It's the little things: Part II

So you know how when you see someone you haven't seen in awhile and they tend to ask questions like, "What's new?" or "What's going on in your life?" Well, I honestly hate those questions. Not the person asking the questions but the questions themselves. Don't get me wrong, I am guilty of initiating such questions myself, but it's the feeling I get when being on the receiving of the questioning that I dislike oh so much.

It's the feeling of being a completely unaccomplished person who isn't hopping from one vacation to the next, or isn't training for some marathon, or isn't up to my eyeballs with stress trying to manage my out of home business or second job while taking care of my children. It isn't until the small talk dies down and everyone is quiet when I'm able to relax and talk about how Tom and I love to sleep with the windows open so we can hear the croaking of the frogs or the rain if it's falling at night. Or how I spend time walking around my yard every day looking for new growth because I love the way it makes me feel. Or the fact that I dance around without a bra on with my kids when the closing credit of Tangled are running because it makes us all happy. It's the little things.

Every day I... change an average of 5 diapers, wipe Benjamin's bottom an average of 4 times, answer to the name, "Mom" no less than 100 times, nurse Jacob about 4 times, pick up clothes, toys, and shoes, at least once an hour, make a few meals, listen to a few (or more) whines, dry lots of tears, sing some songs, read some books, do some laundry, help with homework, give lots of kisses, say even more I love yous' and that's only part of it. I'm a mom. It's not glamorous. Most days I look the way I feel. Pretty run down. Do I think that what I am doing is invaluable? Definitely. Do I still do my fair share of complaining? Most certainly. Would I trade it for the world? Not on your life.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Writing about the trials and tribulations of being a mother coupled with the fact that it's the greatest blessing in my life. That's because it IS my life. It's not newsworthy. It's not even all that interesting. But it's what is important to me, right now. So I guess the next time someone asks me, "what's new?" I can talk about how Jacob cut two new teeth, or how my lilacs are starting to bloom, or how the robins are looking for a place to build their nest, or how I tried a really good recipe that I love, or how Benjamin scored 8 goals his second soccer game, or how Savannah is this close to doing a back handspring. Because what's new in their lives is also new in mine. And I should be proud of that.