wrong.  Little did I know how much sleep deprivation and fluctuating hormones would affect not only my ability to parent, but to maintain an identity outside of Mom.

When I made the choice to stay home with my children, I had no idea how hard it would be.  Many might scoff at that statement, but spending your days at home with the sweet bundles of joy who can't converse and need you nearly every minute of the day (oh, and night) is no walk in the park.  It is easy to become isolated and quickly lose track of who you are as an individual.

I've been at home nearly eight years now and while I wouldn't trade that time for the world, I have thrown my hands up in the air many times and been ready to quit.  But I haven't.  I have trudged through days that have run into weeks on end of challenging behaviors, temper tantrums, and frustration.  I have slept walked through years of life knowing one day it would end and all of the struggles and exhaustion would be worth it.  These years, when our children are young and ornery, will swiftly pass by.  It may not feel like it when we're in the thick of it, but as the old saying goes, "The days are long, but the years are short."

In "The Year to Get It Done" I want to do my best to embrace this season of life.  Some days it may be hard, but these years are going by all too quickly.  I hope to be able to set aside time to do special things with our kids and to create traditions, like family movie and game night, that bring us together as a family and allow us to relax and have some fun.  I want to pack a picnic and hit the park when the weather is nice and go on out of town adventures.  I want to encourage our kids to explore their interests and support their hobbies within reason.  I want to sit around the table each night and talk about our day.  I want to find opportunities to serve as a family and make a difference in our small corner of the world.    

Most of all, I hope when our children are grown, they look back on their childhood and smile.  I hope they realize the importance of family and appreciate all of the adventures we went on and opportunities they had.  I hope they realize how important they are to us and how we loved watching them grow into the unique individuals that they are.  I hope our children are grateful for their blessings and willing to serve those who are in need.  

Our greatest gift to our children is our time.  I think I need to tattoo this on my hands, for there are times when I don't always make the best choices with the precious hours I'm given each day.  Some days I yearn for time to myself, if only for a few moments.  I must remember, though, when my kids ask me to watch them, to sit with them, or look at their creation for the umteenth time that day, I need to do just that.

If I don't, they will quit asking.  What a sad day that would be.  Sometimes getting it done means doing nothing at all.  It means being present in the lives of those we love the most and simply taking the time to enjoy the little things.