A Good Reminder

I have been trying to accomplish things today. So, I let my kids play somewhat unsupervised. They in turn make messes and I get upset. During their quiet time today, I read the following quote from Rattled, Surviving your Baby's First Year Without Losing your Cool by Trish Berg. It struck a chord and was a reminder I needed.

On one particularly busy day, I was trying to get supper prepared, and I practically pierced my big toe on a Polly Pocket doll. I was already grumpy--I'd had little sleep the night before because baby Riley decided to throw an all-night slumber party. As pain shot through my foot, I shouted at Sydney, "Pick up your things and put them away!"

Sydney looked up at me with tears in her big blue eyes. "Mommy," she whimpered, "I was waiting for you to play with me."

Bam. Shot fired. Direct hit to my heart.

I sank down onto the cold kitchen linoleum and suddenly realized how selfish I had been that day. I hadn't spent a single minute playing with Sydney. I was checking off my to-do list in battle mode, fighting alien interference with my agenda. In the blink of an eye, I suddenly understood how this was affecting my daughter.

I held out my arms, and Sydney crawled up into my lap to snuggle. She put her skinny arms around my neck, squeezed as tightly as she could, and cried. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I'll pick them up."

Bam. Second shot fired. Now the guilt was sinking in.

So I did what any alien mom would do. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and held on tight. Sydney whispered, "Mommy, will you play Polly with me?"

My heart melted. I had been running so fast, keeping up such a pace, t hat I had forgotten who I was. I may be a neatnik at heart, but God made me a mom.

In that moment, I let go of my agenda. Cleaning the house was not as important as spending time with Sydney. I hugged her tight and told her I loved her. Then we sat in the middle of the kitchen and played Polly Pocket."