The best days of my life

"No use to shout at them to pay attention. If the situations, the materials, the problems before the child do not interest him, his attention will slip off to what does interest him, and no amount of exhortation of threats will bring it back." --John Holt

I'm loving living a full life! Well, I do have lots of responsibilities, too. But I am not living for a paycheck, or for a person. I am living for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and husband. But now that our children are not babies, and hubby is not working out of town--or in Iraq, I have been loving doing more things I WANT TO DO. I don't get to do what I want all the time. However, when I can I immerse myself in what makes me feel alive. It makes the daily grind (laundry, dishes, grumpies, sickies) seem less tedious. Some of the things that make me feel alive include: getting to know other moms, seeing movies I always wanted to see, cooking, spring cleaning, going on walks by myself, talking on the phone to friends and family, listening to music, writing on my blog, photography, and playing WoW. My favorite thing lately has been playing Toon Town with Camden (4.5). The boys and I have been staying up late and sleeping in. We are letting our love for life dictate our lives, not a clock. It feels really awesome. Also, can you believe I saw these movies for the first time within the past month?
Almost Famous; Seven Years In Tibet; Little Shop of Horrors; and Amadeus

I see the joy on my boys' faces. It makes me feel so complete to see them learning through real life experiences. They are intelligent, funny, and interesting as all get out. It is free comedy, too! They see me doing what I love, too. They hear me talk about my hopes and dreams. Sometimes it is easy to put them first. But now that they are old enough to reason with, most of the time, I find it easier to meet my needs, and theirs as well. The tricky part is making sure not to forget about my darling husband! He gets so busy with college that it is easy to put him on the back burner. Today he came home and gave me a really big hug. It feels good to be loved and appreciated. Of course, there are some days he is stressed out and overwhelmed too. And those moments remind us to step back, and realize, "this is all temporary."

"Education is a private matter between the person and the world of knowledge and experience, and has little to do with school or college." --Lillian Smith

I love that life can be as simple or as complicated as we choose for it to be. Right now, I'm just excited to take life slow, and enjoy the simple pleasures in life---like immersing myself in every day miracles, trials, and tribulations. This period in time may come to be "the best days of my life."

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~Abraham Lincoln

Love and gratitude,
Heather
xoxox