LET THEM BE LITTLE.

Here's a visual for what things have been like at this household. If you have kids, maybe this isn't such a hard visual to imagine ;)

-Baskets of Laundry. and by baskets I mean the clean ones needed put away, the folded piles(and unfolded piles Henry has thrown on the floor) and the wrinkled ones I have neglected and "wrinkle tossed" a million bazillion times.
-The kitchen. Messy dishes, a gunky sticky highchair, fresh mopped floor(oh wait, the dogs just came in from having a hayday in the fresh wet mud) and no put down food or ideas for dinner.
-Henry had three baths yesterday, YES THREE. One from deciding to put smashed egg in his hair(oh and dropping whatever his hair didn't want to eat onto his doggies heads) Two from a wet diaper leak, and three, well quite frankly the third one was for Mama to have him contained while she got ready for the day haha.

I feel as if I bust and bust, tidying and "quick cleanups" all throughout the day, and by the time it's Henry's nap, I look around and have NOTHING to show for it. In fact, naptime is GO TIME to pick up once more.

Can you mamas relate??
Am I missing my special power given to us at the birth of our children??

(God, if so, we need to talk buddy...)

I LOVE BEING A MOTHER. I LOVE IT SO SO MUCH. I don't want this to seem like a complaint or a whining session. Actually I'm pointing it out to bring some humor to it for you, and perhaps shed some light on the familiar territory you might know as well :)

The past couple days, I've noticed Henry is a walking, and now CLIMBING MACHINE. He will try to scale just about anything. Rockclimber in the making?? He just might be. He loves to try to climb the front of his highchair, the dishwasher, his changing table, the dining chairs, heck, he even seemed to get that "lightbulb" ah-ha moment about climbing the TV entertainment center. As much as I sympathize with him, I can't help but think, "You've been taken off that thing a hundred times, and the last time you about bonked your head, why must you get back on it again? Don't you know??

The thing is, he doesn't.

I've had to teach myself to put my thoughts in HIS perspective. "Hey, I can walk now, and I'm getting pretty good at it. What's up in there? I bet I could reach it. I want to find out!"

Just as I am learning and growing as a mother, that boy is learning and developing himself too.

I feel as if the enemy LOVES attacking mother's hearts. I mean, why wouldn't he? Babies and motherhood is a direct GIFT FROM THE LORD. He whispers poisonous, hurtful venom in our ears throughout our day.

"You're a bad mom."
"You're so impatient"
"You are not a good homemaker."
"You are incapable."

Haven't you ever felt those whispers to you??

IGNORE HIS WORDS. BLOCK YOUR HEART FROM HIM. and rejoice in this:

A happy mom who is secure in herself and at ease in her life is a rare gift that children love and appreciate.

Your kids don't need a supermama, they need to see a mama who needs the SUPER GOD. 

Being the mama you want to be isn't so much about BEING more but BELIEVING MORE, believing and trusting in God, the God who sees you, nourishes you, hears you and answers.

Parenting is fueled by God's grace, not my efforts.

Ohhh, I hear a faint yawn and rumbling coming from the nursery. He's up, and we are about to start our day together, and so are you with your little ones, friend.
Hush those evil, false whispers girlfriend.
Pick up that/those precious child/children of yours and rejoice in a new day!

and last but not least, LET THEM BE LITTLE.

This is the time for small paychecks, messy but well-lived in homes, and childhood memories in the making. REJOICE IN THIS TIME. It's okay to rewash the same load of laundry, or have not left your pajamas today, or to have just spent time at the park and ordered a pizza for dinner. God wants you to be alive and share in that life with your children. He wants to help develop a foundation of joy, imagination, and beauty in the lives you share together.

May this words of grace equip and bless you friends, Love you lots. Have a happy day, you wonderful mama you.

xoxo, KESS