It's still a zillion degrees here so the only pictures I have of my 3 kids together are of them soaking wet! I haven't done an official "What it is like having 3 kids" post in a long time, but just this morning I was thinking about how having 3 kids has mellowed me (in a good way, I think).
My husband had an early meeting so I did the morning routine by myself and elementary school drop-off for my older 2 kids and took my 3 year old in wearing his pajamas. We walked all the way through the school to the cafeteria where the kindergarteners have to wait for the 1st bell to ring, and all the way back out, passing all kinds of friends and teachers (teachers my 3 year old will likely have some day and yes, they may remember him as the kid in the rocket ship jammies). My little guy even high-fived the principal on the way out. Our principal is a really, really nice, very tall man who my 3 year old adores! The principal jokingly asked my son, "So, you goin' back to bed?" I laughed and wished my toddler would go back to bed when we got home.
But, as I walked out I thought, there was a time in my life when I would have been embarrassed about taking one of my kids somewhere like that in their jammies. Even at 7:50 am I would have felt like it revealed some kind of failure on my part as a mom, but now?
I don't care. I really don't. Having 3 kids as close in age as I did (still do) forced me to give up on the striving for perfect. I had to admit I can't do it all. And living in this new realm outside of striving for perfect, is a much better place to be.
I have no doubt that one reason God blessed me with more than 2 children is because He knew I needed to let go of some things, like my pleasing-the-world tendencies, and lean a whole lot more on Him!
And besides, my 3 year old is pretty cute in his jammies!
Find more Thankful Thursday here.
I love your attitude. No doubt,you are a fantastic mother!
ReplyDeleteYou are a wonderful, thankful mom.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful the lessons that God teaches us. Being able to let go of non-essentials is such a blessing. And I bet your 3 yo DOES look cute in his jammies! LOL!
ReplyDeletehttp://musingsandmeanderings-mlp.blogspot.com/
This is just so true. I find that a lot of mothers (myself included) worry and fret and just plain care too much about a lot of little things that just dont matter. The more children you have and the more years you spend in the trench, the easier it is to see what's really important.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this, haha...Let me tell you as a mom of 4 do I ever get this, and mine were NOT even close together. You have figured out for sure what is important and what is not...Good job mama...HUGS, Debbie
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this post! I am a mom of 3 boys...6, almost 3, and 16 months! Our lifew seems pretty crazy most days and still God is calling us to adopt! Most of our friends and family think we are nuts! It is good to know that their are other people out there who are just as nuts!:) And by the way...we were in Jammies at drop off this morning too!
ReplyDeleteAh, so that explains it. I'm a mom of one, and I still strive for that impossible goal of perfection! As a friend recently reminded me, I'm guilty of being human. :)
ReplyDeleteOH! Such a sweet post! how wonderful to liberated from Man's approval. And of living in the moment with your children, and trust me they last for a moment. So enjoy! enjoy! enjoy!.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sue
great post. I am blessed and a thankful mom of three children too, granted they are all grown now, but thankful for them just the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing back some long forgotten moments. Believe it or not, but someday you will really miss this time. Enjoy it to the fullest.
Have a blessed day!
My mum used to take us places in our pajamas if it was late at night and she knew we'd sleep in the car on the way home... she thought it'd be easier than waking us up to get us ready for bed when we returned.
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