After several long days at home with my kids during harvest, sometimes I feel like unloading on Josh and saying something like, “Dude. Your kids man… they were terrors today….” And then go on and on about all the hard things: I cleaned all of our floors but then Harper got ahold of an apple juice box, tipped it over, and left a sticky trail through most of our main floor before I caught her. Hank threw a big fit when I wouldn’t give him iPad time, threw the ipad on the ground, and it smashed the screen even more than it already was.
It gets to be overwhelming when you’re doing it alone all day and night. Being the only one to front those big emotions and messes. Honestly writing this I feel tears welling up thinking about it. But guess what doesn’t help… As much as I need to vent sometimes, being negative and complaining about the kids doesn’t help the situation. Focusing on the negative breeds a negative mindset. It makes things worse.
My Intention:
When I get a chance to talk to Josh, whether it’s via text, on the phone, in person in the early morning, or late night pillow talk, my intention is to START with TWO good things that happened with the kids that day. It’s hard sometimes, to find the good, especially when it really has been a craptastic day. But when you start to focus on the good things, it gets easier to find them throughout the day.
Harper is starting to try to say words. It’s the cutest thing. She puts gusto into talking and last night on Hank’s bed I was trying to get her to say “Hi” and “Bye”. She said “BAAHHHHHH”- for “Bye” with as much might as her little voice could muster. And when we were reading The Little Blue Truck, she mimicked me when I read, “Little blue truck goes beep, beep, beep.”
Hank really does have the sweetest heart. 4-year old emotions are something I’m still struggling to learn how to handle as a mom, but I choke on a lump in my throat when he randomly tells me he loves me or says, “You’re my sweet mommy.”
The moral of the story here is, when you focus on the good, the good gets better. It’s really true!
I’ve been intentional about telling Josh two good things before even thinking about dipping my toes in the pool of overwhelming things that happened with the kids and guess what? After I talk about those two good things, most of the time I don’t even feel like talking about any of the hard stuff. My mindset shifts and my heart is grateful for these little creatures we created together.
We aren’t going to get this time with them back. And although some days really are craptastic, there is some good in each day. Focus on the good and the good gets better.
