Mommy, this is for you...

I chose to sit in the front seat of our truck while watching my boys play outside.  The cushions were a lot more comfortable in my husband's Dodge Ram than the concrete porch steps that caused me to squat down while sitting.  I was eight and half months pregnant with my little Eli when the boys begged me to sit outside with them.  My body was screaming, "No!", but my heart was saying, "This may be the last chance you get to see them playing by themselves before the baby gets here and you get busy with your new addition to the family".

The boys noticed the little white flowers that were beginning to take over our yard.  My youngest ran to me with a handful and looked up over the car window and handed me the little bunch of flowers with dirt hanging from the roots and said, "Mommy! These are for you!".  He was so excited to give them to me.

Our children know what is important.  They remind us daily of where our priorities should be.  We can learn things from them no matter their ages.  Yesterday, my six year old was ready for bed.  But we hadn't gotten to read our story together yet.  I was nursing the baby and I was listening to a podcast on the laptop at the same time.  He didn't realize that I was feeding the baby and actually multitasking to a degree when he came and asked me to read him a story.  I replied, "Baby, I can't read to you right now.  Just go to your bed and lay down and I will be there in a little bit."  He looked at me as if I was the child.  He said, "Mom, that is not important!" as he pointed to the laptop.  His face looked broken hearted.

I was in shock.  Despite the fact that he really shouldn't talk to me in that tone.  I was compassionate because he reminded me of what it looked like to him.  It made him feel that I would choose listening to a podcast over story time with him and his brother.  He later learned the real reason I was unable to get up and read to them and he found it REALLY WEIRD.  I couldn't help but laugh at his new awareness to where and how babies get their dinner.

We set the example for our children.  They see what we prioritize and they understand more than we think.  They know how to melt our hearts... and make our heart race in fear and frustration.  But their eyes are wide open and learning all of the time.  Are ours?