Fun Mom

Most of my posts have these types of precious smiles...

And even of few of these types...the forced cheese, but still adorably cute..smiles...

And these little tender moments I get to be a part of...watching my sweet baby girl read her little book.  I mean, precious doesn't even begin to describe this face, does it?

We do have these types of faces in our house too...

And these...

I set out on the day it iced and there was a three hour delay at Landon's school this past week...I set out to combat the dreariness and do something fun with my kids.  I used my time during the small nap overlap I have these days with Lindsay Jane and Connor and found a recipe and directions to make sugar cookies shaped like flowers.  Knowing how very much Landon loves a food craft, I excitedly went to pick him up from the bus stop!  I was sure to be getting the fun mom award for the day!!!

So, this little face...not happy about being confined to the chair was just a part of my slap in the reality face that day.  I had to remind myself several times that afternoon that my children are little and I have three.of.them...  I picked Landon up from the bus stop and announced my great plans...which were met with less than excited groans especially after I threw in that we would get haircuts first.  The whining was so intense that I opted out of the energy sucking hair cut adventure and decided to spend all of my energy on the cookies.  I was determined to be the fun mom!

We went to Harris Teeter.  We got one of those giant race car carts and we set off for the ingredients...after fighting over who would sit in the cart, many curt words regarding being grateful and several deep breaths from me...

We even hit up the samples!  I love Harris Teeter!  And the cookies!  Yay, fun mom, yes????

I gathered the ingredients as quickly as I could and ran into a friend in the midst.  We related to one another on the wishes for Spring and the challenges of grocery shopping with children...remember, I do all of my shopping on line...this was a special "treat".

We checked out as Lindsay Jane finished her cookie and started screaming.  Whew...at least we were at the check out.

I got the kids in the car and quickly went to return the cart, almost getting hit in the process due to my furry to get the heck home...

I almost cried on the way home...but instead I prayed.  Lord, help me to enjoy these precious little gifts.  I really want to enjoy this afternoon with them!

I began instructing Landon and Connor on how to make the cookies while Lindsay Jane begged for cookies, which I happy gave her.  She still screamed and threw them all in the floor and then screamed more.

Connor licked each piece of candy I put out to decorate the flowers and had to go back and wash his hands about 8 times before he got that he could not lick his fingers and them continue making cookies.

Then...

Landon said, "Mom, this is way funner than I thought it was going to be...thank you."

Connor stopped licking and started cooperating.

I got to make a couple, always a treat.  :)

And...Lindsay Jane lost it.

We pushed through and ended up with the above as our final product.  It was quite the adventure to be a "fun mom" on Tuesday.  I learned a lot.

This is absolutely the best time of my life.  It is also absolutely HARD.  I would not trade my three precious little miracles for anything in this world.  I love and enjoy them so so much.  What I learned on Tuesday is something that I haven't totally gotten yet.

I want to be that fun mom and by fun mom, I mean I want to have fun with my kids and I want them to enjoy my company and our time together.  The truth is that it is not always fun, nor should it be.

The bible says to "train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).  It does not say, "do everything to have fun with your kids and make sure they like you."  I know that is a stretch, but who doesn't want their kids to think they are fun.  Who doesn't want to be the "fun mom"?

As my three develop, learn and grow, I am doing the same. It is so tough to deal with the realities of this world and there are many that are just plain harsh and not fun.  I view my teaching my children manners and respect in the midst of my own hurt feelings as a part of teaching them reality and helping them learn how to deal with that (me too!).  There will be disappointments and they will have to do things they don't want to.  Landon will hopefully have other situations where maybe he begins complaining (hopefully next time in his head instead of out loud) and remembers his delight at the boring old flower cookie project that turned out to be "funner than he thought."

It is such a gift and such a challenge to be a mom.  There is a lot of push, a lot of pull, a lot of take and a lot of give and in the end, a lot of love.  Fun mom or not.  There is a lot of teaching to be done and this girl is only beginning...and I have a lot to still learn!  Thank God for his grace and love in the process.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them." - Deuteronomy 4:9.