Notice Them

Life with 3 kids ages 3 and under is messy. It's stressful. It's hard. 

Really hard.

You have five million things to juggle and you missed the juggling class. Not to mention your toddler just threw all the balls in the street anyways, So basically you're sol. Welcome to parenthood in a nutshell.

My house is a mess, my kids are a mess, and honestly I'm the biggest mess of them all. Meara requested I please take a shower last night: from the mouth of babes.

But today mommas I'm going to be that super annoying mom you want to punch and ask you to notice the little things. 

Notice you're almost 2 year old uneven gait as she runs to her next adventure. She's covered in dirt and dreams. She drives you crazy half the time. One day her stride will be even. One day she won't be running towards you but away. And that's ok because If we do this job right she should run away. She should chase her dreams. She should be running after life without a backwards glance. But right now she is running towards you, her lopsided gait often interrupted by a yell or fall. Right now you are her world. Right now your arms are the landing zone for her flight. So mommas notice her. Soak her in. She won't be little for more than a blink of an eye.

Meara asks me "what it is" at least 20 times a day. The questions are incessant. Basically I'm like Webster except I don't know what I'm talking about, and lie a lot. The constant questions can be really wearing. I feel like I'm on Oprah, except it isn't Oprah's favorite thing episode, more like when Oprah interviews serial killers. But today mommas notice those questions and take a minute to answer them genuinely.  Right now that 3 year old thinks you hung the moon. They think you have the answer to every question. You are all knowing. Soon she won't come to me with every question. Soon she will figure it out on her own. And after that one day she will realize I don't have all the answers. She will realize I too, can be wrong and uncertain. But right now that little girl thinks I know everything and she wants me to take the time to tell her about it. So mommas, listen. Listen to the questions. Listen to the chatter. Listen to the mispronounced words. Even listen to the cries. Listen to them while you have the privilege of being their greatest audience.

My youngest is 2 months old today. He decided to celebrate by absolutely refusing to be put down. It would be comical from an outside standpoint. I mean the second he is put down waterworks start and the second I come into his blurry range of vision it immediately stops. And momma's I am tired.  I'm hungry. We've already established I need a shower due to the advice of my 3 year old. I want a minute to myself. I want a minute to remember what it was like before my identity became irrevocably entangled with the existance of my children's lives. A minute to remember what my heart felt like before it beat for someone elses. But right now I am soaking him in. I'm noticing his sweet little wrist rolls, and the way he kicks his legs out when he is mad. I'm noticing how his little eyes light up when he sees me, how he snuggles into me after he nurses, milky smiles and contended sighs, like he doesn't have a care in the world. I am going to take a second to notice his ten tiny toes and how perfectly his body fits into mine as we pace. Because if there's anything motherhood has taught me it is that it's all so fleeting. He will be this small for another 2 seconds before it is his little face asking me "what it is."

So today mommas soak them up. Put down the phone, turn off the tv. Chase them, answer their questions, fill their sippy cups 10 million times, help them get their shoes on another 20 million times. Take a second to soak it in.

Because this is just a season. It gives way to other seasons, other lessons, other adventures together. But they won't stay little for long. So notice them.

Love and light from another momma in the struggle ♡