Not so much a festive mom

I think I can appreciate the different "types of moms" more today than ever before. 

I did Easter baskets for my kids! About once every three years I do this.  I am not the best "festive mom" - My sister in law Katie is an awesome "festive" mom. 

On St. Patrick's Day Hazel didn't wear any green and she may have been pinched all day. 

I DO NOT like throwing birthday parties but I love celebrating my kids. I can't "theme" anything. Although if my kids wanted a "chicken party" I could quite possibly have the right stuff. 

The Easter baskets were fun and so was the hunt for eggs but when I came inside after lots of fun outdoors Hazel asked me if she could PLEASE peel potatoes with me. She brought her little stool up to the sink, washed all the potatoes, I peeled them and she gathered all the peelings and threw them away. All the while chatting and inquiring about baking something later. The gift of time means so much.
So, potatoes boiling and Willem asks me to please go outside and watch him fly his helicopter, but Oren has a dirty diaper, I want to text Kelly and I just heard the dryer buzzer go off... that gift of time gets tricky. But if I am intentional about it, I can give it.

Some days I am good at this. Some days not so good.

When Merit was little I stressed more. Now with four I enjoy the ride. Lissa is the person who taught me how to do this. My sis in law Cary too.

I will be with friends and their children and see the different talents and gifts and am always learning and appreciating! Hazel didn't know as much as I thought she did about the true meaning of Easter. So I had a teaching opportunity yesterday. And I thought of our friends Jason and Shannon and how I think they are very good about helping their kids with the TRUE meaning. Also, their son does Bible Quizzing. What a great way to learn the Bible and have friendly competition! 

Through Longview, I have met INCREDIBLE volunteer moms!!! As Oren gets a little older I want to get better at this. Our PTA rocks!

 I learn from Maria all the time. Katie A. too... I should not even begin listing names because it would take me so long to list them all. 

I love the baseball moms. And how they enrich my life.

I love navigating motherhood with my sisters. We remain close at heart in spite of the distance.

There is not one way to do anything. And that is such a blessing because we all do things so differently.

And you know, if we stop feeling inadequate or envious, we can just learn and grow. And appreciate. And once we have an "I can learn" attitude, good things happen.