Being A Mom of Three

I am finally back to blogging, even if only for one post, it's better than nothing.  I love to write and I constantly have "bloggy" type thoughts running through my mind, but seldom find the time and energy to dedicate to blogging.  My time is spent doing things like changing diapers, helping with homework, coming up with new and exciting recipes for (boring) chicken, and driving to and from piano lessons and football practices.  Never a dull moment, never anything I can't handle with the support of a good strong cup of coffee, and never anything I don't absolutely love doing.

I always wanted but never imagined I would have three children.  When Isaac and I first met he made it very clear--crystal clear in fact, that he did not want children.  Not one, not two, and certainly, SURELY not three.  Well, as I have mentioned in previous posts, he is a great big softy and couldn't help but acquiesce to my demands wishes.

So here we are with three beautiful, bright, challenging but so worth it, kids.  They keep me on my toes to say the least and sometimes, just sometimes, they wear me down to the very essence of who I am as a mother and person.  After Ezra was born there were several nights I was so stressed, cooking dinner seemed an impossible task.  Heck, in all honesty, there were nights I didn't get a shower or failed to brush my teeth, again.  Somehow I'd wake up the next morning, wipe away the crust of yesterday's tears, and do it all over again.

Things are so much more clear now.  Whether it was the hormonal brain fog of having just had a baby, the everyday brain fog that is par for the course of having children, or the zombie like state I was in due to lack of sleep--it molded me into a much more attentive mom.  I realize now that I have not had much mommy and me time with Zeke or Nomi.  I haven't raced Zeke in the park (only to lose horribly), haven't gotten my toes "did" with Nomi, haven't shushed them in the movie theater while passing contraband store bought snacks between the three of us.  And I certainly have not lived in the moment enough or enjoyed those moments when time stands still and allows me to soak in the bigness and the beauty my children have become.  I want to do more of that, pause and watch and enjoy, really enjoy my children.

If I haven't said it before I will say it now, children are refreshingly forgiving.  Lord knows I have made mistakes on this road of parenting.  But thank God they love me in spite of those mistakes.  Thank God my children still call out to me in the night when dreams get the best of them.  Thank God they still feel safe in my arms, hug me tight (when their friends aren't looking), and tell me sorry when they think they've hurt my feelings.  I don't ever want them to stop loving me, God knows I will never, ever stop loving them.

We did make a list (as usual) of things we want to accomplish this summer.  Here is a short list of things we would like to do:

• Make homemade ice cream (we do this every summer)
• Go fishing and camping (we'll have to Google the fishing thing, LOL)
• Take a family vacation (working on Hawaii)
• Go on hikes
• Go to the American Girl store in San Francisco
• Visit the Redwoods--it's a magical place, it really is!
• Dip our feet in the water of Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
• Eat til our heart is content at one of the eateries featured on Triple D.

Any recommendations on places near Sacramento for a nice day trip?

xoxo