Seems like I took a break to potty train little, and never found my way back from that break.
Ayden is indeed potty trained. Yep. I did it. Made it through potty training two boys. Eli was difficult. Ayden was a breeze. Aside from him being terrified to poop in the toilet, we had no bumps. Easy breezy. Just like him.
He is also 2 now. And he knows it. He is stubborn like his mama, and does NOTHING unless its HIS idea. He pushes all my buttons simultaneously, but then says something that makes me forget how obnoxious he can be. A skill I'm positive he learned from his
So, I read "Mom and Lovin It" per recommendation of one of my very closest friends. She is a terrific mama, wife, person, women, you name it (good) and thats her. Being that she is all these wonderful things, I thought it couldn't hurt to read it. I was bored at first. But as I continued to read, I began to realize what a pathetic mother I was being to my boys. Yes, we were making it through the day without killing each other, but being a mother should be so much more than just keeping the peace (and the clean!). Im a neat freak. Everything has a place. That place is not on the counter. Or the floor. Or on the side of the bathtub. Or or or..... Reading this book, I realized that I was staying home with my boys so that I could be a mom. Not so that I could keep my house spotless and ignore these two little things that will only be LITTLE for a short time. So, I put the cleaning obsession on hold to focus on being ONLY a mom. During the day when the boys are awake. I am their mom, and ONLY their mom. I have been wearing so many hats for so long that the most important one was the one that was getting dusty.
J had a hard time adjusting at first. His thinking, your home all day, why can't you take care of the laundry. Well, I can. But I can't do that when Eli wants to practice his ABC's, or do a craft or play outside. Or when Ayden wants to be held, or needs to go potty or wants me to read to him. We decided that the chores could be done relatively effectively while the boys were eating their breakfast or lunch, or while they were napping, or even in the tub at night. But that would still allow me 100% of my time to devote to being a mom.
Thus far, we are LOVING it. I have two completely different children. Completely. Different. Last weekend, we went to the store to buy some candy for trick or treaters. We bought a TON, we live on base, I figured we'd need it ( i was right, we did need it!). While standing in line to check out, Eli spotted a ring pop that he HAD to have. He picked it up and said, "mama, i have dis peese?" I said " Not today buddy, we have all of this halloween candy, we don't need anymore." Eli responded "okay mama, (he put the candy back, walked back over to the cart and held onto it as he had been) Thank you for all of the trick or treat candy" Now, those of you that have 3 year olds know what a rare occurance this is. I was moved, almost to tears, by the progress of this young man. The women behind me took notice. She said, How did you get so lucky? You have two beautiful children and they are so well behaved! You must be doing something right!
Yes, yes I am doing something right. I am following God and being blessed because of it. I am spending my time with my children. The way I should be. I am raising my boys to love God. To respect adults. To respect themselves. To be polite. I am raising Godly children. The things that God has blessed me with have never surprised me. Never. He is full of surprise blessings for us. That particular blessing came in the form or a 3 year old just being respectful. Being a mother is not easy. Its confusing. It makes me second guess myself. If makes me self conscious. It makes me paranoid. But most of all it makes me proud and humbled. After all, there is nothing more moving than hearing your 2 year old and 4 year old sing "How great is our God, sing wif me, how great is our God" or listening to them pray at bed time. Or cry because they want to stay at church.... Having a heart like these boys isn't something I've taught them. Its simply something God gave them. And to be entrusted with their lives. Man, what a great responsibility. Responsibility and blessing.
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