I'm Rambling Again...Mostly about Motherhood

Isaac at a Halloween preschool party a couple of months ago.

• I am often torn between what I like to call fun mommy vs. functional mommy (ok, so I just made that title up, but I think it fits). We have all read the warm and fuzzy quotes about leaving the dishes piled high and letting the laundry go because our kids won't be kids forever and we should spend time with them instead. While it is true, that our kids won't be kids forever, if I didn't do laundry or dishes, we would all be naked and eating off the kitchen floor. So enough feeling guilty about doing housework while my kids watch Super Why. And I will do my best to keep an organized home so that I'm not wasting time searching for the only pair of clean pink socks in the house and instead have time to "weed a book" with Davis, or "play cars" with Isaac, or "pretend carnival" with my little Maddie.

• As a school teacher to young children, this time of year always brought many questions about Santa Claus. "Is he real, teacher, because Juan says he isn't?!" to which I would always reply, "What do you think?" Miraculously, that answer was always enough for them and they never pushed me further, usually choosing to believe, that yes, Santa was in fact real, and Juan was a big fat liar and meanie for suggesting otherwise. Just today Isaac asked me, "Was that the REAL Santa that we saw at Bright Lights last night, or was he one of Santa's helpers?" My old standby answer that I had used with my students came flowing out of my mouth, and once again, that was enough. Isaac convinced himself that he had seen the real Santa the night before. I don't have a problem with Santa Claus-- I love the traditions that come with him. But ever since I listened as an undergraduate to one of my professors lecture about the many similarities between Santa and Satan (the letters in their name, the color red, how they both make people greedy...), I haven't been able to be totally at peace with the jolly man in the big red suit. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a Santa-hater and I think my Weber State professor was borderline nutso about many of his opinions, but I do feel uneasy about lying to my kids. Not to mention that I don't want Santa to get all the credit for my hard work! I was the one buying gifts in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, so those Lightning McQueen cars are going to be from ME. Santa can fill the stockings hung on the fireplace and and bring magic to Christmas, but just remember that mom and dad are the ones who bought you that bicycle, buddy...and your grandparents, of course (I am happy to give credit where credit is due).

• I mentioned in previous post that I have been teaching an institute class this past semester at Yale. It just might be my dream calling. It pushes me just enough that I get nervous right before I teach a lesson, but it is also something that I really look forward to each week. I am amazed at the caliber of women with whom I get to associate in this class. Top notch, every one of them. I am certain I learn more from them than they do from me. Plus, since the class title is "Teachings of the Living Prophets," I can basically teach anything that a latter-day prophet has said. While I usually stick to recent Conference talks, from time to time I delve into lectures that were given years ago. Just the other day we discussed this talk entitled The Currant Bush along with a more recent talk by President Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey. It seems I always end up choosing a topic that is pertinent to my life and these ones were no exception. 

• I am seriously (seriously) considering buying high chairs/booster seats (anything with a seat belt to strap 'em in) for my three and four year old. Their inability to sit in their chair for the duration of mealtime is starting to drive me bonkers. If any of you have tips for remedying this situation, please (pu-lease!) share.

• I am really trying to find a balance between disciplining my children too much or too little. Do you all struggle with this? I feel like at times I am especially hard on Isaac--mostly because I am convinced that the oldest child has an immense amount of  influence over not only their siblings but the entire climate of a home. So I go back and forth between being too hard on him and too easy--you could say I lack consistency. Someday I will figure it out. That being said, I am SO grateful that Isaac is my firstborn. 

Maddie and Isaac making salt dough ornaments the other day. It wasn't as big of a hit as I had hoped. They became disinterested rather quickly.

• If you are a mother to young children, I am sure you often hear something similar to the following statement: "Before you know it your children will be grown...childhood goes by so quickly...cherish it!" I try really hard to cherish it, I really do. Sometimes I am really good at cherishing it. And sometimes I am not. The days are at times long but  the years never cease to fly by. I have been asking several friends lately how they find joy in their life NOW. It seems that a common theme among their answers is 1) finding ways to be grateful each day and 2) realizing that our joys during this stage of life come in moments. I also often remind myself (with the help of great advice from loved ones) that I only need to worry about being the best me and the best mom to my children that I can, not be the best at everything and to everyone. 

• I recently read this post and part of it really spoke to me because it is exactly how I feel about my little Isaac. In most ways I see Isaac as a typical four-year-old boy, with many similarities to his friends and cousins. There are a few ways in which he struggles to keep up as well. And in the same regard, there are a few ways in which he really shines. I love watching these characteristics come out in him and I have begun to discover special characteristics in Maddie as well. All children have these special shining characteristics, and I think that, as parents, one of our responsibilities is to help our children develop them. I look forward to discovering the talents of each of my kids. I pray that I will be able to focus a little more on the best, most special parts about my little ones and a little less on all the areas where I seem to think they need improvement.