This Mom Gig Is Still Shiny and New
Since Mother’s Day is approaching this week, I thought it would be fitting to write this post from one of my many momming gigs. As I watch my 9 soon-to-be 10-year-old hit volleyballs (mostly) over the net, it hits me that my kids are (what some would consider) old. If I’m being honest, I really enjoy the parental freedom that comes with this age. My children can navigate stairs, ride their bikes independently, and make themselves snacks (although they still like it if I do). They sleep in until outrageous hours, and most of them go to bed after me. In fact, because they are becoming high-functioning humans, I get to sit back every once in a while (mostly while I’m waiting in different sports center parking lots) and observe them as they take in all the good parts of life. It’s a role full of so many blessings, even if they do appear in different forms than I ever predicted back in the pacifier days.
The Snuggles Were Real
Don’t get me wrong, I do miss when they were little. I miss the big snuggles, the rocking to sleep, the deep sigh from a nap in my arms, but there is something golden and new about mothering older kids. There are things I never thought I’d appreciate because I didn’t have time to think about them. My oldest is one of the hardest working people I know. He doesn’t let major setbacks define him and he seems to use them as fuel for his next endeavors. My middle has an impressive repertoire of accents ranging from Russian to British and he will speak them on demand keeping our neighborhood and our family rolling at all times. My baby girl is an incredible competitor, leaving many elementary schools in the dust when she and her team took them on in Quiz Bowl. These kids are MINE. Who they are becoming excites me. And they’re mine forever. Momming just keeps. getting. better.
They Contribute to our Unit
Although these kids can argue like it’s nobody’s business, I do see how they give back to our family as well. I just finished grad school classes that required some intense creativity. Each one of my kids helped me brainstorm or proofread my stories, and they wouldn’t be as easy to write if they hadn’t helped. The boys take out the trash, bring up the laundry, move heavy furniture with their dad so I can do other things around the house. My daughter helps with fashion and decor, recommends books to me, and helps me make fun activities for my students. She also softens up my hubs so he can’t really ever tell her no. Most importantly, I will catch them enjoying each other. Shhhhh….don’t tell them I told you this. That is the ultimate gift of parenting.
May Your Coffee Be Hot…or Maybe Just Warm
This job is hard. As moms, we are with our children through it all and it’s not all sunshine. However, on Mother’s Day, I want to celebrate the big kids. They still make the world as shiny and new as they did when they were little. They still make ordinary days extraordinary and they still call me the best title in the world. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there! May your coffee be hot, your Chardonnay cold, and your day as beautiful as you deserve.