Life is short. Love on those babies, the rest can wait.
I captured this picture tonight. My babies (all but one) piled in my bed, two hours past bedtime and wild. I've put them to bed three times each. My three year old wanted a hug, then my toddler wanted a hug. My toddler wanted water, then my toddler filled her diaper. My baby was woken by my toddler upset about a diaper change and if you have kids, you know my baby just woke up from a two hour power-nap and is ready and raring to go...
Bedtime more often than not, doesn't go as planned. My day to day frequently goes haywire. My weeks start off with high hopes of following my cleaning routine, completing my errands, finishing the laundry, joining play-dates, attending appointments and participating in school activities. Yet, each day becomes a sloppy configuration of snack times, diaper changes, messes, forgotten appointments, missed errands and rain-checks. A rag-doll drop into bed ends the night, only to be repeated again.
I proclaim daily, "Today's the day I get my life in order!" Only to be interrupted five times over in a matter of moments, just attempting to plan out what my idea of "together" looks like.
Which got me thinking…What defines "together" at this stage in my life? Does it mean a clean house? Structured days? Organized... EVERYTHING? As amazing as that all sounds, it's not my reality nor is it physically possible with four children, a working husband and little lone me, and you know what? That's O.K. My version of "together" at this moment in time is fed, happy, well cared for children with a "tidy" -not always clean- home. It's letting the dishes go so my daughter can braid my hair. It's letting the towels get wrinkled in the dryer so I can make play-dough snakes with my son. It's letting GO, so I can EMBRACE what matters.
Parenting has taught me what it means to be selfless. It has given new meaning to devotion and dedication. It has taught me to give myself grace and practice gratitude. Parenting has established in me, a level of patience in which I didn't know I was capable. It has unveiled a love I didn't know existed and it has taught me to embrace the imperfect and the present.
This picture captures a moment in time. My babies will never be this little again. My bedtime lullaby will be a forgotten tune. These chubby cheeked, toothy smiles will soon be replaced with young adult faces.
Are my kiddos up way past their bedtime? Absolutely. Are we off our routine and deviating from structure? Most definitely. Is the kitchen a mess and the laundry piled high? You bet. Are my kids happy, healthy, and loved? More than anything in this world. Life is too short. My time with them is short, let me love them a little longer, the rest can wait.
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