Halloween, Birthdays, and Becoming a Mom! Oh My!
Hey everyone, Leslie here from HI. I hope you all enjoyed Halloween! We sure did. It was my first Halloween that I was actually sweating because it was so hot. The kids had a lot of fun and they got SO much candy.
Here's what i do with all the candy (while the kids are unknowingly sleeping):
I leave them some of course, but I also put some in a gallon sized ziplock bag and save it for other holidays. I use it to make treats for Thanksgiving. I fill stockings with it at Christmas. And if there's enough I even hide it for Easter. Candy lasts a long time- so why buy more when you can just save what you already have. And it all goes back to the kids... eventually!
Well, as if Halloween isn't a big enough event, we also have two kiddos birthdays during the week leading up to it. It's a really busy time for us but I love birthdays and I love Halloween so it's also really fun. Amidst the chaos I was able to find some time for reflecting on my kids births and when I became a mother.
I have always wanted to be a mother. I remember being in college. Thinking of all the possibilities that my life held at that time. It was exciting. It was as if I could choose any path and everything seemed attainable. I was a dreamer. There were so many fulfilling careers I could choose, interesting places I could travel to, and an exponential number of things I could learn. But above all I dreamed that I would one day be a mom.
At that time in my life I knew little of what being a mom was really about.
When I was pregnant with my first child I used to tell my husband that I was sad because I knew that the years would fly by and in what would seem like no time at all my daughter would be packing up and leaving for college. And it was just too soon. He would take my hand and say with a laugh, "don't worry, she's not even born yet!" Over the years I would hear, "don't worry she's not even one yet," "not even two yet" and so on and so forth. "Don't worry."
But it's hard.
When my daughter was born they handed her to me and I looked at my husband. He was so still and looking so intently as if he had never seen anything like her in the world. And he hadn't.
Everything had changed in one moment. And yet I really was more me than I'd ever been. I was a mother.
I have learned more of what being a mom is really about. I have learned about many things. About how to do most things with only one hand, how to listen to one person while talking to another, and how to change a messy diaper when you've forgotten the wipes. But more importantly I have learned about patience, about sacrifice, and about love. I have learned about the beauty of life.
We have since had two silly and kind boys join our family. While the worries linger on a more understanding mindset has taken precedence. As time continues to pass by quickly I strive to enjoy each moment, each holiday, because it's my hope that these memories will keep me company when my children have flown the nest. While they are learning about life and becoming excited about the possibilities they have before them, just as I was back in college, I will still have these precious memories of these days being surrounded by the sincere and pure love of my children.
My soul is healed by being with them. They give my life more meaning then I could ever imagine. And that is something I can always hold on to.
Here's what i do with all the candy (while the kids are unknowingly sleeping):
I leave them some of course, but I also put some in a gallon sized ziplock bag and save it for other holidays. I use it to make treats for Thanksgiving. I fill stockings with it at Christmas. And if there's enough I even hide it for Easter. Candy lasts a long time- so why buy more when you can just save what you already have. And it all goes back to the kids... eventually!
Well, as if Halloween isn't a big enough event, we also have two kiddos birthdays during the week leading up to it. It's a really busy time for us but I love birthdays and I love Halloween so it's also really fun. Amidst the chaos I was able to find some time for reflecting on my kids births and when I became a mother.
I have always wanted to be a mother. I remember being in college. Thinking of all the possibilities that my life held at that time. It was exciting. It was as if I could choose any path and everything seemed attainable. I was a dreamer. There were so many fulfilling careers I could choose, interesting places I could travel to, and an exponential number of things I could learn. But above all I dreamed that I would one day be a mom.
At that time in my life I knew little of what being a mom was really about.
"Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had and dealing with fears you never knew existed." -Linda Wooten
When I was pregnant with my first child I used to tell my husband that I was sad because I knew that the years would fly by and in what would seem like no time at all my daughter would be packing up and leaving for college. And it was just too soon. He would take my hand and say with a laugh, "don't worry, she's not even born yet!" Over the years I would hear, "don't worry she's not even one yet," "not even two yet" and so on and so forth. "Don't worry."
But it's hard.
When my daughter was born they handed her to me and I looked at my husband. He was so still and looking so intently as if he had never seen anything like her in the world. And he hadn't.
"Everything has changed, and yet I am more me than I've ever been." -Ian Thomas
Everything had changed in one moment. And yet I really was more me than I'd ever been. I was a mother.
I have learned more of what being a mom is really about. I have learned about many things. About how to do most things with only one hand, how to listen to one person while talking to another, and how to change a messy diaper when you've forgotten the wipes. But more importantly I have learned about patience, about sacrifice, and about love. I have learned about the beauty of life.
"The soul is healed by being with children." -Fyodor Dostoevsky
We have since had two silly and kind boys join our family. While the worries linger on a more understanding mindset has taken precedence. As time continues to pass by quickly I strive to enjoy each moment, each holiday, because it's my hope that these memories will keep me company when my children have flown the nest. While they are learning about life and becoming excited about the possibilities they have before them, just as I was back in college, I will still have these precious memories of these days being surrounded by the sincere and pure love of my children.
My soul is healed by being with them. They give my life more meaning then I could ever imagine. And that is something I can always hold on to.
Some days it just seems easier for time to fly because let's face it some days are hard. While working on photo books my heart aches for my kids to be "little" again and to hear their sweet little voices that have a hard time pronouncing words again. I love your thoughts on motherhood and you are one good momma.
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