Reminders of Who I Want to Be

I had a very hectic day yesterday. As a result, I was feeling pretty frazzled by the time we went to pick R up from the train station. Later that evening, the whole family went for a bike ride/run in the park (L & Q in the jogger pushed by R, and D in his baby bike seat with me). It was great weather and the park was full of people - we even saw a couple of people we know. After arriving home and putting the kids to bed, I had such a feeling of peace. I little physical exertion and some time outdoors in beautiful weather makes the most amazing difference! The fact that we did it as a family made the stress of the day melt away for each of us. It was like an attitude adjustment for the whole house - worth all the hassle of getting everyone out the door! I have to remember this remedy for tension and nasty attitudes!



I find that my kids are really good at reminding me of what I should be doing. The other day Q asked me why I drink so much soda. He has heard plenty of times that it's not good for you, so it made little sense to him that I would drink so much of it! I told him that I basically have a really hard time not drinking so much soda, and that I'm too old for my Mom to tell me "no more soda". He seemed to pity my situation. Q then offered to help me drink less soda by reminding me to only drink half the cup, instead of the whole thing. And he has! Whenever he sees me drink a Diet Coke, he always says, "Oh, Mom - remember to only drink half!" His plan is working, I'm drinking half the soda I used to.



If Q reminds me of what is good for me, L reminds me of what I'm lacking - most often that would be patience. She is such a determined little person! Her favorite line from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is when Violet Beauregarde's mother says, "Eyes on the prize, Violet. Eyes on the prize." L repeats it often and seems to really identify with the Violet character. I LOVE her for this! I love that she won't back down or take no for an answer. I don't love that she won't back down from me or take no for an answer from me. Therefore, much patience is required on my part - and the unfortunate coincidence is that half the soda usually means half the patience. If I am completely honest though, I think most of my frustration stems from envy - I wish I could be more like L. To have such passion and energy would be awesome.





So that leaves D. What does he remind me of? As cheesy as it sounds, he reminds me that the best noise in the world is the pitter-patter of little feet. D goes about his business with little concern for others opinions of him. Whether his shirt has breakfast smeared all over it, his hair is messy in the back, or he isn't wearing pants; he doesn't worry if other people notice. He doesn't need someone else's approval to go after what he wants, and he certainly doesn't care if someone finds his current pursuit to be trite or pointless. As I listen to the pitter-patter of D's feet, it reminds me that he goes about his day with a mind clear of self-doubt.



Perhaps, with a lot of training, I will someday be more like my kids.