Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The Wonders of Being a Parent
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | Original Musings by
Jen
originally posted on myspace.com on June 20, 2006
Two things happened yesterday (which may not mean much to someone without kids) that reminds me why my time with Abigail is so precious. I may teach her how to write letters and we're learning to read basic words right now, but she teaches me so much more about life, my outlook, and what my priorities are. I wonder who teaches who most days.
First, after dinner with 5 other friends (and Abigail used her "good manners" through the whole meal and it was AWESOME) we went shopping for shorts for her. As we were coming out of the store (it was already 8pm, close to bedtime) we saw a duck with her ducklings swimming and drinking out of a pothole in the parking lot filled with water. We sat down on the curb (and was joined by 4 other families eventually) and despite being close to bedtime, watched those babies and their mother for about 1/2 hour until they waddled away single file. I regret taking the camera out of my purse and leaving it on my desk. It would have been a great shot.
Some of the comments Abby shared:
"That mama duck must love her babies"
:::: what can this teach us about love? ::::
"Awwwwwwe, they are sooooooo cute"
All while squeezing me around the neck telling me how much fun she was having.
:::: hmmm.... maybe we miss too many moments like this and focus too much on getting her to this activity or that :::::
Of course, it would not be an experience without the MANY, MANY questions a 4yo likes to ask. Here's a few.... most I responded with, "I don't know honey, we'll have to look it up on the computer when we get home."
"Mama, how does a mama-duck, lay that many eggs?"
"Mama, does each one have a name?"
"Mama, why do they know how to swim when they are babies, but I have to take lessons."
"Mama, can we have a pet duck?"
You get the idea.....
We talked about it the whole way home. We talked about what love means and how you show love. We talked about animals and how important they are to people and nature. We also talked a bit about the environment (because Abby asked if that water was dirty since it was in a parking lot, which I thought was a good question for a 4yo).
Overall, that 30 minutes of watching ducks and watching her share her excitement with strangers and their kids taught me a lot about priorities and how to teach my daughter and that $45 a month in ballet lessons are great, but these are the moments that matter. I could have forced the issue and said, "yeah Abby, that's cute, let's get home honey, it's bedtime", but being flexible led to a great experience for both of us. I'm not always a flexible person when it comes to things, so I was happy with the outcome.
The second thing that happened was getting her ready for bed. We brushed teeth, read our 2 books, sang 3 songs (yes, it's a long routine each night, but I enjoy it probably more than her
) and said our prayers and God-blesses (what we're thankful for). She wanted me to sleep with her for awhile and rub her back, so I climbed into her bed. After about 10 minutes, she leaned over kissed me softly on the forehead and said in a very quiet voice, as if she might wake me up, "Mama, you're my best friend".
:::: heart melting and fighting back tears :::
I realize there are times where I can't wait for her to go to her dad's (then I feel VERY guilty for even thinking that) because frankly, she wears me out somedays.
It's days like yesterday that give me a renewal of what my priorities to her are and sets me back to North on a personal level. Frankly, while the paybacks of being a parents are few and far between, moments like yesterday will carry me for a long time to come.
The wonders of making a bubble:
The wonders of "helping" me cook :
And how a simple pleasure just walking around the plaza can be....
She may not have come at the most opportune point in my life, but the experiences I've had and who I've become since having her, I wouldn't change for the world. Hands down, the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Two things happened yesterday (which may not mean much to someone without kids) that reminds me why my time with Abigail is so precious. I may teach her how to write letters and we're learning to read basic words right now, but she teaches me so much more about life, my outlook, and what my priorities are. I wonder who teaches who most days.
First, after dinner with 5 other friends (and Abigail used her "good manners" through the whole meal and it was AWESOME) we went shopping for shorts for her. As we were coming out of the store (it was already 8pm, close to bedtime) we saw a duck with her ducklings swimming and drinking out of a pothole in the parking lot filled with water. We sat down on the curb (and was joined by 4 other families eventually) and despite being close to bedtime, watched those babies and their mother for about 1/2 hour until they waddled away single file. I regret taking the camera out of my purse and leaving it on my desk. It would have been a great shot.
Some of the comments Abby shared:
"That mama duck must love her babies"
:::: what can this teach us about love? ::::
"Awwwwwwe, they are sooooooo cute"
All while squeezing me around the neck telling me how much fun she was having.
:::: hmmm.... maybe we miss too many moments like this and focus too much on getting her to this activity or that :::::
Of course, it would not be an experience without the MANY, MANY questions a 4yo likes to ask. Here's a few.... most I responded with, "I don't know honey, we'll have to look it up on the computer when we get home."
"Mama, how does a mama-duck, lay that many eggs?"
"Mama, does each one have a name?"
"Mama, why do they know how to swim when they are babies, but I have to take lessons."
"Mama, can we have a pet duck?"
You get the idea.....
We talked about it the whole way home. We talked about what love means and how you show love. We talked about animals and how important they are to people and nature. We also talked a bit about the environment (because Abby asked if that water was dirty since it was in a parking lot, which I thought was a good question for a 4yo).
Overall, that 30 minutes of watching ducks and watching her share her excitement with strangers and their kids taught me a lot about priorities and how to teach my daughter and that $45 a month in ballet lessons are great, but these are the moments that matter. I could have forced the issue and said, "yeah Abby, that's cute, let's get home honey, it's bedtime", but being flexible led to a great experience for both of us. I'm not always a flexible person when it comes to things, so I was happy with the outcome.
The second thing that happened was getting her ready for bed. We brushed teeth, read our 2 books, sang 3 songs (yes, it's a long routine each night, but I enjoy it probably more than her
) and said our prayers and God-blesses (what we're thankful for). She wanted me to sleep with her for awhile and rub her back, so I climbed into her bed. After about 10 minutes, she leaned over kissed me softly on the forehead and said in a very quiet voice, as if she might wake me up, "Mama, you're my best friend".:::: heart melting and fighting back tears :::
I realize there are times where I can't wait for her to go to her dad's (then I feel VERY guilty for even thinking that) because frankly, she wears me out somedays.
It's days like yesterday that give me a renewal of what my priorities to her are and sets me back to North on a personal level. Frankly, while the paybacks of being a parents are few and far between, moments like yesterday will carry me for a long time to come.
The wonders of making a bubble:
The wonders of "helping" me cook :
And how a simple pleasure just walking around the plaza can be....
She may not have come at the most opportune point in my life, but the experiences I've had and who I've become since having her, I wouldn't change for the world. Hands down, the best thing that has ever happened to me.
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