Tuesday Ten

Wow - 2 weeks in a row! Actually, I'm happy to be back on my blog, it's my creative outlet to the stress of work. I can write fun things, not technically, grammatically (and intelligently) drafted messages for work. Phew! Anyway, this week's Tuesday Ten - in honor of Mother's Day... the Ten Best Things About Being a Mom.

1. My kids. Okay, can I start out with a duh? Honestly, there was a point in time about 4 years ago when I thought I couldn't take it anymore. Dylan was at his most difficult. Morgan was getting eaten alive by other girls in school... I think I just lived day to day and didn't ENJOY them. Phew, am I glad that time is past!

2. Reading. I'm so glad we are past The Hungry Caterpillar and on to more entertaining books like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Even more fun? Sharing books with Morgan. Hey Mom - did you read Black Stallion yet? Let me know when you get to the part when he....

3. Camping. I grew up camping with my family. I have such great memories of exploring ponds for tadpoles in the middle of a 3 mile hike, canoeing in Lake George, looking for starfish in tide pools in Montauk. The best part of being a Mom is exploring new things with the kids. If you didn't have kids, would you be out on the beach flying a kite? Giggling at silly birds on the shore line?

4. Gardening. I think my biggest surprise of all is that Dylan is my most interested gardener. He LOVES to plant things, would water anything that I ask him to. Morgan will, but she's more of a pick the produce kid than grow it. It's fun to see their different personalities come out in the garden.

5. Sharing notes. It started when Morgan was being eaten alive by mean girls in school. I grabbed a mini notebook and wrote her a little note each day that she took to school. Fast forward 4 years and a few notebooks later. We now trade notes. If I work really late there is a note on my pillow. If our morning is really rushed and we forget the notepad, I text her. But it's a tradition I wouldn't trade for the world.

Hmm.... it's 9pm and I didn't get home until 8, a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs reheated at 8:15, and now I'm crashing with writers block. I have so many "Mom" moments... I think most of the time it's the smaller things in life that really hit home. I have a "happy journal" on my dresser where I jot small things that happened during the day that were great. A lot of times I just tape a note from Morgan, or write a funny quote from Dylan in there. But it's the kids that are in there the most. Not material things that I bought.... usually things we did as a family. I probably should have squeezed Mike in there, because we've grown together as parents. At least I got five things on my list before I head to bed. Good night Stars... Good night Moon... Good night green light in my room... ;o)