Mother's Day 2012

Things I have learned about being a mother this last year:

1. Have more fun. There is time for order, there are times for rules but there has to be a balance with fun, crazy, wacky and chaos.
2. They are children, not mini-adults.
3. That having your daughter cuddle in bed next to you at night is to be cherished. All to soon she will grow up and not want that close time.
4. There are never too many kisses, given or taken.
5. My daughter is a LOT like me and I need to remind myself of that when we disagree about something.
6. Time is going by way too fast and while I don't want to slow it down I do want to breathe the joy of it all in more.
7. Experiences are priceless and we are all learning during the process.
8. It's all a phase (good and challenging). Like the weather in Colorado you just have to wait a while and it will pass.
9. Being calmer in a stressful situation ALWAYS produces a better result.
10. Getting worked up ALWAYS results in Reed and Lucia getting worked up.
11. While I loved being the mother of one, my love multiplied not divided being the mother of two.
12. I can't be the best mother I can be without the love and support of my husband and their dad.
13. I am only as old as I feel.
14. I have amazing role models of good mothering in my friends and family.
15. Laughter is contagious

I am so grateful for my mom, my mother-in-law and for the love of my super sweet, super crazy kids. It was a great day today with breakfast with Pam, an afternoon nap and an evening playing with my family in the warm Seattle sunshine.