last sunday, i overheard this conversation in the backseat between madelyn and my niece, abigail.
madelyn: once, we were at hobby lobby, and i cut my foot on the door when i opened it. blood gushed everywhere.
abigail: yeah, well there was this one time when my whole pinky toenail got ripped off, and it looked like a river of blood.
madelyn: really? well i cut that same foot again on another door, and it was so gross...
thus, the competitive nature between same-age, same-sex cousins was born.
i found it quite amusing that the two were arguing over who had sustained the bloodier injuries in the past, as if it were some great feat. but the fact that they were debating such a topic only proves that children (and yes, even some adults) will compete over anything.
i see a lot of my sister, alecia, in abigail. her drive and competitive nature are only a few of the many traits that my niece inherited from her mother. madelyn, however, is very much the spitting image of me. not so much in looks, but in personality. she's very quiet until you get to know her, and then she'll open up and probably tell you more than you care to hear. she's extremely sensitive, much like me, and doesn't always take up for herself. it's that last trait that is my least favorite, yet the one that is so very me. so when madelyn refused to back down with the "..yeah, well, i almost chopped my arm off..." discussion, i couldn't help but smile.
but i have to prepare myself for that dreadful day when the competition isn't so innocent. when someone else gets the lead in the play. when they don't make the cheerleading squad. when one of them gets dumped for another girl. when their best friend gets a brand new car for her sweet 16.
raising children isn't all sunshine and roses. i've come to realize that it's just as hard, if not harder, living through my children's heartache and disappointment as it was when i was younger and living through it firsthand. so i'm slowly preparing myself for when the competition gets fiercer, the heartache gets deeper, and the worries get bigger. until then, i'm satisfied sitting back and laughing at madelyn and her competitor argue over who has the cutest puppy or the longest bangs.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
the list
most new mothers get advice from their girlfriends on what to expect when they first bring that little bundle of joy home from the hospital: no sleep, 2 a.m. feedings, and the overwhelming need to sprint into the nursery at every little coo and grunt that is heard coming out of the baby monitor. but you don't hear as much about what to expect once that child turns 2. or 3. or 7. as i was attempting to shower in peace the other day, i had to laugh at the thought of some of the things i sacrificed when i became a mom:
*the luxury of going to the bathroom...alone.
*a clean vehicle that doesn't consist of half-eaten fries, half-empty sippy cups, 2 weeks worth
of school papers, and 5 stuffed animals
*sleeping past 6 a.m.
*glass doors free of handprints
*watching a t.v. show that does not center around a kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple in
the ocean
*going through the day without being asked a million and one random questions, or being
asked to do a million and one random activities ("why do dogs have whiskers?" "let's play
momma squirrel and baby squirrel!")
on the other hand, i coudn't even begin to imagine all the things i would gain from becoming a mom until i actually experienced them:
*listening to them recite spelling words or read a book, and the indescribable pride you feel that
'they finally get it'
*hearing that sweet, tiny voice say "i love you"
*hugs, sloppy kisses, and the uncontrollable urge to laugh whenever they are giggling so hard
they can barely breathe
*fixing their hair and shopping for cute little girls' clothes
*becoming santa claus, the easter bunny, and the tooth fairy
*watching their pure joy and excitement as they open gifts on christmas morning
*displaying a school paper with an A+ and a smiley sticker on the fridge
*having someone tell you that you're the "best mom in the world"
of course, any mom can tell you that you don't have to make a list to know that the rewards of having kids outweigh the sacrifices, hands down. although i would like to be able to go to the bathroom alone every once in a while.
*the luxury of going to the bathroom...alone.
*a clean vehicle that doesn't consist of half-eaten fries, half-empty sippy cups, 2 weeks worth
of school papers, and 5 stuffed animals
*sleeping past 6 a.m.
*glass doors free of handprints
*watching a t.v. show that does not center around a kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple in
the ocean
*going through the day without being asked a million and one random questions, or being
asked to do a million and one random activities ("why do dogs have whiskers?" "let's play
momma squirrel and baby squirrel!")
on the other hand, i coudn't even begin to imagine all the things i would gain from becoming a mom until i actually experienced them:
*listening to them recite spelling words or read a book, and the indescribable pride you feel that
'they finally get it'
*hearing that sweet, tiny voice say "i love you"
*hugs, sloppy kisses, and the uncontrollable urge to laugh whenever they are giggling so hard
they can barely breathe
*fixing their hair and shopping for cute little girls' clothes
*becoming santa claus, the easter bunny, and the tooth fairy
*watching their pure joy and excitement as they open gifts on christmas morning
*displaying a school paper with an A+ and a smiley sticker on the fridge
*having someone tell you that you're the "best mom in the world"
of course, any mom can tell you that you don't have to make a list to know that the rewards of having kids outweigh the sacrifices, hands down. although i would like to be able to go to the bathroom alone every once in a while.
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