Missing Moments

It’s barely early afternoon, and I already know I won’t be getting the Mommy Award today.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are busy…and stressful. Because I leave for work at 4:30, I have to make sure that Mae and Tobin have something to eat for dinner…and pb & j is really only ok every other week or so.

They like REAL dinner…can’t say I blame them too much. 😉

I’ve also been slightly procrastinating a blog post that I need to finish by tonight to keep myself on track…and I haven’t found the time to string the words together yet.

And in between getting all of that ready and spending all day with my girl, I’ve found myself losing my patience with her 

so much more quickly.

I think part of it is Mae’s age, but I KNOW that most of it is me.

Mae is dying to be close

to me all the time and wants to help me do everything. Her idea of being helpful

? Throwing EVERYTHING into the kitchen garbage.

No matter what I try, she just can’t seem to understand that not everything belongs in the trash can…she just loves to “help”.

It’s almost as cute as it is annoying, and I truly think she’s trying to be helpful, but after fishing things out of it over and over all morning, I finally lost it.

And I yelled.

The look on her face said everything, and I knew I’ d completely messe

d up.

I took a few deep breaths, counted, and went over to her.

I love kids and how quickly they forget.

She held her arms up, and when I picked her up she gave me a hug. I sat down with her on the couch and talked to her about staying out of

the garbage.

I know she doesn’t get it yet.

But that’ s not the point.

I also asked her to forgive me and prayed with her.

I know she doesn’t get that yet, either, but that’s really not the point.

I’m finding that on busy days when I have an agenda and so many things I feel like I need to accomplish, I miss out on the moments that make up a day.

My girl is 16 months old, and she’s already growing up too fast.

She’s down for a nap now, and she’ll probably wake up just before I leave for work.

I’ll get a few minutes with her, and then I won’t see her again until tomorrow morning.

Another day gone.

And how many of those moments did I take today? I sat down to read a few books with her, I played the stacking toy with her, I took a (very, very) short walk outside with her.

But I don’t w ant to miss

those precious hugs, those sweet giggles, those times I can’t get back…any of them…because I’ m too focused on

making dinner or finishing a blog post or making a grocery list.

I don’t want to miss a day.

A moment.

A second.

Tobin and Maelie might have to order a pizza more often, but at least I’ll know that I spent my days in the best possible way I could.

Because I didn’t miss any moments.