Shot to the Heart and I'm to Blame

I love watching things grow. Flowers are up there on my favorites list. . they changes from tiny seedlings and grow up into big beautiful flowers. From my own back porch I see the construction growing. I now have walls on our addition and it is so fantabulous you can't believe it. I love watching all things grow, except my children.

I have been thinking about how I have really missed the mark with my kids. I have more excuses than shoes (and girl that's a lot) to not be the mom that I should be. I have excuses to not tuck my kids in, to not help them with building a lego fort, with not being patient with them when they are saying my name over and over again.

The other day, Hansel and I were talking and I told him I would do something in his bedroom for him and he said, "No you won't." I said, "of course I will, why wouldn't I?" He said, "you never come in my bedroom other than to check to see if it's clean." Shot to the heart!!!!! and you're to blame. . .darling you give love a bad name. . . in the famous lyrics of Bon Jovi. Shot to the heart by my own son. I tell you, I am having some wake-up calls around here and they are not pretty.

My kids are growing faster than those flowers out there as well as that construction work and I need to get myself together because I am missing out. Do you ever feel that way? I know that the little old gray haired ladies at the store tell me this all of the time. . ."be thankful while you got em cuz they grow up fast young whipper-snapper." I am heeding your words little ol gray haired ladies.

My goal is to:

1) stop making excuses to not tuck those darlins into bed at night
2) to do what I can to go in their rooms and PLAY. . .I am promising myself to not look under their beds and secretly put things away
3) to cuddle up with my kids on the couch and watch cartoons with them

Shoot, today Hansel wanted me to just fix him a "donkey tail" (more details to come on that one) and to watch Home Improvement with him. How hard is that? I would love to hear your thoughts on how you make your kids a priority and cut the excuses on spending time with them.

2 comments:

Heather said...

This post really spoke to me ... thanks for sharing!

One thing that I have had to do is not want everythingto be so clean all the time. That has allowed me to be much more relaxed in the kitchen and let them cook with me or we bake together.

But I do need to spend more time in their rooms with them simply playing. Thanks for sharing ...

~Heather

Heidi said...

I WISH I knew! I'm the same way with the excuses, especially if it's something that happens later in the evening when I am TIRED and just want to sit down for 5 minutes. But yeah, I know I'm missing out every time I say "no because..."