Third Time's the Charm

A few years ago, I was sitting with my friend on the steps outside my Wymount apartment. We were chatting about having children. At the time, I had my two girls and my friend's third child was several months old. She commented that sometimes she wished she had been married sooner, so she could have a lot of children. I had recently gone through some tough times related to having babies and wasn't sure I could handle more than the two I had--so I couldn't share that thought process. And, as I talked with her, a thought came to me. People who have more than two kids must really love kids.

At the time Kallie was 3 and Whitney was 1 1/2. While they were still young, it seemed that there was still plenty of "me" time. I was able to sleep through the night and get up and exercise each morning. I also had time to accomplish various projects and get the apartment clean. Watching my friend, (who really is a great mom--I still look up to her!), it seemed that she was involved with kids from dawn until dusk. I remember her saying she wanted to get up early in the morning before the kids woke--and all I could think was, "Your baby just started sleeping through the night! Give yourself a break!" To be quite honest, I wasn't sure that I enjoyed children and/or parenting enough to enjoy a third child. For the record, I really love my kids--I just wasn't sure I loved children enough in general to make that difficult jump to three.

Now that I actually have three, my theory stands true in my own life. My days are filled from dawn to dusk with mothering. My children have become my most important project. Of course, they were important before--but most free time is now filled with children. Having a third child has been the easiest transition yet. I find myself wanting so many of the same things my friend expressed to me that afternoon. I would love to have a houseful of children and those early morning hours seem like the best time to wake and prepare for the day ahead. There isn't a lot of time for projects. Some have been put on hold indefinitely. And, my "me" time has significantly decreased. But, this doesn't bother me at all. To everything there is a season--and there is no better time than now to enjoy being a mother--to throw myself into it heart and soul and soak it up as much as possible.

Post-Script:
Just for the record, this doesn't mean I never have bad days. I've been reflecting on embracing motherhood the past couple of days and these have been my thoughts. And, one more thing, I understand that the number of children you are able to have doesn't mean you do or don't love mothering. This is just the learning process that I have experienced on the path of my own motherhood.

The eyes have it...

We've been sickies for the past week at our house. The cold symptoms have hit some of us harder than others...and Whitney is still bearing the brunt of it. She's so sick that you can still see it in her eyes. (Come to think of it, she's the only one on antibiotics. Strange.) Anyway--because of this, I've let the girls watch a movie in the morning the past few days to keep Whitney resting so she can get over this darn cold!

This morning, Whitney requested "Lost Nemo." I took advantage of the time to put the baby to bed and send out a few e-mails. I came downstairs when there was about 30 min. left in the movie. Kallie turned to me and said, "Mom, I was so happy that I got tears in my eyes."

"Why?"

"Because we are a family forever."

We are. And, that makes me so happy that it gives me tears in my eyes, too.

The Crock Pot Conundrum

I got a crock pot as a wedding gift. Yes, it was really given to us, but I think everyone understands why I say I got it.

It's one of the gifts I've used the most in the past 6 years. And, let me tell you, I love that thing to pieces. Literally. Both handles have fallen off and there's something rattling around inside...maybe a screw? Maybe a plastic handle-connecting piece? It still works great--but the whole rattling thing makes us uneasy.

I'm sure you can imagine my excitement last Christmas when I opened a shiny new crock pot! I no longer feel the need to wince when I plug it in for fear that somehow, that screw was going to lodge itself in a precarious spot and cause a catastrophe upon connection with an electical source. The new one is completely intact and rattle-free! I love my new crock pot. And, it has already slow-cooked many delicious meals for us. But, one problem still remains.

When I put something into the crock pot, it's usually early in the day and I'm not really very hungry. However, right around lunch time, delicious aromas begin to sneak out from under the glass lid covering the enormous stoneware pot. Those aromas then seek me out, wherever I happen to be, and wriggle their way up into my olfactories. And I think it's going to be a great dinner.

By the time lunch rolls around, I'm unconsciously in the mood for whatever is simmering away in the crock. So, I usually end up putting together a little of this and a little of that for lunch, because this and that would really hit the spot. And, I eat lunch. And it does hit the spot.

It's only after lunch that I realize what I ate involves the same ingredients that are bubbling away in the crock pot. I'm one who doesn't like to eat the same thing twice in a row. Even two days in a row is pushing it for me. And, suddenly, dinner doesn't sound so great anymore.