The beautiful and talented Casey has asked me to write a guest post while she is hopefully resting after pushing a small human out of a very tiny area.  (The fact that someone would call 10 small centimeters “fully” dilated just astounds me.  But that’s a topic for another day.)  Casey asked me to discuss something I’ve taught my children that I hope they never forget.  Nothing promotes such thoughts of maternal legacy (and ice chips) like a person in labor.

This has actually been something I have been thinking about lately.  What exactly have I imparted to my children?  This past year I have taught my children at home.  Yes, you read that correctly, I’m a homeschooling mom.  Now at this very moment, many of you are questioning my sanity and mentally picturing me wearing a denim jumper surrounded by a herd of socially inept children.  For the record let me state that my level of sanity is decent (today was a good day), I don’t own any kind of jumper (let alone a denim one), and I ‘only’ have three very social children (which occasionally feels like three too many.)

This past year I have taught my three year old how to write her name.  I’ve taught my son how to do long division and my middle child how to multiply.  Together, they’ve learned where Australia, Africa, and Antarctica are on a map.  They know the capital of China and that haikus came from Japan.  We have discussed the differences and similarities between Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.  We have studied the lives of influential leaders like Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.  We have underlined prepositional phrases and circled adjectives.  There have been science experiments and art projects.  We’ve read books, had piano lessons, and taken swimming classes.

And I hope they remember it all.  Every last bit of it.  Especially if they are ever on Jeopardy!  I’d love to hear one of my offspring say in a charming, well adjusted voice, “You know, Alex, I owe my 52 day win and cash prizes of more than $1.6 million to my beautiful mother.  She taught me everything I know.  So now, I’m going to buy her a beachfront condo.”  Because that?  Would be AWESOME.

But.  If I had to, I could narrow it down to two things I hope my children never forget.  Two things that I hope I have taught them to do.   The first one is:  You help the people you love when they need it.  You help them when it isn’t convenient, when it isn’t easy, when it isn’t fun.  You help them, even if part of you would rather be doing something else.  You help them grieve or you help them celebrate.  You wipe their tears or clean their bathroom.  Because loving people means serving them.

The second thing I hope my children remember is this:  Sometimes you have to say no.  Sometimes you have to put yourself first and say ‘I can’t help you today.’  There are times you need to unplug the phone, clear your schedule and take care of you.  When you truly need to do that, it isn’t selfish and it isn’t something you should feel guilty about doing.  It is loving yourself.  And that is as important as loving others.

If my children can remember these two things, I will feel like a success.   Even better?  They will have become a success.

****************

Ami can be found at her fresh shiny new blog here. The one I forced her to start, also known as the one she’s so happy she started. She’s going to buy a farm near us and raise pigs, I adore her. She is also in the midst of losing her daddy to cancer. She’s a jewel. I hope you like her as much as I do.

****************

This post is also part of Tiny Prints Mother’s Day Campaign All Tiny Prints Mother’s day cards (and Father’s day cards) are completely customizable and can be sent straight to your mama or papa. Cards can even be scheduled ahead of time, while it’s probably too late for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is just around the corner. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign and am very much sharing with Ami. Opinions and statements are our own.

My 29th birthday is tomorrow. From the looks of things (my cervix) I’ll be able to enjoy some time with my sister, a good nap and something delicious for dinner. Then again, things could all change in the next 15 minutes, that’s the thing about carrying a full grown human baby in your stomach. You’re kind of at their mercy.

I have a friend who isn’t ready to have her baby come out yet in the hospital because somewhere something decided to poke a little hole in her baby’s swimming pool. I have another friend who’s cervix is ready to throw a birth canal parade but her baby isn’t quite ready. I also have so many more friends who have never made it as far as I have. I may not be up for any awards in the “getting pregnant easily” category but when it comes to baking them? I’m Gordon’s Volvo P1800. I dare you to bust this baby out before she’s ready.

We are all so lucky to be where we’re at with something in our lives. Our family, our friends, our health, our dainty wrists, the way the sun shines into our bedroom in the morning. Other people would see our individual blessings as a burden (“Blech! I would never want to be pregnant again!“) while others would give up all they had to be where we’re at.

If I’ve learned one thing over the last year it’s this…

Another person’s happiness deserves to be celebrated with all I am able to give. Is it always easy? No. Jealously can be a cruel wench. But the more I do it, the easier it becomes. And the easier it becomes the easier it is to see the blessings in my own life, which in turn allows me to celebrate the wonderful in others lives as well.

I hope to never be known as a miserable person.

What is the most wonderful thing going on in your life at this very moment?

I would now like to present a list of things that I panicked about with Addie that turned out to be nothing worth panicking about.

• everything.
• all things.
• every little thing.
• the works.
• and everything else.

There was actually a time I worried that I would have to learn how to swaddle a three year old. Cody worried that she’d never have any manual dexterity because I kept scratch mitts on her for the first two weeks. I was pretty sure she’d take a bottle to preschool, diapers to Kindergarten and still have a binky in middle school on top of the fact that she’d never sleep in a real bed ever.

The kid learned to sleep unswaddled after a couple of nights.

She has the manual dexterity of a surgeon. (you know, more or less.)

The switch from bottle to sippy was seamless and complete in one day.

She was fully potty trained by within a couple of weeks. (albeit LONG weeks.)

She not only sleeps in a real bed without falling out, she can sleep in a bunk bed without falling out.

And while the binky was by far the most traumatic of all the aforementioned events? She still loves me, can walk in a straight line and form complete sentences.

To those of you who have yet to become moms, freaking out is fun! It’s a part of this whole process! I’d be ridiculous to tell you not to freak out because you’re going to freak out no matter what because if you break this kid? IT’S YOUR FAULT. Or at least that’s what society wants you to believe. You’re not going to break your kid. Or maybe you will once, and you’ll feel horrible but really, it’s okay, they’re resilient little critters.

If you already are a mom (or dad), do tell, what did you freak out over that ended up being nothing at all? I’d like some comforting reassurance that my inevitable panic episodes with this next baby are totally justifiable. I know my mom worried my handwriting would never EVER be legible. Not only is my handwriting legible, IT’S FONT WORTHY. HA!

*********************

This post is part of Tiny Prints Mother’s Day Campaign All Tiny Prints Mother’s day cards (and Father’s day cards) are completely customizable and can be sent straight to your mama or papa. Cards can even be scheduled ahead of time, you know, in case you’re forgetful like me. Which reminds me, I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, all opinions and statements are my own.

Most people who know me know that I am lukewarm to the existence of Canada Geese. Especially when their existence takes to slapping their goofy feet on the roof over my head and relentlessly honking at their buddies down on the ground when the windows are open.

Canada Geese are the drunk frat boys of the bird world.

But here’s the thing.

Canada Geese are monogamous, they find a mate when they’re two years old and stay with that mate their entire lives, which could be as long as 24 years. That’s kind of endearing right? However it doubles whatever honking happens to be around since the critters travel in pairs.

There’s a sad goose in a field by our house. He has no mate, I’m assuming something awful happened to her. He just walks back and forth all day long. Waiting. Waiting for her to come back? Waiting for someone to come rescue him? Geese can and usually do find new mates, but what about the interim? The waiting? How long will he wait? I highly doubt his little bird heart and bird brain can feel the type of pain I’m projecting onto him…but I learned a lesson from that sad goose out in the field.

Anyone can hurt. Even stupid, stupid geese.

And just because I don’t like someone or something doesn’t make their hurt any less hurty.

I hope to see that sad goose with a new lady soon. The thought of our sad goose dying in a field of a broken bird heart is too much for me. However I’m grateful in a strange way to that goose for teaching me just a little bit more about compassion, especially when it comes to those I don’t especially like.

Last night I plugged in my desktop…on which the screen saver is every photo I have ever taken.

I’m not entirely sure how long I sat in front of the monitor, but I do know by the time I went to bed the newest Groupon deal had been posted.

Growing up I never wanted kids, who knew it would become my best and most favorite job on the entire planet.

I could look at pictures of her all day (and all night apparently.)

Oh, she makes me happy. I only hope I do the same for her.

This mom gig, it’s good stuff.

Are you the mom you had pictured in your head?

******************

This post is part of Tiny Prints Mother’s Day Campaign All Tiny Prints Mother’s day cards (and Father’s day cards) are completely customizable and can be sent straight to your mama or papa. Cards can even be scheduled ahead of time, you know, in case you’re forgetful like me. Which reminds me, I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, all opinions and statements are my own.