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heidi-russell

Mud Bombs or Weeding??

Posted on July 29th, 2010 by Heidi Russell

We have had a small garden for two years now.  I can’t take any credit for it, it is all my husband’s doing. I also wish I could say that I am better about getting the kids out there to help weed.

In the end, Matt usually makes it fun and gets us all out there together.  We were out weeding the other night and the weeds were BAD.  My tween was right there next to me helping pull all the weeds.  I was making some major progress and dripping sweat when I look up and my tween was no longer weeding next to me.  I bit my tongue and tried not to tell him to ‘get working’.  Instead I watched him and his little sister and was delighted.  They were making mud bombs and having the time of their life.  The question goes through my head, should I tell them both to stop playing and get working?  Or should I let them go on with their fun and make happy memories together?  I guess the answer for that would be different with each parent.  I chose to let them play.  I weeded the whole garden by myself…but, we were outside as a family, we were all having fun, they pulled weeds here and there and now know how to do it.  In that moment I felt like them being happy and having fun together was more important then being the drill sargent and getting them to pull weeds.

Isn’t that pretty typical of parenthood?  Situations are always different and you want to make the right choice for your tween…..do you let them throw mud bombs or keep weeding?

My choice, that day…….bombs away!!!!

heidi-russell

That Magic Button!

Posted on June 15th, 2010 by Heidi Russell

I have heard my mom tell the story of ‘the magic button’  again and again.  It goes a little something like this…….”Being a mom is hard, the monotonous moments of the day are not always fun!  But, every once in a while, things go beautifully right.  On those magic button days, the house stays picked up, siblings don’t argue, there are lots of smiles, kisses and happy moments.  Someone, somewhere has pushed the magic button.”

The problem for me is that I just can’t always find that magic button.  My kids fight, my house is a mess, I woke up late and the baby is fussy.  Those are the days that I would do anything for someone to push that magic button for me.

The picture on the right was taken on one of those magic button days.  We hadn’t seen Dad in a while and it was a beautiful reunion.  Things went smoothly, kids were happy, loving and obedient and this certain moment that is captured in this picture is a magical memory for me.

In the meantime, I will continue the reality of motherhood, the monotonous moments, the frustrations, the discouragement and all the hard stuff that goes into motherhood.

The truth is, I know that somebody, somewhere is going to push that magic button for me and all those hard moments will disapear as I bask in the joyous moments of motherhood.

 Have you had those magical days? Please share them for inspiration!




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