Dora Dominoes

After a busy morning, the baby was resting quietly. I was on my way toward the computer to check out the blogs, but I saw Jessica's Dora Dominoes scattered on the floor. It was obvious to me that I was making a choice. Today I think I made a good one.

On the Monday after General Conference Weekend, I'm fully aware that I need to up my game in the mothering department. This is where I need to focus and improve.

Let's review - I'm the girl that graduated from BYU with a bachelors degree in Human Development from the College of Family Sciences. I took parenting classes and various child development courses. I believe in motherhood. What a sacred privilege. My days are monotonous (how many times did I sweep up banana bread crumbs today?), exhausting, repetitious, taxing, and left unfinished. Most of what I do goes unnoticed and often unappreciated. But I believe that a mother's legacy is irreplaceable. Moreover (isn't that a cool way to start a sentence?), I believe that Heavenly Father sent my children to me - despite my resume of weaknesses - trusting that I'd help them in ways that only I can. The responsibility is huge. It's the job I've always wanted and willingly and lovingly embraced.

Well believing it and knowing all the theories isn't the same as doing it well. Children really do know how to ride the nerves & amp up chaos. I love my children, but chaos makes me crazy. I'm TERRIBLE at "enjoying the journey." I'm TERRIBLE at valuing the process. It's often like torture to me. Teaching children to work makes for more whine than I can digest. Teaching children limits induces more tantrums than I thought possible. Teaching children gratitude and respect sometimes seems impossible. And please tell me HOW you teach children to be still or be quiet or stop bugging while we are trying to pray, read, scriptures, or listen to church. It's constant motion around here. All of it is simply harder than it looks.

{step off soapbox & lower voice}

Anyway, because of Conference & my renewed desire to be a better mother, I asked Jessica if she'd like to play dominoes with me. We had a delightful game. When she started to cheat so she could play all of her tiles first, I decided that teaching her to play by the rules was not the point today. Today was about Mom having time to be together with just her. Today was about giving praise for matching her tiles. Today mommy agreed to play a second game instead of rushing off. Today was a day that perhaps both of us can remember later.

Motherhood really is about moments & I want more memorable ones in my life.

What better way to lock the momories in my mind than with a picture, so I grabbed the camera. But given the late hour, they are SOOC (straight out of the camera - not edited) and today that is going to be okay with me.