Things Learned From Watching My Mother

It's amusing how one can know a person all their life and still learn new things about and from them;  especially when the relationship is a mother and her daughter.  My mother tried to pour so much wisdom and knowledge into me (repeatedly), and some of it I am only just now really absorbing.  I have to remember this as I mother these five children of my own.  Just keep plugging away, and perhaps one day, in their thirties, they will head my words.  How very encouraging (tehe).  

Now that I am older and our relationship has transitioned from instructor/student to more of a mentor/friendship dynamic, I learn mostly by observing. 

Jeremy and our two eldest children have been on an events trip this past week and my folks invited the three youngest and I to stay with them in the meantime.  What an enormous, life-saving help it has been to be in their home.  First of all, I had enough time to challenge myself to blog once a little bit every day (hence the sudden onslaught of riddlelove).  Secondly, the autumn garden has finally been given the care it needed to get started.  Most importantly, all of our love tanks have been filled instead of dangerously drained, which is what usually happens when Jeremy is away.  I'm not the only adult to prepare food, do the dishes, or play with the children.  They are pure love and magic, these parents of mine.

We celebrated my mother's birthday this week, and this post is in honor of her and what I've learned from her these past days: (Oh!  And she just started a beautiful blog of her own!)

• Nothing is more important than relationship and connection.  Not even clean floors and uninterrupted routines.
• When a toddler has just discovered the joy of books and bangs the same one on your leg that you've already read to him five times today, you stop what you're doing and read it to him, anyway.
• Slowing down to teach children neat eating etiquette is much smarter than having to deep clean the floor after every meal.
• During seasons of stress, surround yourself with loved ones to bring perspective of the big picture.
• The house only gets as dirty as you allow it.  Ignore the mess and it grows.  Tend to it immediately and the task is frequent but light.

Thanks for being so awesome, mama. xoxo

I'm sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday.