On being a mother

"My children..."

"I have a three year old and a one year old..."

"My kiddos..."

"My daughter..."

"My son..."

It never gets old to say these words.

I still catch myself thinking, "I can't believe I can say those words".  When Bella was born, Mike and I often said to eachother, "Isn't it crazy that we can say _____ (insert words like daughter, little girl, baby)?".  When JT was born, we said the same thing but the words that were inserted would now be "children, kids, son AND daughter".

I catch myself looking at them - wishing I had a camera to capture the moment - but not wanting to look away for fear of missing the moment.

This happened yesterday.  I was pumping gas and had the back windows open.  Bella and I were talking and JT was "talking" to us too.  I looked at both of my kids smiling at me and captured the moment in my mind while thinking, "Gosh, I love these kids".

It happened earlier this week.  We all went out to check on our vegetable garden. Bella saw a cat and, as she smiled from ear to ear, skipped towards it to not disturb it. She then crept (very gracefully, I might add) closer to it with a big smile on her face whispering to it.  I captured that sweet moment in my mind. My daughter in complete happiness at the cat.  Her gentleness, her happiness, her warmth.

It happened this morning when I picked JT up out of his crib.  He'll look at me and then put his head on my shoulder for a hug. This repeats until he hears his sister talking or he remembers he's hungry.  I capture those moments in my mind.

I don't want to forget those special moments of being a mom.  Being a mom also means cleaning up poops and pees, fixing a glass of water for the 18th time today, responding to lots of "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy", and doing the many other unseen tasks and love-duties throughout the day.  The majority of the time there is not a thank you.  There are not many appreciative glances.  And there are definitely not many prayers of thankfulness from my kiddos because of discipline.

But, what there is are the captured moments of a little girl skipping towards a cat, a little boy smiling to make sure i'm looking at him and then hugging me, and two precious children that I can call my own.  I do not take this lightly as I have some friends who recently lost their children too early.  So, i'm reminded of the preciousness of my own kids.  Of being their mom.  For they are the ones that made me a mom.

Mother's Day - 2012.