Parenting - a Learning Process!

As cliche as it sounds, becoming a parent has been one of the most wonderful things in my life.  However, it has also been the thing that makes me question myself the most.  "Am I setting a good example?" "Am I truly present enough?"  "Am I teaching them enough?" "Am I exposing them to a variety of sensory rich experiences?" "Am I guiding them to become kind, positive, confident, contributing individuals?"  "Do I provide appropriate consequences/keep my cool/teach them the preferred behavior when they act out?" "Do I look into their eyes when I tell them I love them?"
~Sometimes, I haven't a clue what to do! (sigh) So, I just make the best decision I can in the moment and roll with it!

Before I became a parent I witnessed children do things and swore “my child will never do that”. I thought because I had a lot of experience with little children from babysitting, working in daycare, taking child development classes and becoming licensed in education for ages birth-8 that I would pretty much rock at being a mom and that solutions to challenges would come with ease. I wasn’t completely naive; I knew my children wouldn’t be perfect. However, in the short two years I’ve been a parent I’ve learned so much… my child will do things I swore they wouldn’t, I don’t always have the right answer, and  sometimes I change my mind about the way I reacted to my child’s behavior.  Not every second is pure joy- but every second is a blessing. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I still have so much to learn and that I am so glad I get to experience it!


Me learning...

I've learned that it's totally cool to let your child dress them-self!

I've learned patience and humor are key when your daughter decides that her baby sister's formula should be sand for her ball pit!  Oh yeah, and that I need to keep stuff like this in a locked vault!

Evidence of the above!

I've learned that I don't need to hover over my children every time their feet aren't planted on steady ground...this is hard for me-a work in progress!

I've learned that smiles can always brighten the room!  ALWAYS

I've learned that I can pat myself on the back when my kids do something awesome-like playing together nicely and sharing!

I've learned that leaping on pillows can be much more fun than store bought toys!

I've also learned that it's okay to brag about things that make you proud, but it's most polite to listen and allow others do the same.  These two sweet things...they make me proud!

It's All About Me

Let me begin by introducing myself.  I find it hard to describe myself with few words because I am sort of flip-floppy and am still discovering myself as I grow.  I am a realist who occasionally stumps into a pessimist, but mostly walks the line of optimist!  I'm not overly confident, but I can hold my own.  I have a career; teaching little children who have special needs, that I enjoy very much.  I have a phenomenal husband; Dan, who is funny, smart, supportive, comforting, hands-on...he's the perfect man for me and has been since we started dating over a decade ago when we were 15 years old.  I also have two amazing daughters; Lilah and Amelia, who instill in me new wonder and pride every day.

This picture makes me giggle because my Amelia (left) looks so grumpy, but she is hands-down the smiliest baby I know and my Lilah (right) she is totally shy!  
That handsome man in the middle...sorry ladies; he's taken!

Basically, my brain never stops! It's constantly on the go with work to-do's, home to-do's, parenting to-do's, loving your spouse to-do's, a wish list of me to-do's!  Insanely, I love the to-do's (for the most part)!  They give me an adrenaline rush that crazies me and excites me all at the same time!  I created this blog as an outlet to take a break from the to-do's and to reflect honestly and thoughtfully about random happenings in my life.  This blog is/will be a diary of sorts for myself.  I chose to keep this blog public in hopes that I may find others who can relate.