In the midst of getting dinner ready with two rambunctious kids that have been stuck in all day because it hit an all time low of 14 degrees that day I found myself wondering why can’t we embrace the little things? In the heat of the moment I can never “see” the good. A goal of 2016 must be to truly think about these moments and learn from them. Do you embrace the little things?
I will stop thinking about the negative in each and every decision I make. I hate cold. I hate snow. My daughter loves it. One day after she asked nine times if we could go out and play, and half the day of me trying to explain to her that their was a layer of ice over the snow and it wouldn’t be very fun I finally gave in. We bundled ourselves up and off we went out leaving little man inside with my mother because he is like me. He hates the cold. I looked up the dirt road we live on, it had a minor hill to it. I grabbed the sled and said come on lets try sledding. I used to love sledding as a kid, I could go without the snow up my sleeves and into my boots these days but the way my small daughter clung onto me, the way she insisted on my legs be wrapped around her in the sled alone made the thought of that snow immediately melt. I pushed off and down we soared. How had I not known that the street right outside our house would be perfect for sledding. I actually asked her over and over again if we could do it again. Why had I not embraced the small things to enjoy such a precious moment with my child? I laughed more in that day than I have in a long time. I vow to never let cold, wet snow ever stop me from truly embracing the little things.
I will start to join in on the craziness of giggles and shrieking of happiness. My kids both get super hyper right before nap time and bed time. I mean bounce off the walls (literally) and all of a sudden their volume doubles. I’m usually begging for the volume to be turned down and often find myself raising my voice and requesting (or yelling) to please stop and get moving with PJ’s. One night last month after a long day I was missing my husband more than anything. I missed the help he gave me during the hours of getting dinner served and cleaned up. I missed how he always dives in to start bath time. I just truly missed him. The kids started their usual shenanigans when I said it was time to head upstairs. Instead of huffing and puffing I joined them. I said the first person who gets upstairs and in the tub gets two jelly beans! I said I was going to win, my daughter said no she was going to win, my son slowly trailed behind us saying “no I win, no I win!” I let him pass me and I watched. I got all silly getting my tickle hands ready to go and they shrieked louder! My son asked for help pulling his cloths off and that’s the moment when I realized he was actually forming sentences now. I vow to never hush my sweet babies again but to truly embrace the little things with them.
I was expecting my husband home any minute as it was inching past 4:30 and I was itching to get in the kitchen and start dinner. My favorite time of day is when I see my husband walk through the door, for a few reasons, one because the way my kids sweet little faces light up is indescribable, two because yes that means I now have help! I can now pee alone, start dinner alone and maybe even pour myself a glass of wine. Lastly, because I actually enjoy being in the kitchen, it’s my outlet, it’s been so long since we’ve sat down to eat a real meal as a family with my husband working such demanding hours so I decided to at least start the meal. I glanced at the clock at one point and it was nearing five. Part of me was bordering being ticked off at my husband (the later he is the later it means he left the city and he sits in traffic longer) but the other sane side of me worried a little because he normally calls me. I then hear screams from my daughter saying “Momma, Momma, what is that?” I’m in the middle of making the worse possible meal ever alone with no help around me because I was stirring and trying to thicken a sauce. I turn around to see my son pushing his truck around with what looks like grated cheese inside of it. I quickly look at the counter where I put the measuring cup of shredded cheese that I needed to add to my sauce and breath a sigh of relief, it was still there. I said “What the heck….what is that? Where did you get that buddy. My daughter claims it came from the play room, I run in there and yes there is the can of grated cheese. “Wonderful buddy just wonderful.” I grabbed the can, and threw the truck into the sink and proceeded to stir my sauce, while my son cried because I took the truck away. A few minutes later I hear giggling and my daughter say “Come on buddy lets make hand prints.” I turn around, OK I whip around and I see the baby powder all over the floor and both of them dragging it all over the house.” I grabbed the bottle, wet a cloth and proceeded to throw it on the floor and demand my daughter clean it up.” Probably a little to rough around the edges so I immediately feel badly but ran back to the kitchen to finish the sauce. I said please go sit in the dining room while I get dinner on the table. Off they go, I hear giggling in the dining room and peak around the corner, yes their is the salt shaker and their is the salt all over the table and both of them pushing it around.” Now I’m furious. I’m mad that it’s 5:30 and my husband still wasn’t home, I’m frustrated that I’ve had to clean up 3 different things in the middle of making dinner. I pour myself a glass of wine, closed (ok slammed) the dining room door and decided to eat alone in the kitchen. I looked around and saw the baby powder all over the place. I just closed my eyes and kept eating. Alone. My daughter then came busting through the door saying Drew was throwing dinner across the table. I sat there in silence and proceeded to eat my dinner. I then got up, went into the dining room, put my son in time-out and then made him pick up every morsel of food he threw.
Just another day that my husband assumed that I had a bad day. I yet again said, “no not really, just the last hour and a half when you was supposed to be home but left the city late and got stuck in traffic!” Another fight, argument or disagreement due to him working these kinds of hours. He’s stressed and tired, I’m stressed and tired which makes us not really appreciate the smaller moments. Later that night I was in the kitchen, turned my head and saw two of the cutest little hand prints I’ve ever seen. I instantly started crying and realized I yet again missed a moment through the chaos of trying to get dinner on the table? Why!? I vow to stop in the middle of the chaos that feels like just another mess I’ll have to clean up and truly embrace the little things.
When the chaos was happening that night I didn’t see those sweet little hand prints that won’t be so little some day. Maybe if I had seen them I would have stopped yelling, maybe I would have said screw it and joined in on the baby powder madness. So I made myself a promise that night. I vow to stop worrying about the messes and use this example to truly embrace the little things.
Are you embracing the little things?
