The Mom I Am & The Mom I Want to Be

So, I just got the blog up and running and now after having put my last son to bed I can't sleep because I'm thinking of all the wonderful random thoughts I can put down in one place. I start wondering how honest I should be, how much information I should give, how many and who will be reading this. I think I've just decided to be me. For those of you that know me well, I'm a pretty straight forward person. I generally say things before I think about how to say them, though. I don't think this is a good quality, this is something I have been working on correcting for years. Being straight forward can be a good thing when used with tact and understanding of how it will come out and affect whomever you are speaking with. ANYWAY... I wasn't planning on going in this direction. I wanted to get my thoughts down regarding the mom I am and the mom I want to become. Here's the good, the bad and the ugly...

I am a mom that:

*kisses boo-boos and lets her sons cry without telling them to be a "big boy" and stop
*sings songs (terribly - LOL!) at bedtime and ends with a prayer
*rocks the baby to sleep and places him on his belly because that's how he sleeps best
*involves the kids in baking cookies when we're having a particularly rough day
*has a naughty chair and a naughty corner
*cooks two meals for supper because I have a picky son
*checks her email way too much
*loves to take pictures of the boys and share them
*doesn't get a shower every day
*loves to take the kids to the mailbox to see what we've received
*can make mountains out of molehills
*lets the kids watch waaayyy too much tv because I enjoy the peace
*bargains with the oldest child about food (2 bites of meat, 3 bites of veggie, etc) for dessert
*by 4PM is frazzled and ready for bed



I want to be a mom that:

*intentionally teaches my kids about God through example, word, study, and deed
*doesn't rush through the songs and prayer at bedtime to go plop down in front of the tv to relax
*disciplines consistently so my sons know I mean what I say
*can teach my sons respectfully that you don't always get what you want
*makes crafts with the boys without fear of the mess it will create
*can take the boys to the grocery store with a positive attitude and make it a game ie "Let's go hunt some groceries, kids!"
*gets a big book and reads a chapter aloud each night to the boys
*doesn't get overwhelmed with chores and neglect play time
*cooks healthier meals
*knows how to sew (I'm sure to have many clothes to need some stitches in the future)
*responds to her children's simple requests as quickly as I expect them to respond to mine
*takes care of herself
*doesn't shy away from telling a story when my oldest begs for one
*doesn't yell so much, get so impatient, or so frustrated
*lives simply and organized enough to not be hurried
*doesn't bargain to get the kids to eat - let them eat the amount they want and let that be that
*thinks before she speaks


Am I a good mom? Yes, I think so, most of the time. Are there improvements to be made - most definitely!

I'm sure I'll add more as time goes on, but that's what I wanted to get out before I went to sleep. I have a hard time shutting my brain off sometimes. Now I'm tired and can hopefully fall asleep quickly as little Witt is sure to be up within 2-4 hours. A mother's work is never done - we're on call 24/7... sometimes it's wonderful and sometimes it's, well... not.