"I definitely think everyone is the perfect parent until they have a kid, and everyone is a good parent until they have 2. Once you get to 3 and beyond you should get a medal for getting out of bed."

I read this today and thought it was so funny I had to save it. It was in reference to us feeling judged by other parents and how this concern impacts our parenting.

Mother's Day

I love these little people, and it is not a slight thing when they who are fresh from God love us.--Charles Dickens

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Laundry

This is what I worked on today. Not knitting, sewing, or baking a beautiful cake. Laundry. You can often find baskets of it in our bedroom. I work very hard to get it cleaned during the day but it often goes unfolded for longer than I would like. Because, truthfully, I would rather be spending time with my kids than folding laundry. And we make a lot of laundry. My husband and I both like a tidy house and continue to find it challenging to attain for longer than a few minutes. And we're okay with that, or at least we try to be. A family lives here, real people, and we live fully. We make messes, we get dirty. Real life is like that.

Art, creating, Noah style. Joyfully, freely, no one telling him what to do or how to do it. In his element. As we all should be.

There's a lot of this going on around here these days. I had forgotten this week, somehow, how simple a cure being held is. The top 2 photos were taken a while ago. Henry's hair is much longer now.

I find it easy to become overwhelmed by what I think I'm supposed to be doing during the day. Allowing messages from others to creep in and impact how I feel about my mothering. Some days are busy with 3 little ones. Busy in the most wonderful way, especially when I don't allow myself to get bogged down in negativity. My default, hold my kids. Just pick them up and hold them. Focus on the here and now. I need reminders to not allow myself to get carried away with worry. Wear your babies, Heather, I tell myself, this very well might be close to all they need. (And you, too.)

"... People with great passions, people who accomplish great deeds, people who possess strong feelings, even people with great minds and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys and girls." - L.S. Vygotsky

I took this the other day when he was watching tv. He didn't even realize I was taking it, but I felt the need to document somehow how he was wearing his new hat. Apparently the brim was getting in his way when viewing so he turned it around. And he seemed so big. Again. And then again. He had just finished telling me that he couldn't reach to wash his hands at the kitchen sink, and then he could. Just like that.