Thursday, April 19, 2012

making memories

I find my days busy.  Getting dinner ready.  Doing laundry.  Picking up.  Getting Sean ready for school.  Getting Nolan & Paxton ready.  Taking Sean to school.  Running errands.  Picking up some more.  Meetings.  Photo shoots.  Editing pictures.  Placing orders.  More picking up.  More laundry.  Not to mention trying to have a quiet time to fill my spirit back up again, getting myself ready, and attempting to squeeze in exercise.  I get overwhelmed sometimes.  Feel like I can't do it all.  I find myself saying to my boys "in a minute" when they ask me if I will play with them.  Or saying "hold on a second" when they want to tell me something.  But, then, doesn't that defeat the purpose of me staying home with them?  Am I a stay at home mom so my house can be spotless and my husband can come home to a gourmet dinner every night?  Of course that would be nice, but that is not the reason.  The purpose to is to be here, to be IN my childrens' lives as much as I possibly can.  To play choo-choos & color.  To transform Transformers watch Sean transform Transformers & sit on the couch & cuddle with Pax.  To be an ear to listen, a heart  open to all that they have to say, and a mind that is 100% focused on them- not the house.  I want my kids to grow up and remember fun things that I did with them, the love & wisdom & Truth that I invested into their lives, not how clean my house is.  So the other day when it was pouring rain & the perfect day to get "caught up" on housework, I totally ditched that idea, grabbed some play clothes for the big boys, and had them change.  They had no idea why, until I opened the front door & showed them.  Our little patio (we live in a townhouse) floods every time it rains.  It's not level & all the water pools in one corner, up to a few inches sometimes.  I grabbed my camera, pointed to the water, & said "go! make me the biggest splashes that you can!" And they did.  They jumped & ran & splashed & played with HUGE smiles on their faces.  Their laughter filled my heart with joy & I let them play out there as long as they could stand before their little noses turned red & I was afraid they'd get sick.  They laughed about it for hours afterwards. 

So instead of getting my laundry done, in essence I actually made more for myself.  But I would do it again & again for the precious memories that we made that day.  Because in the end, that is what matters!

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and my favorite photo of the day:
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