Saturday I was sitting on the couch nursing Jack and watching a movie while Regan was down for a nap and the older kids were playing outside with their friends and Dale was tending to the garage sale. I looked around at the toys on the floor and the breakfast dishes still on the table and I couldn't help but smile in the stillness. I get to watch movies, play games, sing songs, dance, create and live with these people. I am so lucky. I get to shape and mold four human beings! What an awesome responsibility!!
I will be the first to admit that I am not always a good parent. Sometimes I yell (well usually its a shriek with a whole lot of "what on earth possessed you to do fill in the blank with something like squirt out all of the toothpaste or sharpie all of the doors in the hallway.) Sometimes I expect too much out of them and then get frustrated at myself when I get back to reality and fill that expectation with a "duh Julie they are only 7, 5, 2, 3/4." One thing I have learned though, is that if I make a mistake, I should apologize. My children are very forgiving and I think it is important to treat them with the same respect that I expect. If I make a mistake and apologize I am teaching them to accept responsibility for their actions and I am also teaching them to put another persons feelings above their own.
This past week Ethan and I were talking about what to do this summer. I told him that I knew they didn't always get to go places or do things because we have littler ones in the house but that the older they got the more we could do. His response was so sweet "It's okay mom, I love them and I'm glad they're here even if we don't get to go places." He can always melt my heart. Ethan is at "Boys Week" at my aunts house with some of his cousins. He left yesterday and it lasts until Friday. It is his first time really away from home for more than 2 nights. I'm not sure if he will make it the whole week. He is always the first to get homesick. Here is to a good spring break and some better weather tomorrow. And just because I really like you here are some more pics from my Ten on Ten post. I took way more than 10 pictures. Go check out a bit of sunshine and see some of the other entries, they are truly amazing!
I will be the first to admit that I am not always a good parent. Sometimes I yell (well usually its a shriek with a whole lot of "what on earth possessed you to do fill in the blank with something like squirt out all of the toothpaste or sharpie all of the doors in the hallway.) Sometimes I expect too much out of them and then get frustrated at myself when I get back to reality and fill that expectation with a "duh Julie they are only 7, 5, 2, 3/4." One thing I have learned though, is that if I make a mistake, I should apologize. My children are very forgiving and I think it is important to treat them with the same respect that I expect. If I make a mistake and apologize I am teaching them to accept responsibility for their actions and I am also teaching them to put another persons feelings above their own.
This past week Ethan and I were talking about what to do this summer. I told him that I knew they didn't always get to go places or do things because we have littler ones in the house but that the older they got the more we could do. His response was so sweet "It's okay mom, I love them and I'm glad they're here even if we don't get to go places." He can always melt my heart. Ethan is at "Boys Week" at my aunts house with some of his cousins. He left yesterday and it lasts until Friday. It is his first time really away from home for more than 2 nights. I'm not sure if he will make it the whole week. He is always the first to get homesick. Here is to a good spring break and some better weather tomorrow. And just because I really like you here are some more pics from my Ten on Ten post. I took way more than 10 pictures. Go check out a bit of sunshine and see some of the other entries, they are truly amazing!
What cute kids! Agh...I love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're a great mom :)