In slow motion

These were our silly faces at the end of the day.  I didn't get pictures of what I wanted to remember today, but I wanted to remember today, so I took these pictures.

Most days of being a mother are filled with stress, exhaustion, teaching, some stern voice using, gasps of wow, expressions of how great your children are.  I have a lot of arguing and convincing Aaron to try something new (stressing).  I have lots of tragedy end-of-the-world moments with Jordan, and non-stop chasing after Isabel.  Sometimes I feel like I might be getting high blood pressure.

But there are times when I LOVE BEING A MOM!  It feels like there are moments that go almost in slow motion and nothing could be so fun, and so sweet, and so rewarding as a being a mom.  I had multiple of those moments yesterday.  They don't last for long, and not that often, but they're so sweet, it keeps me going.

Jordan is my silly boy.  He makes funny faces.  He's 100% Irish and has the reactions/temperament of one.  In all honesty he's turning a reddish blonde, so maybe I can blame it on the red-headedness in him. He got all out of place when I tried to suggest a more effecient way to use the scissors.  It just made me laugh.  Then he volunteered to say the pray on the food at dinner and announced that now he was going to say a really LONG prayer.  And he did.  Hope that I never forget it.

I had a rare moment of being alone while picking up Aaron from school and walking home.  He held my hand the whole way home.  Melt my heart.  His sensory issues don't always appreciate the long skin contact.  Then as we were walking I told him how happy it made me feel to have him hold my hand and just talk together.  I asked him to look at my face so that he could see what my face looks like when it's this happy.  In slow motion he turned his head towards me and got the widest, most sincere grin on his face and looked at me in the eyes.  It was only brief eye contact, but Aaron gave me a gift!  Then we rounded the corner and we stopped to smell some roses.  Aaron surprised by the good smell announced "it's like honey!"  Honey is his very favorite food.

And Isabel was about as cute as she's ever gotten.  We were at the top of our little road that is closed in by a gait.  She loves the challenge of stairs, and learned that she loved the challenge of learning to walk up and down a steep incline.  She'd walk from me to the gate.  Jangle the gait and then come running at me with a big toothy grin and laughing.  It was slow motion sweetness.  It almost made me ache with how much I loved her smile and laugh.

I hope that when I die and get to meet my maker, he'll give me the gift of seeing again in slow motion the sweetness of those moments.

Alas, it doesn't last forever and we went back to the march of life this morning.  Still grateful for the after taste of goodness.