My attitude each day depends greatly on how I look at things.
Will and Seth are taking a bath.  Seth rolls over and gets his face in the water, but he doesn’t seem to mind, so I don’t either.  I take Seth out to get him dried off and a few minutes later Will is out of the bathtub too, along with what seems like half the tub water.  What a great opportunity to mop the floor.

I am snuggled up nursing Seth and doing a word puzzle with Elise.  Will, who is supposed to already be in bed is squatting in the hall squirting glass cleaner all over the carpet.  The hallway smells really clean now, and I didn’t even have to vacuum.

Seth and Elise are sleeping in the same room for the first time.  Seth cries and cries.  When I finally go to check on him I find out that he is awake because Elise has been trying to encourage him by telling him that she is right there next to him.  She really cares for her brothers and tries to protect them.

But sometimes instead of trying to find the positive in something, I realize the wisdom in my mother’s rules.  Now, I know why . . .

-We weren’t allowed to eat anywhere but the kitchen

-Scissors were kept in a kitchen drawer and not our bedrooms

-Toys were kept in one big toybox.

-Playtime outside was encouraged every day.

-We had to wear pajamas 3 nights in a row before getting out new ones.

-We weren’t allowed to change clothes at any time we felt like throughout the day.

-We had a scheduled bath-time once a week.

-We were really good at playing “the quiet game” and “statues.”

-We weren’t allowed to ask for anything when we went shopping.

-We had to sit with our hands in our laps sometimes in the car.

The funny thing is, I don’t remember my mom as being exasperated or frustrated.  Either she was so good at being a mom to six kids that she never got upset or flustered, or kid’s memories in that respect are really forgiving.  I’m kind of hoping for the latter.  🙂