stumbling.

I am not a graceful person. In any aspect of my life. Especially this parenting gig. I find myself stumbling a lot as they get older. Their needs are constantly changing and it's a job in itself to keep up with it all. Sometimes the tension builds up. My voice is not always calm and I am not always understanding, despite wanting to be so badly. It can end ugly. Tears from everyone and just a sour mood. Or, I can let it go. I can simply let it be and take it for what it is: a learning process. It's much easier said than done, but once I let everything go, it really feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I hope I remember this next time we have an off day.

I woke up before the kids so I could go through pictures from recently and now I can't stop smiling. These small moments are worth every ounce of pain. The third one down, of Hank and our dog, that was a frustrating moment. I was trying to take pictures of Hank since he was 9 months old and Bear kept playing with him. Then Hank kept crawling away. I finally gave up trying to get him to sit how I wanted him too, and the moments that followed were beautiful. A boy enjoying his dog is a wonderful thing.