Wow! It's been a long time since I've blogged...oh how I've missed these moments to express my thoughts...here's one that's been lingering for awhile...
In my mind I never thought I wanted girls. I grew up with two sisters, and although I love them dearly, I wanted boys:) If you don't already have girls, you're really missing out on all the drama, clothes fits, and, well, a lot of PINK! Anyway, the last month or so, I've realized the beauty of my girls, and of all of my kids to help me realize that appreciation, it's Savannah (yes, the one who grows me old). Yes, she is all about dress up and pretend right now, and I'm just loving to watch her in her own little world. The other day I stood five feet from her for five minutes with a video camera and she didn't even know I was there. In a mismatch of a dress, skirt, silly hat, and a lei, she prances around the house hauling her grocery cart with baby doll in tow, up and down the stairs, playing a good mix of store, restaurant, house, and beauty salon.
The other day I think she spent the entire day in her fairy outfit. My first thought in looking at her half way through the afternoon was "oh, great, I'm sure their room is a mess and all the dress up is all over the place!" I started thinking that if I saw a little girl like her in the exact same situation/outfit in a movie I would think it was the cutest thing ever...now why wouldn't that be the initial thought of my own daughter? I think sometimes as moms, we tend to look at what always needs to be done to keep our house straightened up (I've given up on the word clean). I often look at playtime/quiet time/pretend time as a time for myself to escape into loads of laundry, catching up on email, or a quick nap (which I have also given up on). I rarely really take the time to engage into my kids' world of fairy princesses or superheroes (other than buy plenty of dress up or figurines to keep them busy. Keeping the house up or playing house...which makes me a better wife and mom? Why do I always feel like I have to choose? Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who appreciates and understands the effort I make on either end of these choices, but I struggle with this on a daily basis.
Tonight I feel like I made a great choice. Savannah was uninterested in watching Rudolf and was looking for a playmate. I had (and still have) a million things to do, but I knew I needed to dive into her world. She just got a new beauty salon set from my sisters, so I asked her if she wanted to do my hair and nails. She loved it, and took every opportunity to treat me like a real customer. She straightened my hair, painted my toes with a variety of colors (with a plastic brush), and put lipstick on my lips (teeth, cheeks, neck, eyes, and any other exposed piece of skin). I listened to her speak to me and took in each bit of imagination flowing through her mind...amazing. It was in that time that I realized how much more important it is for me to play house than worry about my own (you'd think it wouldn't have taken me 4 kids to get this down...and maybe I had it once before and forgot--that happens a lot now).
I'm learning (slowly, obviously) if I don't meet my kids where they are, and establish solid relationships built on trust and love, regardless of what my house looks like, my kids will never want to be here as they grow older. As uncomfortable as it may seem to pucker my lips to have my 2 (almost 3) yr. old rub a germ-infested, plastic lipstick all over my mouth, it will be even more uncomfortable to talk to my girls about boys (and all that comes with that), their changing bodies, or how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, if they think I don't understand them or their world...I've realized it's time for me to engage now, and engage fully!
I see challenging days ahead with three girls (not gonna lie, there's a lot NOT to look forward to). But, sometimes we ask God for things (like boys) and he doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want him to. But, He has still answered them in a way that may take a little longer for us to understand. In His perfect timing, I'm uncovering the blessings that come in princess dresses and pudding messes!
No comments:
Post a Comment