Goals for Motherhood

From that first moment that I saw the 2 pink lines on the pregnancy test(s), I knew my life was just beginning. October 21, 2011... the day I learned that I would become a Mom in exactly 8 short months. One of the best days of my life, besides June 21, 2012 of course. So many different thoughts went through my head... Boy? Girl? What kinds of things did we need to get for baby? What Doctor will I use? Do I need to change my diet? What will the baby look like? What kind of personality will he/she have? Going back many, many years..I knew I always wanted to be a mom one day. And the kind of Mom I wanted to be? A loving Mom. But there is so much more to this amazing job title "Mom." "With love, anything is possible."

Below I am going to list the goals that I  have set for myself as a Mother. The person that I want to be for my boys. The expectations that I have set for myself in this role. The role that I treasure and cherish with every ounce of my being.

1. To be a Mom who does everything with LOVE
I will begin and end every single day with hugs and kisses for my children. Throughout the day? They will receive hugs and kisses at any given moment. We will smile and laugh all day long. When there is a problem we are facing, we will deal with it and they will be given the love they need. They will always know how much they are loved, no matter what. Even when I am disciplining my child, it will be done out of love. My children will know that every decision that is made for their life will be based upon all of the love I have for them. They will learn about Jesus and the endless amount of love that He has for them, and from day #1 they will know just how truly special they are.

2. I will have Patience 
There will be moments when the children are full of energy and I am about to lose my cool. They are climbing all over the furniture, attempting to jump off..maybe even running around with pots and pans, making noise that the neighbors can probably hear. I might feel like I could burst or scream to the high heavens. During these times, I will take a deep breath and remember just how blessed I truly am. I will take a moment to myself, (...might hide in the bathroom for 2 minutes!) and enter the room with a clear mind and remember that they are only young once. That these little boys are everything I could have ever dreamed of, and so much more. That these moments are creating a lifetime of memories for each one of us.

3. I will use every given opportunity to Teach
At Parker's current age of almost 14 months old, he is a little sponge. The wheels in his mind are constantly spinning and yearning for new information to be thrown at him to process. New words, new commands, new questions.The color of each of his crayons, the name of the flower on the side of the road that we pass on our daily walk, the sounds each animal makes, body part names. You name it...I am teaching it. Right now it just seems so simple to me. As the day goes on, from waking up, through breakfast, play, nap, lunch and into the afternoon, there are just so many different things to teach him. Everything is a lesson right now. It won't always be that simple. Down the road I will be teaching more intense life lessons, but right now I will use every moment to teach. There is so much to be learned in this life we are given. My children will always know that they can ask me whenever they have a question. I will be there to teach them.

4. I will be the Mother who raises a "kind" boy
Strong, masculine, fearless, athletic, smart, successful. These are some adjectives that many people use to describe a boy, or a man. Not often do we describe a boy as "kind," as this is an adjective most commonly used to describe a girl, or woman. Did you ever see the little boy or girl crying on the playground because they fell off the monkey bars and got hurt? What did the person look like that went over to him/her to make sure they were okay? The little girl... right? The little girl who had compassion for her hurt playmate. It is rare that it is a little boy who rushes over to show compassion and to want to help in this kind of situation. Well... my goal is to raise a son who is the one who runs over to the injured child and offers to help. Asks if they are okay and what they can do for them. Kindness goes a long way in life. It begins on the playground and works it's way through adolescence and into marriage. I hope to teach my boys how to be kind to one another and to always remember that you never know what someone else may be going through. Life is tough and I hope that my boys understand that kindness goes a long way.

5. I will be a FUN Mom who encourages an active lifestyle
There will be days where the only thing on the agenda is running errands and cleaning the house, but I want to be the Mom who brings "fun" to everything we do. You only live once, right? There is always time for a trip to the playground or a pit stop for an icecream cone. We will laugh as much as possible and see the positive in every situation. When the weather cooperates we will take a walk, play outside, and get exercise. Too often these days children are spending all of their time sitting in front of the tv, ipod, ipad, video game, etc. My hope is that my boys will want to play on the swing set (instead of being forced outside!) and will know the rules of flashlight tag by the time they are 7. Baseball, soccer, kickball, 5k, tennis...are some of the words that will be in their vocabulary, and not words like Nintendo, DS, computer, lazy, xbox etc.

6. I will be available, in tune, and in the moment
I want to be the Mom who makes herself available to her children. When they have a question or need help with something, I will be right there for them. There will be times when I am busy making dinner or on a phone call, but in 5 minutes I will be right there for them, offering my undivided attention. This may be hard at times, because I may want 2 seconds of peace and quiet but I will realize that this little person needs their Momma in this moment. And I will cherish it. I will love being needed. And I will offer everything I have to give. I will be aware of what is going on and will provide whatever is that my child needs.

7. To be a parent that my boys can trust
I strive to be the Mother that my boys can feel comfortable coming to with any problem they are facing. I want them to ask me anything they have questions about or tell me any story they want to share. I feel that right now with an almost 14 month old it has been easy to create a trusting environment, one that Parker can feel safe in and know that I am there for him no matter what. That I will be right there for him when he falls, will kiss every little boo-boo he gets, and will nourish him and tend to all of his wants and needs. I feel like it will not be that easy when my boys get older because life gets a little bit more complicated; girls, highschool, adolescence, sports, grades, and the list continues. I will be there for them no matter what!

To My Son Parker and unborn Baby #2, I love you so much and want so much for your life! I am so happy and blessed to be your Mom! I love you!

Love,
Mom