My three little loves

I have been trying to find a way to find joy in the day to day.  Too often, I get frustrated because things aren't moving along at the pace that I want them to or think that
they should.  I have noticed that in those moments I want to get things done quickly, my children have other plans.  They would rather play, or take their time getting dressed, or decide they need to go to the bathroom or don't want to go to the bathroom when really I KNOW they do.  It is in those moments that I become the mother that I promised myself I would never be.  The one threatens and yells.  This is not who I am.  This is not the mom my kids want.

I have been thinking about how to change.  I have decided I need to pray for Joy.  Joy in the day to day.  Joy in the independence my children are showing.  Joy in the silliness and the craziness and the mess that is made while memories are being made also.  I love my life, and I think I get so busy trying to keep everyone around me happy, that I forget that the only ones that really matter, truly matter in the end are the ones with the sticky fingers and the crumby messes following them.  I love these three.  They are my delight, and one of my New Year's Resolutions is to let them know how freaking amazing I think each of them are.

Sammy Wacky Brown....

He is starting to make up stories and is really quite the story teller.  The other day on the way to preschool he told me a long story about how he saved people from a one eyed two tailed monster.  As we pulled up to his school, he told me that he was going to tell the story to his teacher and that she would be so "impressed!".  He is saying really heartfelt prayers these days, and is very thoughtful.  He is kind and polite to strangers and adults at church.  He has only one volume still, and it is his trademark.  He really is a sweetheart and tells me reasons why he loves me.  He also tells me reasons why he doesn't love me - things like I don't give him candy and let him watch toonsies all day.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

Katy Bug....

This little girl is a force to be reckoned with.  She mimics almost everything her big brother does.  She wants to eat what he is eating, sing what he is singing, play with what he is playing with and go where he goes.  This is taking some getting used to for him, and more than half the time the two end up yelling at each other and fighting over who gets to talk or sing.  Fun.  She loves to sing and I love her mashup of ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  She loves all things pretty. I straighten my hair usually, but the other day I did it curly.  She climbed up in my lap, grabbed my cheeks with her little hands and said, "Mommy, your hair is pretty like a princess."  Melt my heart.  Needless to say, I have worn my hair curly for the past week just to make this little girl smile.  She is potty training herself at not even two.  I had surgery this last week so I am holding off on going gung ho with the potty training until life feels more normal.  She loves her baby sister and especially loves to help her roll over.  I will sometimes walk in the room to find her rolling Maggie all the way across the room. Oh, how I love her.

Maggie Moo....

Oh. My. Goodness.  This sweet little thing is all cheeks and yummy rolls. Seriously.  She is so short and squatty and I love it.  She is almost 6 months old and can roll over, laugh, and has started eating rice cereal.  The one thing she does NOT do is sleep through the night regularly.  That has been the hardest thing with this little angel.  And I say angel, because really, she is.  People ask me all the time if she ever cries.  She doesn't during the day, and only for a minute at night when she is awake.  But the girl thinks night time is party time.  She is loved totally and completely by her family, especially her big brother and sister.  She has started grabbing at things and chewing on everything - me included.  Not something I love, and I am hoping that little habit ends before she gets teeth and it gets even more painful for me!

I love these three little souls that I get to hang out with everyday.