The Life Of A Mom....

So, I have been thinking lately why it is that at night when we are all winding down and are laying around on the couch the kids always want to snugger (translation: snuggle) DAD! I have been wondering why when mom is the one home all day doing their laundry, cleaning up their messes, making them meals and kissing their owies, they run to Dad when he is home when they scrape their knee. I have been wondering how when Dad scolds them they promptly obey and that makes them love him even more, and when Mom scolds she either gets ignored or when they listen it is still often accompanied by a look of death.

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Here is a recent conversation, that is probably what got me to thinking about this:

Dad: "Hey Princess"
Raegan: "I am your princess, and Brig-gum is your Prince"

Dad: "That's right"

Raegan: "No, Brig-gum is your Knight"

Dad: "Yeah, what am I?"

Raegan: "The King"

Dad: "Yep, what's mom?"

***Now I have to interject, you would be expecting by the theme of the conversation that she would reply "The Queen," right??....Nope***

Raegan: "The Wicked Witch"

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Yep, thats right. Thank you Wizard of Oz!! As Paul was hysterically laughing, I was even trying to hold my giggles in. But that is when I started thinking...you know I know my kids love me. Lately Raegan is constantly and randomly saying, "Mommy I love you" and Brig is sweet to me too, but isn't it true that when Daddy is home Mom's ranks are dropped, and Daddy becomes the favorite!

But the more I thought about it, the more I came to accept it. I get to be with them all the time, and they don't get to see their Dad as much as me, so it's okay when he is home if I am 2nd pick. I wouldn't change anything for the world. I am so lucky to have these 2 kids, and I KNOW that they love me. I love cleaning up their messes, mediating bickering, getting them lunch, taking them to the bathroom, hauling them around with me to run errands, dealing with cuts and bruises and all the other joys of being a mom. I love those things because without them I wouldn't be a Mom.

Yesterday, during our church's General Conference our dear Prophet, President Monson spoke on enjoying life and he talked about enjoying our children when they are young and while we still have them in our home. He said one day we will miss the handprints on the glass that we are constantly wiping up. So much truth to that! It made me think how important it is to enjoy them, they grow up so quickly.

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Here are some of my favorite things about being a mom:

Hearing Brig tell me all that he learned in preschool that day

Teaching them right and wrong

Raegan following me around with a cleaning wipe, saying "I wanna cwean too"

Brig being so excited to shake out the tablecloth for his chore, and Raegan to "cwean the dishes" for hers

Brig's amazing imagination

Raegan's little girl voice

Brig wanting to me just like his Dad, and being Dad's helper

When they say "Mom, snugger me"

Hearing Brig teaching Raegan something

Brig and Raegan saying "eeew, they are getting married" whenever Paul kisses me

Raegan mimicking EVERYTHING that Brig does

Brig playing the word game with us (learning about rhymes)

The times my kids say "thank you for dinner, it was delicious, may I be excused?" without being reminded (especially when I can tell Brig did not enjoy what we had, picky little stink)

Raegans crazy little laugh she does sometimes, it can be a little scary but so funny

Brig and Raegan dancing and singing when Paul plays them the guitar

When I whisper a special secret in Raegans ear and she whispers one back

Hearing my kids say something and realizing they DO LISTEN to me sometimes

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Those are just a few of the things that make all the hard or unpleasant stuff SO WORTH IT!

As an end to the WiCkEd WiTcH story, a few minutes later Raegan said

"Mommy is the nice witch".

Hey I'll take it, that's a little bit of an improvement!