detour

i'm interrupting my new england trip to jot down a few things about daily life. will return again soon.

there are so many perks to being a mother. "infant/child parking" at the grocery store. staying home all day in my pajamas if i just feel like it. feeling needed by little humans. learning patience... lots of patience. getting loves from those little humans. getting to name a little human (seriously, what's cooler than that!?).

but then there are a few days (more than a few sometimes) when your days feel a lot like this...


{photo by bethany jackman, edited by me... those pics coming someday}
(i'm piper, and she's sophie hanging on me all day while i try to scream and hide)

and i feel a little bit crazy. or a lotta bit.

a few things i've learned from motherhood thus far:

• puke on your shirt is normal, but puke in your mouth is gross.
• you gotta have the long, bad days to appreciate the happy, peaceful ones.
• cornstarch is a modern miracle. it will soak up pee and make it look like it never happened.
• backyardigans are your friends.
• if all else fails, just strap them in their carseats.
• forget bringing a change of clothes for the baby, bring one for yourself.
• don't spend a lot of money on a diaper bag/purse until your kids are out of the "i need a snack" every 6 seconds stage. it will inevitably be covered in crumbs and a mysterious sticky substance no matter what precautions you take.
• write down what they say and do, you'll forget it next week.
• if all else fails, lock yourself in the bathroom.
• child labor, 'nuff said.
• stick to your guns and don't start cutting off their crusts, it's just a domino effect. (i'm so hard core, right!?)
• praise every little thing they do.
• super nanny time-outs. do it.
• hugs and kisses night and day.
• thank goodness for dads at 5:00.
• hang their art on the fridge.
• double bag it.
• pray for them, pray with them, even if they don't want to.
• play on the floor.
• take them on dates.
• if all else fails, stick them in the bathtub. that ought to kill 20 minutes.

obviously i could go on... and on. i always need a good reminder on surviving motherhood. and i'm so glad i'm not the only one going through it. we are finishing up the teething nightmare that accompanies the one-year-old stages, and the emotional roller-coaster of the extremely dramatic three-year-old in our house. and after all is said and done, i laugh with them (and at them) every day. i love watching them interact with each other. i love the funny things they say and do. i love that i get to teach them who they are, and why they matter. i love that i get to sing with them and hear them pray. i'm still so happy to be their mom.

i don't know if you've seen this, but i watch it pretty much every week.