Thoughts on Motherhood

Following up on Mother's Day, today I will attempt to list twenty things I did not know about being a mother BEFORE I was a mother:

My first face to face meeting with
my firstborn...I am a mom!

1. Free time? What free time?
2. It is very frustrating to realize you have washed items of clothing that have not even been worn but have instead been thrown into the dirty hamper because that seemed to be easier than putting them in the drawer!
3. Milk is expensive - and it can make you more angry than you ever imagined you could be when a whole cup is poured, two sips are taken and it is left on the counter overnight!
4. Children are ALWAYS hungry.
5. There would be times in my life when the love I have for my husband would war with the love I have for my children!
6. There would be times I would offer to let my kid who wants to run away stay at home so that I could run away!
7. There is no place on earth that I loathe more than the grocery store!
8. Wet dirty boys smell just like wet smelly dogs!
9. I can never have anything nice anymore.
10. Children have a difficult time distinguishing between any type of ball and home decor.
11. Children can not tell time, even after they learn how to do it!
12. Messy looks a lot like clean in the eye of a child.
13. God is available to give me peace 24/7 day or night!
14. The passenger seat in the minivan is quite a hot commodity once a child is old enough to sit there on a trip. I could actually make money if I would charge them for a turn!
15. White out does not come out of brand new Nike shorts!
16. There is a natural remedy for almost anything and most of them work as good or better and are cheaper than a trip to the doctor for a prescription.
17. Children are selfish creatures!
18. I am much more selfish than I thought I was!
19. Love covers a multitude of sins...theirs and mine!
20. The lifeline to God's Word in the life of your child can reduce the stress in "me" against "them" kinds of conflicts.

Just a few thoughts that came out yesterday as I was surrounded by my children in their various stages of life. Motherhood is harder and a lot more time consuming than I ever knew it was before those little faces graced my days. My mom made it look much easier than it really is, or maybe she is just better at it than I am. As I sat next to her at dinner last night, I thought of how much more appreciation I have for all of the things that she did for me.

There is so much to do and so little time before they are off and making their mark in the world!