don't look ahead

I've noticed that when people meet my kids for the first time they always have the same reaction:

to Flora: "Look at those big brown eyes!"

to Scout: "Look at that RED hair!"

to Timber: "My, he's a big boy, isn't he?"

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And totally unrelated.....
I don't know why I still feel a sense of accomplishment every time I finish the laundry. I'm starting to realize that laundry is NEVER finished, the kitchen is NEVER clean, and the kids are NEVER done eating. And yet . . . after I put away the last stack of clean clothes, wipe down the kitchen counters, and pick up the dinner dishes, I still feel a sense of accomplishment . . . even knowing that there will be more laundry, dirty counters, and hungry kids tomorrow.

I think moms really need to live in the moment. I get overwhelmed when I think about the long-term. Yesterday I received the startling news that kids don't usually wipe themselves after going #2 in the potty until they are 5-years-old!! The thought of playing Bathroom Assistant for 5 more years isn't a nice thought at all.

So it's the little achievements that I have to relish, especially in the potty department. Flora does a lot of her bathroom duties (hehe) without my help and Scout is even showing interest in the potty. He loves wearing his Toy Story underwear and he looks SO adorable in them. It means that I've had to clean up a few messes this week, but it's been worth it to be able to pinch his cute little bum in those underwear!
And Timber is nowhere near being potty trained.....but we did receive enough diapers for Christmas to last us a few months! And he's finally getting to the point where he only has 2 or 3 poopy diapers per day instead of 8-10.

So, there are a lot of small victories in the potty department to celebrate....but, gosh, I just keep thinking about wiping butts for another 5 years.....