Don't Blink!

My baby girl turned 7 years old today. I can't believe how fast time has gone. I realize how much I take for granted all the beautiful, wonderful and unique things that Miriam alone has taught me. I regret the time I have wasted with stress and worry when I should have been enjoying her. You can never get a minute back again.
I remember how slow time seemed to go when I was a child. It seemed I had too much time and wanted it to hurry up. Now as my own children are at that stage I want to slow it down but can never seem to catch it. The past few days< as I have watched my Miriam, I realize her little girl days are going to end way too quick. Another 7 years and I will be dealing with a teenager. There are times right now it is hard to reach her, to get her to really open up to me, I hope by then I will have at least learned to understand her better. she had taught me so much already. I have learned patience especially. Not that she has intentionally tried it (except when she has), it is just that everything she has done has been on her time. You can't rush her. She was that way with walking -she wouldn't even take a step til 15 months and then it was only occasional until 17 months. She was that way with talking. There were many nights I lay awake worrying that she would never talk. She was content to listen to the world. You would never know that to hear her today -aside from the occassional mix up of words. . She loves to draw. She expresses her thoughts best through pictures I think. Her mind is unique from others, but that does not mean it is weak. She is very bright, yet she carries it all inside and shares it when she sees fit.
How I love that little girl. I am privledged to be her mom.

Sappy Mom!

Musings of a Mom

I am learning everyday that at the very moment that we try to teach our kids they can turn things around and teach us right back. I first thought about this the other day as I listen to the girls at play. I have no idea what they were pretending or even if they were playing or just arguing, but Miriam became very dramatic and huffed out the phrase "just grow!" Thinking that she was refering to a phrase from a movie or show that she had seen recently I told her "I think you mean 'just go!'"
She repeated the phrase my way and then I realized, I liked it better the first way. "Just grow!" Although the sentiment maybe a bit rash, there is an invitation there not to just leave but to grow up and learn something from whatever the disagreement was about. I like it. "Just Grow"

A second lesson came today as we were playing on the Wii Fit. The girls love to watch me and Grammy as we try new games even if they can't do it themselves. Havilah wanted me to try a game that I had a hard time with before. Without even thinking, I told her I didn't want to do that one because it was too hard. She responds by saying "don't worry Mommy, I'll be here with you." It was so sweet! But it only took me a minute to realize that she was just responding to me the way I do to them. Whenever the girls real don't want to do something they will say, "I'm scared " or "but it's too hard" (partly in attempt to get out of it), but we reassure them that we are there with them and that we know they can do it. A good reminder to that even Mommy needs to try things that are hard sometimes.

The last one is just for laughs. Tonight while I was at work, Grammy informed me that Jarom learned to turn off and on the T.V. repeatedly. Of course he had to try this during the girls' favorite show and they were getting rather frustrated. Grammy would pull him away and firmly tell Jarom "no" and give his hand a little spat. He did it again, and once again he got another spat on the hand and a "no" and then she sat him down beside her. Not being detoured, he gets back up and does it one more time but this time he comes directly to Grammy afterward and holds up his hand for her to spat it again with a big grin on his face. Jarom's lesson in all this, I'll do as I please and take my licks afterward. What a kid!

A New Beginning

I did it! After years of being a quiet blog lurker and reading the wonderful, insiring writings of friends, strangers, and those I wish I knew in person, I have finally step over to the other side of blogging. I dedicate this blog, to my family (who will of course be my inspiration), my readers, and critics who I hope will help me improve. (Go ahead, critique me, I think I can take it.) And to a fellow blogger, who today made me realize I might make a difference in the lives of others. Feel free to read below to undestand what I mean.

My life may not be perfect by any means. I will admit, my house is more often dirty and cluttered, I have tons of pitures on my computer that I would love to scrapbook if I ever found the time, and don't cook wonderful meals or treats everyday, but...the praise I get when I see my girls actually eat what I have cooked, or when they actually do listen to me and have learned from something I've said, makes me realize it is all worth it. Being a wife and mother has it's many challanges and has taught me so much more that any other job could. I hope I don't sound artifical or dramatic in what I say. I have a tendancy to get excited when things turn good and I this is what I want to share.
http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs/index.html