I miss writing. These days I’m moving so fast there is rarely time to complete a single thought before I’m moving on to the next thing. Today was the first day since at least early March where I actually had nothing pressing on my to-do list and nowhere to be between church and an evening dinner. It also happened to be Mother’s Day.
My day started out with kids waking up at 6:00 a.m. Shortly after the first one was up, Caleb came sneaking into my bedroom and climbed up into bed where he snuggled up, melting completely into me. At four years old, he still feels like so much a part of me, like he did in the days just after he was born. We snuggled and slept together for a couple more hours until I woke to see the sunlight shining through the window perfectly outlining his profile. I couldn’t help but stare. He is simply beautiful.
Before long, it was time to get up. As we got ready for church, I spent some time braiding my daughter’s hair. We don’t spend a lot of time together these days, but I do love doing simple things, like braiding her hair into a crown that makes her feel like a princess. Someday, I hope that she will remember those moments, and not the mother who is always so busy.
Evie said her stomach was hurting and ended up going to church with us instead of the children’s program she normally attends during that time. She spent all of church snuggled up in my arms. Maybe she really didn’t feel well. Maybe she just needed some time with mom. Miraculously though, she felt just fine after church. I didn’t mind either way.
I got lots of hugs from Zach today. He is growing up so much, and even though he doesn’t say it, he shows that he still needs mom from time to time. And, he can tell when I need a little extra love too. Every time he walked past me today he stopped and said “I need a hug!” and wouldn’t let me off the hook until I gave him one.
To top off my morning full of snuggles, I even fit in a nice rainy afternoon nap. Gotta take a little time for myself on Mother’s Day, right? I can’t even remember the last time I got to do that. No kids, no interruptions (besides the loud claps of thunder and the occasional screaming kid), just me, my bed, and the sound of the rain falling down. It was rather glorious.
We ended the evening with a family dinner at my mom’s house with my brother, sister, their families. All in all, it was a pretty great day.
My favorite thing about today though, was spending just a few extra minutes with each one of my kids. I love how they each found their own way to get that little bit of extra time with me. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and miss out on those little opportunities. My kids are amazing, each in their own unique way. They are changing and growing up so fast. I’m so glad that I finally had a chance to slow down a little today and appreciate them for exactly who they are right now.
