My son will be turning five this year so I have been talking a lot about him to other teachers. This Spring I have to make the big decision of if he should go to Kindergarten or not. He is so young and his motor skills aren't up to par yet, but he is so very smart with an unbelievable vocabulary. All the talk about him lately made me think of how dramatically my life has changed when I became a mother. Here are some of the ways (good and bad):
- Hearing my son say "I love you" or give me an unexpected hug is perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world.
- I have chased my dreams even more now than before I was a mother. I need to show myself and him that we should never "give up"....it is important to have a passion and to go after it. If success doesn't happen then at least you have been doing something you love and you tried. Failure only happens when you do nothing.
- Who knew that I would love playing with my son as much as I do? I always knew I wanted to be a mother, but I didn't know just how much fun it would be. I only wish I had had children earlier in life so that I could have a house full of them!
- I have only slept in maybe two or three times in over four years. I struggle with mom guilt and I just don't want to be away from my son much. He doesn't sleep in and I rarely leave him with other people. I know, I know..I should. I just have a hard time being away.
- I have turned into a 14-old-boy apparently. To explain, I am a bad example and laugh WITH my son regarding potty humor. I know I shouldn't, but I really can't help it. This goes for words that sound funny as well. Like when you accidentally say "do" twice in a sentence. I can't believe I laugh at that, but I do. Only with my son. (Well...that is a a lie. I laugh in my head when that happens elsewhere. See? 14-yr-old boy!)
- I never was the sappy girl. Movies don't make me cry...but as a mother, if a young child cried in the movie or when a young child expresses how much he/she loves someone, I tear up. I do. I watched "St Vincent" last night with my husband and I teared up at the end.
- I am constantly humming theme songs from "Paw Patrol", "Rescue Bots", or "Octonauts". Always. I just can't stop. I sing with my son, I sing in the car, I even find myself humming at work. True.
- I have lost a lot of friends. It still makes me sad, but such is life. I had my son when I was about 35 years old. Some of my friends were younger and didn't have children. We didn't mean to, but we parted ways. We just had different lifestyles. Some of my friends had older children and our schedules just didn't mesh. I am very strict about eating and nap schedules for my son. It keeps him happy as can be, but I miss out on get togethers. That is alright. It is just the way it is.
- I can deal with anything after going through the delivery of my son. Dentist appointments, tattoos, injuries, etc. I can get through them all. I am woman, hear me roar! haha!
- My son has taught me to enjoy the little things in life. Children find even the small things amazing. He has shown me how to be more comfortable in my own skin, how to enjoy life itself, and how to speak up for myself and for him. I am a better person now that I am a mother.