The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.
-Buechner

Friday, February 5, 2010

On Being A Better Mama

However you want to cut it, January was a slump month.

I was not a Mama you would aspire to be. I was not a Mama I would aspire to be. The boys fought. We didn't engage in too many activities compared to the term before. We hung out at home lots. There wasn't a lot of creativity going on. I was in a slump.

I didn't think it would take too long after Christmas to find old routine but I was wrong. I found some semblance but then we went away and it was lost again. I found what I though was some form of it upon our return but then lost it again.

To say I was happy to kick January in the butt and out the door on the 31st would be an understatement. It was just a long month. A birthday was a perfect way to say Adios.

All this is not to say there weren't some highlights. There were giggles, laughs, smiles, ups but there simply weren't enough. And I didn't feel "me". The house didn't have it's usual rhythm and that was evident in the behavior exhibited by little ones.

As the door to February opened on Monday, we faced it head on. Jumped right in...both feet together. And I decided it is time to be a better Mama. Katie posted perfectly on the passion of this role.

For me, one simple to way feel as though I am passionately pursuing my role as a better Mama is to keep busy. Busy can be going out, it can be staying in. It can be playing with friends or playing within our four walls alone. So earlier this week, when we planned to have one special friend come and play...sans her Mama...being a better Mama meant a little paper mache craft funtimes. And, with two 3 yr olds and a 4 yr old paper mache can be interesting. But with an attitude of passionate mothering it can be the best thing one does all week.




Welcome February. I love you already.

2 comments:

Chad, Laura, Sara and Seth said...

Oh gosh, welcome to my world...I think I might need a little paper mache in my life - sounds like a great weekend project!!! We will keep you posted.

L

Katie Leipprandt said...

I love the idea of inviting a friend over! Sometimes it is WAY easier to get excited about interacting with someone else's child! : ) Here's to a month of better mama-ing for both of us!