Daily Lessons

Today I had a great talk with my sister.  I am so excited for her to experience motherhood, and it made me reflect on the blessings in my life.  When I quit work to stay home with Olivia, I viewed it as working from home. Like many people who have "home offices", it can be a thankless job.  No one's there to tell you what to do, you're doing well, how to improve, guide you etc.  You have to have the belief and confidence you're doing the right thing.   Couple things I've learned from being home all day with a toddler:

1) Singing is fun.  It comes from the heart, it doesn't have to sound good or make sense.  It lets your spirit free. Go Selah!

2) Naps are crucial.  A recharging of the batteries makes for a very enjoyable evening.

3)  You can make something out of nothing.  So many times I have wondered, how is Olivia going to be entertained, only for her to show me that bubble wrap from UPS or a washcloth is enough.  Why are we always thinking its never enough?  It is.

4) Life's pretty basic.  Food, shelter, water, love  and an occasional diaper change are really all you need.  The rest is fluff and clutter.

5) It's good at ground level.  Crawling, rolling, streamrolling, sneaking are overlooked.  We miss so many things by being "high".  Relax and get low.

6) Love your skin.  Adults are too critical of our appearances and bodies, which while it should be treated as our temple, we should have fun in our skin too.  No one is perfect, so enjoy yourself!

7) Animals are cool.   

8) Boundaries are necessary and healthy.  Your comfort zone is like a boundary.  Everyone's are different, and mine are not the same as yours because of how I was raised and what I've been through so be respectful of other's comfort levels.  Respect difference and encourage healthy living. Tolerance is a gift.  Routines are good too..

9) In the same breath, question authority.

10)  Its okay to fall down.  Maybe cry a little...so long as you get up and learn/are stronger.  There's the blessing of skinned knee.  Today I didn't have such a good day, but I learned from it and I hope to grow.  Also, everyone has a crutch - from pacifier to blanket to image to status.  Everyone has something that's needed, in order to feel good.  And really, that's ok.  You usually grow out of it :)

Kelly - you have many great emotions and times ahead of you.  Thank you for being a source of inspiration and positivity in my life.  My only complaint is that you're out of state.  I wish you the best experience as you transition into motherhood.  You were born to be a mom.  Selah is so lucky.  We're all on standby....