While there are lots of times I don’t feel like an awesome Mom, for many different reasons, from the lack of cute fashionable clothes and toys for my girls to the amount of yelling I sometimes do at them, and everything in between, I feel like there is enough negativity in the world today and enough blogs in the blogosphere about the “hard things” about raising kids. Today I want to share the awesomeness of having a family, of being a mother.
Recently there have been times when I have felt like an awesome Mom, when I think, these kids just might turn out alright, when I think our family would look good on a postcard or in a Lifetime movie because we are so cute and happy, when I think that my outpouring of love towards my children is perfect.
Here is one example:
Lately I have been asking Josh to take a walk with me after dinner. Wednesday night, instead of a walk, Josh insisted that we go to Lowe’s instead and buy some ant poison since we’ve been having a slight ant problem in our bathroom. He also told the girls that we were going to get candy. Random, but he totally loves treating and spoiling our girls on occasion. So, after we got done at Lowe’s we decided to hop over to Wal-mart which was just next store.
We decided that since we were only at Wal-mart to get some candy for the girls, we’d wouldn’t bother with strollers or carts and have the girls walk. Having our twins walk freely in a store is like a disaster waiting to happen most of the time. But, today we weren’t in a rush. We didn’t have anywhere else to be.
We entered in the garden section, or the section farthest away from the food, and walked all the way through the store. The girls wanted to play with balls from the ball cage. Alison decided that the movie “Exorcist” should be added to our collection and grabbed it off the low shelf, and then admired a camera case before chasing after Daddy and sister.
When we got closer to the food, the girls made a break for the dairy section, Lisa snatching a bag of string cheese and Alison grabbing (randomly) a container of fresh diced tomatoes (also in the dairy section?). We chased them down, with them exploding in fits of giggles as we approached. We finally lured them over to the candy aisle where we instructed them to pick candies from a certain section. Alison picked Reese’s Fast Break candies, and Lisa picked Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, mostly because they were at eye level.
As we went to the cash register, little girls meandering in everyone’s way, we were all smiling. Our girls had a blast shopping and having free range of a grocery store, for like the first time ever. They put the items on the counter for the cashier, laying on the charm. As we left the store, we all held hands, Lisa and Alison in the middle. And Alison would lift up her feet so she could hang there, and Lisa was wondering what she was trying to pull, to which strangers walking by laughed and thought it was so cute, because, indeed it was.
It was in that moment I felt like I had the perfect little family. (Put us on a postcard please!) We had a simple family outing for chocolate, with no major tantrums, but lots of exploration, lots of fun. I felt so happy. I felt like an awesome Mom to have such awesome two-year olds who were so curious and cute.
Other examples of this feeling happen in the quiet moments I have with them at home, moments when we talk together, one-on-one, where we look into each others eyes and smile at each other and laugh and play. When I feel like I am my child’s whole world and realize they are indeed mine. When I look at them and realize how big they are now, how wonderfully they are saying words and sentences, how they can do more and more “big kid” things all the time. It’s those moments when I think how much they look like me and Josh, and how much they act like Josh and me. I marvel at how beautiful they are. I marvel that they love me so much and each other. It’s in these moments that I feel like I’m an awesome mom. I feel like an awesome mother because I am giving my undivided, fully invested time to my child and they love every second of it.
Times like this are often hard to adequately describe to others as something different, out of the ordinary, something special. But, they are. And these moments are surprisingly often if I let them be. Sure kids misbehave daily when two-years old, but I am starting to feel like an awesome mom by knowing what to do when that happens. I’m starting to feel like an awesome mom when I take my kids outside and let them walk to the slides in our complex after we get the mail. I feel like an awesome mom when I stick to routines. I feel like an awesome mom when I help my children learn a new word or expose them to new foods and new experiences.
Lili trying to suck from a spoon…
I let them play in water (and make a mess!)
We went to a downtown festival as a family.
I feel like an awesome mom when I sing and dance with my children. I feel like an awesome mom when I forgo my inhibitions and agendas and do what feels natural and right for me and my family. And I love feeling like I’m an awesome mom.
What moments make you feel like an awesome mom?
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
And you are an awesome mom, if you don’t always feel like it. But those days that you do are what make all the others worthwhile!
Elisabeth says
So interesting that we often feel our best as moms when we aren’t necessarily doing the “big” things… but creating the little moments with the memories that will last so much longer than we realize. This post made me smile! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Lisa Curcio says
Loving them with all your heart will always make you a perfect mom! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this story!
Marissa D says
I love that you are taking the time to focus on the times when you are enjoying your family, there are so many times when I get focused on the negative and simply miss all the smiles and joy!
I hope you don’t mind, but I enjoyed this so much I added it to a link up called Salt & Light, where we share others great posts. I’d love for you to spread the love and share a post there also!
http://raysofgraceandjoy.blogspot.com/2014/03/salt-light-10.html
Thanks again for this reminder to look at the good, not the bad
Marissa
Laura says
Great post!
V@Sproutshouse says
What a lovely post! Sometimes it is the smallest and simplest things that give us the most pleasure and satisfaction. xox (via the hdydi parenting link up!)
Marwa Farouq says
I loved this! It is true, the world has so much people talking about how raising kids is a mess and a hurdle…it is lovely that you decided to share a brighter picture! this was inspirational thanks! Passed by the link up
Nicole Hallford says
I absolutely love this! Noticing those awesome moments is so important and encouraging!
Meredith says
I love this. I have moments too where I feel like an awesome mom. Thank goodness for those moments, or I may just fall apart other days. 🙂
Kim says
Shopping can be so stressful when you have a list. Or a deadline. Without those, it’s a nice way to get out and play!
Helen Neale says
Such a great post – we are always so critical of ourselves, and we do well to remember the times when we do feel we are awesome…and its undoubtedly more often than we give ourselves credit for! Thanks for joining in with the Parenting Pin in Party this week.
Rachel R. says
Wow. I think we all need to write a post like this to go back and read on the BAD days! 🙂
I love this post – especially all of the happy photos. 🙂
Katelyn Fagan says
You know, I had forgotten about this post until about a week ago (it’s almost 2 years old), and thought it was so good and such a good reminder to myself!
Beth says
Hey Katelyn! I’m not sure if I’ve visited you here at your place before, but I see you in the line up over at Wedded Wed every week and I’m grateful you’re hanging out over there, my friend! And today your post is so encouraging and true. Moms let those blessed moments of motherhood get swallowed up by the stressors and challenges of motherhood way too often. I am a mom of boys that are all almost out of the nest and I wish I’d savored a bit more of the “it’s so good and blessed to be a mom” days! Thanks so much!
Katelyn Fagan says
Well, I am so glad you (finally!) stopped by! 😉 I enjoy linking up and reading your blog very much. I think we should always be reminding ourselves of the good times of motherhood, because it really can be pretty great!
April says
You are so totally an awesome mom, Katelyn. I find myself surprising well, myself, when I’m in those awesome parenting moments. If you look for them you probably find them all around. This is a great share for Countdown in Style!
Katelyn Fagan says
Thank you April! You are so kind. I do agree that if we look for them, or view ourselves and our awesomeness in a different way, we’d probably see them all the time.
The Monko says
this is such a cute post. Its so nice reading about happy mummy times – you are right there are plently of doom and gloom posts (written quite a few myself), its a breath of fresh air to read a happy one. I’m featuring this on the Sunday Parenting Party this weekend
Katelyn Fagan says
Thank you so much! I agree there are a lot of “doom and gloom” posts on parenting, and I have written some myself too. But, I do usually try to end on a high note, or what the hard times are teaching me, or something. I’m grateful for your party. I love linking up each week.
Kristina@amominneedofadvice.blogspot.com says
I LOVE this. I’ve been thinking these same thoughts. Being a Mom is so rewarding and these moments will be gone one day. We better enjoy them NOW. I actually posted today of similar thoughts. Love this! Thanks for sharing.
http://amominneedofadvice.blogspot.com/2014/05/enjoy-every-moment.html