A Good Day

 As a mother to two little ones (O. - two and a half years and C - ten months) I often find myself reflecting on how I react and respond to the kids. I have worked hard to maintain a calm demeanor, to be a relaxing and reassuring influence rather than a stressed and anxious one, and despite my best efforts I sometimes feel that I have failed.

I often find myself thinking: I need to be better, to do better.

I wonder if it's postpartum anxiety or just my personality in play. 

I decide it doesn't matter because I'm not going to fail my little ones by blindly barrelling through life without asking myself if I'm doing the best that I can for them, for myself, for my family. 

Today, however, was not that day. 

Today I crossed everything off my to-do list: I organized, I cleaned, I mopped, baked cookies, did a grocery run, and spent time playing, reading, and singing with the kids. 

I managed to achieve the much sought after simultaneous naps for O and C. I snagged a nap for myself as well. 

We climbed for a good two/three hours in the afternoon with a good friend. O stopping only briefly for a babyccino, some fruit and puffs, and a few sips of water before getting back on the wall to climb up to his best friend, Owl. (No imagination required here, it's a large stuffed owl that he carries around with him everywhere).

C crawled around on the mats, observed O, the other climbers, and the route setters. She resisted a stroller nap, ate a bunch of fruit, and climbed up and down on tables, chairs, couches, and climbing mats as well. 

Playtime, dinner time, bedtime. Check, check, check. No tantrums, no yelling, no screaming. All by myself while my husband was a at a work event.

I feel like a super mom. If I could bottle up and sell this calm, content feeling I would but it would probably be illegal.