Motherhood

I became a mom a little over 10 years ago.  From the moment we found out we were pregnant to the moment we arrived at the hospital so that I could deliver our first child I was so happy.  I had a lot of ideas about what motherhood would be like.  What I have since discovered from the moment our first daughter arrived into the world until this very morning is that becoming a mommy is a process that never stops and is never what you thought it would be.  It has been full of the wonder of watching as new life enters a room in the most preposterous of ways, and full of the heartache of knowing there are lives that we will never get to know.  I have experienced the highest of highs:  watching my children love others, witnessing great kindness and sensitivity, being helped without them asking for something in return.  I have experienced the lowest of lows:  watching them fight, bearing the brunt of bad attitudes, feeling so out of control as a mom that I despaired of ever doing (or having done) anything right.  I have been happy to sacrifice, I have felt bitter about giving of myself.  I have hated nursing, I have loved nursing.  I have enjoyed serving meals, I have despised cooking for little people who have decided they don't like things that they have been eating for years (in fact, I am in this phase right now).  I have felt energized beyond what is rational, and I have felt more tired than what I thought was humanly possible. 

At the end of every day, though, there is something that always stands out no matter what came before.  Even if I have misbehaved or they have misbehaved (or both), a miracle happens at the end of each day that never fails to amaze and humble me.  Actually, I should say two miracles.  The first is that my kids squeeze me around my neck and tell me they love me.  The second is that I, too, am filled with love for them even if the day held untold difficulties and conflict.  While I might be tempted to say that "tired", or "giving", or "laundress", or "dishwasher", or "chauffeur" is the word that comes to mind when I think of motherhood, the word that keeps standing out in my mind is "love".

The joy of motherhood for me lies in the mystery of my love for my children.  It is immeasurable, incomparable, sometimes unexplainable or even elusive.  It always shows up in the end, though.

I Heart Faces is focusing on Motherhood this week.  There are sure to be many, many beautiful interpretations.  Take a peek...

One of the Best, Anyway

A new year is beginning over at I Heart Faces.  This first challenge of the year is a doozy...they want us to pick our best face of 2010!  I can't really do that, but I will share one of my favorite pictures that I took this year. 

I love this photo.  I love her fly-away hair, the curve of her cheek, her sweet expression.  This is one of those moments that I will think of when I am old and remember her when she was little. 

There are many beautiful entries already.  This week there is no guest judge, but the pictures which receive the most votes for being the best (objectively speaking, of course ;) ) will be featured on Saturday.  Check it out, and vote if you wanna!

Is There Anything Else?

This week at I Heart Faces they are focusing on "Play".  There are many ways to interpret this theme...one can play an instrument, or a sport.  The pictures could be of a group, of an individual, or of a couple of kids sharing a fun moment with a toy.

Since I have kids and they love to play (I mean, is there anything else?) I am going that route. 

We had a church picnic the other night at the park just down the block.  As soon as we got there, the kids headed for the balls, the bubbles, the hoops, and any other play paraphernalia they could get their hands on.  I told them on the way there that this was their dinner, and they needed to eat.  I'm pretty sure they squeezed in a few bites between tossing, running, catching, waving, jumping, and falling.

I took several pictures of all the kids playing; they were throwing a football back and forth, they were playing with mini-lacrosse sticks, they were going for wagon rides.  I also captured Eliana on the swings.  She loves to swing these days, and insists that I push her higher!  Higher! 

I told someone recently that if she could stay outside all day she would probably be the perfect child.  She wouldn't throw a single fit.  She would be 100% content.  (Those would be Mike's genes shining through.)  Her smile keeps me out there.  (Believe me, the heat, plus the bugs, plus the heat, plus the bugs are MORE THAN ENOUGH to send me inside.)  But she just wants to play.

Go take a peek at all the fun people are having...whatever it is that they are playing.  Check out the judges, too...they are very funny people, and their pictures are so happy and colorful!

Some Faces, Mostly Feet

 Oh, how I love pictures of feet!  I do!  I love pictures of my babies' feet.  I love pictures of their feet now.  I love pictures of my own feet.

Pictures of feet can tell a story.

This week at I Heart Faces is a non-competition week, and they are focusing on feet (you probably could have guessed that).  Fun!  They are also raising awareness for an organization that does some good for others' feet.  Soles 4 Souls is a charity that collects shoes and gives them away to those who need them.  They do this in countries all over the world, with the help of both companies and individuals who donate shoes.  They are helping to make many someones' stories a little better.

Tucked knees,

Peeping toes.

Big shoes to fill,

But toes will grow.

Toes in water

Get all pruney;

Toes on land

Sometimes get spoony.

Toes and feet

Have things to do-

Sometimes bare,

Sometimes with shoes.

Wrapped up toes

Don't have much fun.

Needles and toes

Don't get along!

(Take it from me;

I'll skip the pic,

But if you're curious

Give a click.)

But once they heal

They like the sand.

They show off tricks

Like handstands.

(Well, maybe that

Is the hands' little trick,

But it's my poem

So the words will stick.)

An auntie's toes

Play hide and seek.

Toes chase balls

Around the beach.

Toes are good for a lot of things,

Useful digits on our feet.

Take pictures of the ones around you;

It will be a treasure sweet.

Head on over to I Heart Faces for some more wonderful pictures of feet!

Then Me, Now Me

I Heart Faces is having a fun week, with no judging.  The challenge this time is pretty funny.  They were inspired by the young-me-now-me website, which if you have a chance to swing by will make you laugh out loud.

This challenge requires one picture of you (the submitter) when you were young, and a picture of you (the submitter) reenacting the same picture now. 

Think about that for a minute.  Pretty funny.

I just happened to have several photos of myself when I was a toddler.  I am in my undies in most of them.  While I am willing to put a lot of things on this blog, a photo of me in my underwear now is not one of them.  So, I went with this picture instead...

I love that picture.  I think it's cute.

Michaela and I had some fun recreating this scene and getting a new picture.  First there were curlers, then there was the figuring out how to arrange things, and what was that on the back of the sofa anyway?  This is what we came up with...

I look like a little old lady.

The only thing left to say is, Mom, what was in the box on the couch?  I am really curious.

It's fun to make fun of yourself.  Hope this made you smile.  Head over to I Heart Faces to see some other creative, funny, and some sweet, takes on this theme.