The longer I've been at home with the kids, the more I have to stop myself and remind myself how lucky I am for this opportunity. When I first started staying at home I was so thankful and so happy to be at home with Carter after all those months away from him while I was at work. Now that I've been at home for almost 3 years, I find myself taking it for granted more and more. I forget how lucky I am to be at home and I forget to appreciate it as much as I should. I know there are lots of moms out there, just like me that first year and a half of Carter's life, who would love nothing more than staying home with their children but just can't afford it or make it happen. I owe it to those women, to my past self, and to my children to appreciate what a gift this is every single day. So I've started taking a moment each day to stop in the midst of everything. To not clean, to not talk, to not check my phone, to just sit or stand for a moment and reflect on how lucky I am and how wonderful it is to stay home and spend my days with my sweet and wonderful children. Some days there are small moments that hit me and cause me to stop and appreciate my life. Little moments where I feel the biggest sense of gratitude and love for my life, for my children, and for Ty for giving us this opportunity. Sometimes they are seemingly insignificant and wouldn't mean much to anyone else. They are moments like Elise laying her hand on my arm as she sits in my lap while we read a book. They are moments like sliding out of Carter's bed after he's fallen asleep at naptime and seeing his precious cheek resting against his pillow. But there are also bigger moments anyone could appreciate and I'd like to share some of those recent moments with you.
I was finishing my breakfast after the kids were done eating and they took off to play. Carter and Elise did a wonderful job working together with blocks and made an awesome tower. Carter was so sweet showing Elise where to set the next block, encouraging her, and praising her as she worked. Elise did a wonderful job listening to Carter and was so careful as she worked. When they were done building, Carter turned to Elise and said, "I knew you could do it, Elise! We made such a nice tower because we worked together!" Then he let her knock the tower over which is the best part of building a tower! It was one of those magical moments that I just watched and didn't say a word because I didn't want to ruin the moment!
Carter and Elise with the tower they built together.
I have a little wooden box shaped like a mouse that my grandpa made me when I was a kid. Carter went through a phase when he was younger where he liked to play with it and walk around with it. I explained to him that it was really special to me because my grandpa made it for me and I wanted him to be careful with it. I told him about how when I was a kid my grandpa would sneak in my room when he was visiting and put money in my mouse box. When he left I'd go check to see what he left for me. It was so exciting! One morning months after telling Carter that story, he told me I needed to check out a surprise he left me when I was in the shower. I went over and opened the box to find a bill from Carter's piggy bank in my box. He told me, "I remembered you said it was special to you because your grandpa would sneak in and put cash in it and I wanted to surprise you." Melt my heart.
Elise has become more interested in reading. She likes to hold the book and turn the pages all by herself. At first she was just making sounds and saying random words as she read. Recently she has started looking at the pictures and saying words for the things she sees in the pictures. One day I read her a book about going to sleep. When I was done she started the book over, singing the words as she turned the page. She knew the book was about sleeping so she kept singing about napping on each page. Then she got to a page where the mother bird had her wings around the babies and she sang about rocking. It was the sweetest thing to listen to. I love her growing interest in books!
Very sweet.
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