Motherhood.

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms,wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey, Mommy's here.'

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes.And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football, soccer or softball games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars.

And that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?' they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn'thave missed it for the world,' and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair
when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner.

And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight,Moon' twice a night for a year. And then read it again, 'Just one more time.'

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoe laces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college -- or have their own families.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good mother anyway?

Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache she feels when she watches her son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes her from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put her hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes againat 2 A.M. when she just wants to heartheir key in the door and know they are safe again in her home?

Or the need to flee from wherever she is and hug her child when she hears news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And for mature mothers learning to let go.For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us...Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and never stop being a mother...

One step at a time...

I love it when my kids come running up to me with a huge smile and the look of accomplishment in their eyes, telling me about what they have just done. By themselves. Its a glorious moment for them and I let them live it. As for me, well... I am happy. But, deep down I know that when they learn to do something on their own, its one less thing they will need me for.

Jade has been struggling with the dreaded sippys! That tiny straw that comes attached to the side and the micro sized hole they want the end of the straw to poke. It just wasnt her thing... Until today. She defeated the sippy! She managed to get the straw into the hole with out squeezing half the contents of the pouch all over her! And she made sure I knew about it :)

I remember the day I realized my Robbie didnt need me to cut up his hot dogs anymore. He had been eatting whole hot dogs for a while but it never dawned on me that I needed to stop cutting them up. You kinda go onto this routine with them and its hard to snap out of it at the right times.

I was sitting down at a resturant with him and Cliff, cutting up the giant hot dog. I looked down at my knife and fork and stopped in the middle of cutting a piece off. I was like "what am I doing? I dont need to do this anymore for him. He's been eatting soild food whole for 5 months now!" I laughed at myself. Then I told Cliff my earth shattering news and went home to shower and cry.

With each child I birth, I start new. But in the end, I still have to stop cutting up the hot dog at one point in time.

Truth be told... I cut up their food sometimes just to do it and tell them that it needed to cool off and that was a faster way of doing it lol

Its hard letting go of the hand you been holding for so long. And it never gets easy to let your newborn become an infant then transform into a toddler only to quickly become school aged. Im not even thinking about college... or them becoming mothers and fathers themselves. Im just enjoying them as they are and extending my hand for the things that they still need me for.

I love my babies... I love them so much!