Mothering

An unexpected Mother's day gift showed up unconventionally around midnight last night when our hallway filled up with water from a broken pipe. Some servicemen were called out to come extract the water. About this same time, two of Braden's brothers showed up to pick him up for their cross country trek to help the Silver Fox move. The cleaners spoke Spanish, as do the three hermanos. I told the guys to ask him what he would charge to clean the carpet in my dining room (either this is my last carpeted dining room, or my kids eat on our doorstep for every meal. Forever. Rain or shine. I mean it). The dude says 30 bucks. I said 15 bucks and a book that is guaranteed to change your life. So Reese paid the guy 30 bucks and my carpets are cleaned.(And it turns out, he is interested in the book). I made Anabelle eat on a towel today. Not sure when or if the kids get to return from their exile to all rooms tiled. Look at me shining on Mother's day. That probably wasn't as sad as when I dumped a pile of Cheerios on the floor for dinner for the girls to eat so I could fall asleep for 10 minutes. (That being said, I must congratulate myself on a huge parenting accomplishment this week in Anabelle's grooming. I successfully cut her fingernails, toenails, and her rat-tail mullet. Some of you know the struggle with the nails. Oh, the struggle. We have tried grandparents, uncles, aunts, friends, shameless bribery, and one morning I wrestled her to the ground and physically restrained her-no small feat. It was not my best idea. Not a glorious memory. But she got her nails painted as a reward and her hair no longer fits with the Alabama general public).

Then someone knocked on the door and it was our friend Jared. He handed me a huge bouquet of beautiful flowers. I wanted to say, "Uh, does Stephanie know you're here"? Turns out Braden took him the flowers before he left so they could be delivered to me today. There's no explaining that to Anabelle though. She keeps saying, "they're not from Daddy, they're from Jared". Good. Hope she spreads that around the ward real quick.

I also got invited into Anabelle's nursery class at church today for a special Mother's day treat. I was bracing myself for the usual nursery setup: all other kids running to their parents anxiously, throwing their arms around them and yelling their names happily. Meanwhile Anabelle either runs the other way, yells "NOOOO, I DONT WANT TO GO HOME!", or my personal favorite where she runs to you making you feel excited only to push you out the door yelling, "GO!". She lives for nursery and cheese. But, she was cuddly and loving with me and very sweet. She gave me a handmade craft to pin on my shirt and I said, "Oh! You made this for me?!" and she casually said, "Nah. Julienne did". At least she's honest.

Mother's Day has become not only a day of appreciation for my own Mom, but an immense gratitude for the blessing of being a mother myself. It has allowed me see my own Mom in a new way. To know something of her sleepless nights, her worry, her tender care, her pleading prayers- gives me a deeper gratitude for her service.

Nothing has changed me more, challenged me, rewarded me, aggravated me, lifted me, made me cry, brought more joy and laughter than has motherhood. When I found out I was pregnant with Anabelle I was preparing for grad school and had loved my post college jobs. I feared that I would feel unfulfilled and that I would miss work. There have maybe been five days where that has been the case. If I had a PhD I wouldn't miss the chance of raising these kids and being their Mom. One day I'll go back to work and start raking in the cash doing social work again. But until then, Anabelle is about all the social work I can handle.

I am thankful everyday that I get to be a Mom. With all that I am, in the deepest most sincere and raw parts of my soul, I love being a Mom.


Aldridge in the Fall

Me looking fabulous (clearly) while doing Buns of Steel with Anabelle- a highlight of my day. I had the camera out because I was trying to capture her working it. That's pretty much my goal for the month of May. I warned you about the lowering standards.

Making Lila laugh. Not hard- she's an easy crowd. If you can't make Lila laugh there is a good chance you are mostly dead.