"Look, Mama!"
Well, that's it, I am officially in the "Look, Mama" stage. All day, Molly follows me around or shouts to me from the backseat, "look, Mama." I look and she proceeds to do something ingenious, like..........
trying to snap her fingers
imitating someone on TV
drawing a circle
standing on one foot
balancing something on her head or hand or knee or toe
placing her head on the ground as if she might do a somersault
actually attempting a somersault
doing a funny face
turning around in a circle
And the list goes on..........I find myself all day saying, "good job, Molly.........nice............way to go"....and any other encouraging phrases I can think of at the moment.
Am I encouraging mediocrity? I forgot how funny this age is.....and how much I love it! I wonder if Max will go through the "look, Mama" stage or if it's a girl thing? Either way, you've got to love how kids marvel in the smallest accomplishments, and how much they thrive on their parents' approval. And, it's so darn easy to approve of them at this young age. All that they do really is great, and new and fun.
Which leads me to wonder.......why does that change? Why, as our children get older and we get older do we tire of the little accomplishments and only get excited about the big ones?
Today I am marveling at the little ones more. I pat myself on the back for making my bed, combing my own hair, and feeding the fish all by myself. I am not going to allow myself to look around and see how every other parent seems to be doing it better. I read a funny article today in Wondertime, which I tried to find a link to, but am not technologically there (but don't worry, I patted myself on the back because I know how to check my email), about a mom who is very much like me, and it made me laugh. She is a mom who forgets to put the money under the pillow from the tooth fairy sometimes, lets her kids watch too much tv, doesn't eat organic or grind her own flax, and best of all, stands up for the fact that even with all of that, she adores her children and will not be bullied into the mom-style of conquering a daunting to do list every day that leaves you without energy for the real stuff in life. I laughed because I relate, yet I find myself trying to live both sides. It has given me food for thought.
So there is my essay for the day..........didn't I warn you that I sometimes ramble and sit upon a soap box or high horse or something or other?
I think I may need to talk to adults more.
6 comments:
You can talk to me...I mean after all...I grind my own flax, and add EXTRAS! You know what I'm talking about sista. And, I think you're a superfab mom!
very thought provoking. I was multitasking while reading this. I was making my own baby wipes, reading a book, wiping a nose, disenfecting all the toys and showering the kids with love and attention all at the same time! Seriously, its importamt to remember that we dont have to be everything all the time..Your a great mom. non flax grinding and all!!
We're in the "Look Mama" stage too, and I gotta say, if you're still looking/encouraging after you've heard it a trillion times that day, that alone means you're a great mom!
Your kids are the cutest!! at least your kids talk, mine speaks chinese/polish!
I love this... I think I need to take a little more time and be grateful for my own little accomplishments. And.. I love the Look mama thing too.
Years ago I used to be embarrased when visitors dropped by unannounced and found my house to be just less than a catastrophe. I put a lot of emphasis on keeping the living room tidy (which was the first room you saw), then the kitchen which is just around the corner and then the main bathroom. I figured that if those three rooms were reasonably picked up I would pass the guest test. I often got so stressed out about what "other people" would think of the way we lived that I finally adopted the phrase..."excuse the mess but we LIVE here." It sure helped me feel better about myself and worry less about what others thought. Looking back on things...I might have paid MORE attention to the "Look Mama's..." and less about the three rooms. Treasure these times, they pass so quickly!
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