HAVE SIPPI CUP... WILL TRAVEL

A self portrait... my life as a Mommy. It is busy, fun, tiring, rewarding, stressful at times, overwhelming at times, and has made my heart grow 3 times larger.... and did I say FUN! ?

Well, I was thinking like I normally do, about a million things at once. Here is how I got to the point I wanted to mention: Watching the last episode of the bachelor (if you don't watch this show you wont get the rest of this thought process until the end, sorry) and then the after the rose ceremony... What the! Are you kidding me!! Ok wait, maybe this is the right thing for this guy, Molly did seem like she was more ready to be a Mother, like Mr. Jones pointed out, Melissa seemed to act more like a babysitter to Ty and Molly more like a mother. Mother.... man I am soooo lucky to be a mother! Especially to two such wonderful little spirits... man my kids are smart! And I can say that because their genetic make up as nothing to do with me. How did I get so lucky?! Well, I can take credit for some of their characturistics... I am raising them. And dang it I work SO hard to be a good Mom, to be the best Mom I can be. It really takes a lot of sacrafice to be a good Mom, lots of dedication. Integrity... yeah Jason did have integrity in this situation I guess..... it takes integrity to be a good parent. It also takes physical work, tons of Christ like love, sticking to your guns and not giving in, lots of your time and patience. How do I know what to do? How do I make desisions on how to raise my kids? It's thanks to all of the amazing Mothers that I know, I think about what makes each of them an amazing Mom (I think every Mom's way is unique and special, especially the amazing Moms) and I try to find out why they are amazing in different aspects of Mother hood.
Like my Mom- She is amazing at teaching self reliance- how does she do it? She teaches "how to" insead of "I'll just do it because it is easier". She teaches me to teach my children. To give them responsibility and to not jump out of my chair at every little thing, but to let them see if they can help themselves first.
And my mother-in-law Melinda- she is amazing at showing children her love for them. How does she do it? She is an open book of feelings. She tells them and shares with them and is so open with them. She is not afraid to get emotional. She helps teach me to tell my kids often how greatful I am for them, how wonderful they are, and how much I love them.
And my sister Michelle- she is amazing at having patience with children. And getting them to calm down and guide them to the better decision. How does she do it? She's witty and fun and keeps her voice really soft and uses a more reasoning approach with them. She helps teach me to take a breath, calm down, and talk with my kids, help them get over their frustration, redirect their attention. She teaches me to not let them get away with things, but to discipline with love.
And my sis-in-law Chelsea- She is a great example of dedication and selflessness. How does she do it? She really has her world revolve around her children. It seems every decision she makes is for them first. She helps teach me to not get too wrapped up in myself.

So, I can say, if I end up being half the mother as all the amazing Mothers I use as examples, all the credit can go to them. Yes, I have natural instincts in many aspects of motherhood, but much of who I am as a mother comes from other mother's examples.
SO, I guess that is my approach to motherhood. Follow the examples of all the other wonderful women in my life. I think it is working pretty well for me so far, but being a good Mommy is always a work in progress in my mind. It is the dedication I am sure of, I am 100% dedicated to my children, my life is lived to raise them up and help them become the best selves they can be. I am luck to have so much to work with with these two. They really are amazing children and I am blessed to be their Mommy.