So this is, what I believe, the “whirlwind month” of the year… at least until the winter-time holidays happen. 2 weeks ago was Easter, followed by a week of my brother-in-law staying with us, followed by a 2 day reprieve, followed by a week with my brother-in-law, his wife and son, all staying with us, followed by a mini vacation with the whole in-law family… followed by extreme exhaustion! But there’s no rest for the wicked- my side of the family is coming into town this week, for my brother’s wedding this weekend. Throw in a computer crash, an internet shut down, and kids with fevers and runny noses… let’s just say that today is the first real quiet day we’ve had in a long time and the kids are spending most of it in my lap or quietly playing nearby, and I’m totally ok with it.
While the busyness and the overnight guests have left me a little frayed, we have certainly had a good time. We have had late night dance parties, Uno games, and lots of Thomas the Train movie marathons. And yes, a few glasses of wine! My nephew (our only!) is the same age as Biggest E and they are best friends. It is so fun to watch them playing together. Not quite so fun to watch them turning it into a “boy’s club” that Miss E is not allowed in, because of her unfortunate gender. But 4-year-old boys will be 4-year-old boys. And I am happy to announce that today the biggest brother is happily playing with his sister, with no mention of her being “just a girl.” This last week, with my sister-in-law, I feel like I got a taste of what it would have been like to have grown up with a sister (I grew up with 3 brothers and no sisters)… we have had lots of long conversations, dish washing, dancing, and maybe some hair pulling and fighting. Mostly in fun. (*If you knew her you would totally be giggling along with me thinking of all the fun we’ve had. She’s tricky, that girl!)
We’ve had so many late nights, with early mornings that by last night, hubbyman and I were thoroughly exhausted. And the kids were too. Even the puppy was tired after his overnight/playdate while we were out-of-town. After doing a few odd jobs around the house, we all crashed on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and some Donkey Kong on the Wii (our kids actually enjoy watching us play- they like the monkeys). All-in-all, it was a WONDERFUL Mother’s Day. A hotel overnight (that had a huge playland for kids, lots of pools, and lots of fun), a Mother’s Day Brunch, a car ride home with the 2 youngest sleeping while the oldest serenaded us (for an hour), a yummy dinner (made entirely of reheated leftovers), an uninterrupted bath, and a banner filled with kids’ colorings and handprints that is better than any store-bought card! And as a Mother’s Day gift I’ll be adding littlest E’s birthstone to my mother’s necklace! I’m calling it a success! And my brother-in-law was kind enough to leave me his laptop so that I could attempt and actually do some blogging this week, and the internet is working again so hopefully the stars are lined up!
In honor of Mother’s Day, my children who made me a mother, my wonderful mother and mother-in-law… I am making a list of some of the best things about being a mom… or at least some of my favorite things.
- You now have a legitimate excuse to nap!
- A life-size doll you can dress any way you’d like… at least until they are old enough to take them off and redress themselves. This may be why my oldest has an affinity for ties and my daughter is already picky about her shoes.
- You can make macaroni (or noodles with any form of cheese sauce) 5 days a week, without complaint.
- The same goes for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
- Sprinkles are acceptable on any form of food/any meal of the day.
- You can become a hero simply by adding a swirl of chocolate to milk.
- You can watch Disney movies anytime you want.
- The sillier you look/act- the better!
- Laughter. lots of laughter.
- Your receive your salary in kisses, hugs, and being told that you are the best person ever.
Motherhood is a tough job. Even Oprah believes it to be the toughest job in the world– and who am I to argue with her?! It often leaves me feeling tired, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. But for me, I know that no matter where life leads me down this crazy road, I am never going to be more fulfilled than when I look at my children; I will never have more pride than when I see them succeed; and never more happy than when I spend time immersed in the blessings that this little family of mine has created. I will never be able to express eloquently enough, my thankfulness to God for this unique, wonderful, crazy, exhausting, coffee-fueled life.
laborofwonder 
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