Enlightenment

The last few days have been very enlightening for me. Webby and Sweetie Heart went on a little daddy daughter vacation. Webby and I decided that this would be a great way to connect with our children during important times in their lives. We have decided that when our children turn 8, that being the year they get baptized in our church, they will go on a vacation with the opposite sex parent. Then when they turn 16, they will go on a vacation with the same sex parent. We'd like to do it at 12 as well, but we'll have to see how finances are in 4 years. These vacations are for our children not for us. But lacking scope Webby decided to make a few suggestions and they have been in Boston since Wednesday. I spoke with Sweetie Heart briefly and she said she is having a blast!

Anyway, while they have been away I have been here with the remaining 2 children. And you know what it has been great! We have had a pretty good time ourselves. We are just doing what we normally do with a few perks. I seem to have time warped back in to the mother I was 4+ years ago. Sweetie Heart and I did lots of fun things when she was little. Even when Sweet Girl came along and was little we were still getting out and I felt pretty peaceful, on the whole, of who I was as a parent. No things were not perfect, but they were pretty good. Anyone who knows me also knows shortly after Sweet Girl was born we ended up in family therapy for problem we were having with Sweetie Heart. No, I am not glossing over or forgetting that. But I felt I was holding it together easier on the most part at that time.

What I have noticed about myself is this. When there isn't fighting in the home, I am peaceful. When I don't have to worry about children hitting each other, I not on edge waiting for it. When there isn't sibling contention, there is less screaming and whining. And all these things make it so I want to get out and do things. I want to involve the children in doing stuff with me. I am willing to help (most of the time) when it is requested. Funny how that works.

I am actively working to be more peaceful. I am working on reconnecting with my inner child. If I can re-experience my childhood with my kids we will all be so much happier! I am reading a book called Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw. This was text for a class I took in college. If I had actually done the work while in college I would be a different person now. As it is, I am doing it now. One thing he points out is that all children go through these stage of spark, they need to do them. One of those things is getting messy.

I hate being messy. Dirt, grime, stickiness, mud...it's enough to get me to send you to the sink. And you best not get it on my or your clothes. But yesterday afternoon was different. I sat in the grass with the kids. Sweet Girl wanted to play in a pot that had dirt in it. Then she decided she needed water. I admit I tried to sway her, but she persisted and I let her. We stirred it up with little shovels. Added more water...rewind repeat. Squeak saw us and crawled over to be a part of the action. Sweet Girl got all squeally, "No, no! Don't put your hands in there!" I told her it was fine, maybe we all should do it. Squeak was up to is elbows splashing mud all over himself and me. It wasn't until I put my hands in that Sweet Girl did, too. It appears she has picked up on my disdain for yuckiness and has been holding back. We all had a great time in the mud! We rinsed off with the watering can. We came in and I put them in the bath to clean up. More fun splashing about and eating the bubbles (I used to do that!)

So here's to me doing my best to let my children be.