Things I learn from my kids:

1. It's so important to just stay balanced.

This has been a tough one lately.  I have definitly not been bringing my A game.  You think I'm kidding?  Kate moved to Chicago. As in, one way ticket.  My awesome and amazing family, all take her to the airport and I leave my camera at home. Seriously? That is so, not me.  I'm really not kidding about this camera thing. It used to be attached to my hip. Lately, I can barely remember a diaper, much less my camera.  But, balance.  I can balance it all when I try. When I slow down, put my arms out, slow my steps, and concentrate. When I breathe. When I take a deep, deep breath and look at them.  Not a day goes by that I don't stop and look at them and think 'they're doing it again...growing, changing, amazing me--every single day.'  It's all about balance.  They remind me every.single.day.

Oh, and smart phones are cool for taking pics too.  Which is another reason I should have one...

Which brings me to lesson number 2.

2. Show up.  Just be there.



For these kids, the big and the small, I will always show up.  They teach me to show up for them every day.  On Wednesday morning, piled into our van was Genivieve, Zoey, me, Isabella, Declan, Quinn, and Kate. And in front of us, Taylor, Kelly, mom, and Eleanor.  Schedules were re-arranged, days were taken off from work, Gen and Zoey came in from Norfolk. We were taking Kate to the airport and the kids knew that she was moving to Chicago. Isabella cried as we left the airport. She got it.  She wanted Kate. She knew that Chicago was very far away...a plane ride away.  Not twenty minutes away anymore.  We showed up. They saw what siblings do for each other, how they show up for each other.  I think it's pretty amazing.  And Isabella and her sweet, old soul.  She broke my heart.  She has a special relationship with all of my siblings because she was the first.  My sweet, sweet girl, loves her aunts and uncle so very deeply and I love that about her.

3.  Sometimes it's okay if you're just not feeling it.

Declan was just not feeling the hair cut that we had scheduled for him last week.  He usually loves getting his hair cut (I usually do not love his hair being cut).  But for some reason, that day, he was just not feeling it.  He clung tightly to my neck and wouldn't budge. We sat in the chair and he burst into tears.  I tried to calm him down. I'm not gonna lie...I pretty much bribed him with a million ice cream cones and lollipops.  He just wanted to go home.  He was loud.  I was embarrassed sympathetic, so we left.  I felt really terrible, so I crossed my fingers and rescheduled.  The second time, he still clung to my neck, but we worked it out. He sat in my lap and as the seconds ticked by, his tense body relaxed, he smiled, flirted, and laughed.  And then it was over.  It's okay if some days you just want to cry, hold on tight, and go home.  Pretty sure I felt just that way today....

4.  Put all judgement aside. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

I'd say, about 90% of the time we are in public, Quinn wants to nurse.  She pushes her little body to the side, nuzzles in and says "I nurse, I nurse."  It's comfort, it's nourishment, it's relaxing and she loves it.  I love her. So we find a place and we nurse.  Sometimes, like walking down an aisle of the grocery store, I have to convince her that we can definitly nurse in a little bit. Other times, we just find a seat and get on with it.  And I'm okay with that.  Quinn's a baby that has always nursed on demand, so why would she expect any different when we're, say, at the park? So on that bench, we sat. She nursed and dozed and then jumped down and went over to pursue that whole balancing thing her sister was working on.  No biggie, just a quick comfort, or was it a snack, or a recharge, or maybe just the need to connect for a few....

5.  It is okay to jump on the bed.  Just as long as the bed is on the floor.

                                 Declan has that little half smirk "I can't believe I'm doing this" face going on.  I absolutely love it.

Isabella got a new mattress, so her old one has taken a new name (trampoline) on the garage floor.  These kids were beyond thrilled that they could jump on the bed.  It must just be innate, to want to jump on a bed.  I remember the feeling, but it doesn't stop us from insisting that they NOT jump on their beds (and I totally attribute this to a story my mom told us when we were little about a boy who had something terrible happen to him while jumping on the bed...guess the story worked).  So when Ryan and his dad moved the mattress to the garage, they had their moment of glory.  The joy though, seriously, it was oozing.  I will admit, Ryan and I had a little jump, prompted by the kids, as well, and it did feel pretty fun.  Jumping gets those endorphins moving and tonight, it was okay (good, even) to jump on the bed. 

6.  Just forget it, and have a picnic.

Seriously.  That's like one of the most important lessons I've learned from my kids.  Sometimes we all feel better if we stop and have a picnic (or take a walk, or swing, or read a book, or play a game...).  Re-grouping is important and necessary.  I am terrible at taking the time to re-group and then I have days like today where I teter on the edge of anxiety and they reel me back in.  Who knew those kids could be so helpful? ;)  Picnics are fun though.  Especially when grubby little hands taint all the food before you get to it, and they backwash their spit into your water and you have to refill it twice, and babies stick their whole fist in the bowl of hummus, and three year olds insist that it's throw up on their hand, not hummus.  Yeah, picnics? Totally worth it.