mothering moments

Weekend report coming soon, but in the meantime, I had a mothering-sort of day.  We needed groceries when we got home, badly, but it hasn’t happened yet.  I needed a day at home- a changing sheets, laundry, coloring, reading, actually preparing dinner sort of day.  The littles were asleep when Coop got home from school so we worked on his travel journal together.  He had the assignment to document his trip and needed to finish it up.  Then we sat down and read together for a while.  It was nice to have quiet time with him as so often there are other little people involved in our activities.  Tonight as we sat down to read before bed, Seneca read me a story, then Beckham read me a story.  They have heard their books so much that they retell them very well. 

Cooper had a rough time tonight at his tough kids/ swim class.  He whacked his nose against one of the jumping boxes and was trying to be so brave in front of the other kids but it hurt!  Then the pool water was cold… he was just having a rough time.  We left early when I saw the tears were constant and the frustration high.  We lay in bed tonight and he said that he could maybe try it one more time as last week is the last class.  He is a tender kid and while I want him to be tough and strong, I love that he will still curl up by me and talk.  He gave me the sweetest Mother’s Day gifts that he had prepared at school, his thoughtfulness very apparent. 

As we did oils at bedtime and got everyone tucked in, I remembered something I read this week to the effect that “her children never thought she needed a break from them.  They were her break.”  That is not how I have lived recently.  I look forward to the breaks I have but need to remember the big picture and how much I wanted these little ones and how much they enrich my life.  I don’t want them to think that I need a break from them, but that I enjoy the time we spend together.  It’s a constant process… this mothering business.