of being ben and joey's mom

When I found out I was going to be a mom 7 years ago I remember feeling so many different emotions--joy, pride, excitement, anxiety, worry, uncertainty, fear, happiness, love, love, love, love, love. I have continued to feel pretty much every one of those emotions on a daily basis since. This being a mom stuff definitely makes you emotional. I am not just a mom. I am Ben and Joe's mom. God gave me such a blessing when he sent these two monsters, I mean angels into my care. On being Ben's mom...

• Being Ben's mom means that I am constantly on my toes, there is no rest for the weary, no stopping. It is full systems go from the time we get up until we pass out.
• Being Ben's mom means I better have an answer for "what are we doing next?"
• Being Ben's mom means I burn more calories from laughing a day then I do from exercise.
• Being Ben's mom means I have a partner in my love for all things sweet, which means I better keep a full supply of cinnamon rolls, cookies, and popsicles on hand for emergency situations that can only be redeemed by sugar.
• Being Ben's mom means being in awe at the talent that exudes from him athletically. I am so proud of his energy on the field/court and his enthusiasm for all sports.
• Being Ben's mom means I have to cling to kisses and hugs when they are offered because usually a high five or knucle bump is all I am going to get.
• Being Ben's mom means full days of saying "no" "stop that" and "Beeeeennnnn" but my favorite parts of the day are when he stops what he is doing and smiles at me or asks me to come watch what he has discovered or what he is doing.

On being Joey's mom...

• Being Joe's mom means that every morning I get to see his sweet, chubby face with a wild mop of blonde hair on top of his head and smell his sleepy little boy goodness as he runs in to tell me "good morning momma" with a little grin (seen around the paci plugging his mouth) and a raspy voice. Hands down THE BEST part of my day.
• Being Joe's mom means everything is an adventure and I have to save extra time during errands to explore.
• Being Joe's mom means being well-loved and admired. Joey and I can't walk around the block without people flocking to him to wave, stop and talk, or simply shake their head at how cute he is and how lucky I am to be in his presence.
• Being Joe's mom means being so proud of his kind heart and his ability to love and share. The kid may not know his colors or shapes like I wish he would but is advanced at matters of the heart, which at the end of the day is just fine by me.
• Being Joe's mom means I have to duck these days because there is usually a fist, open hand, foot, or set of teeth coming at me. For all his sweetness, the kid can be rough and fiesty!
• Being Joey's mom means giving him lots of room to run. He learned his perpetual motion from his brother, thus backyards and parks work well for us, but not so much basketball courts where he is forced to sit on the sidelines and just watch the action in front of him. Pshaw!
• Being Joey's mom means that I have to enjoy every minute of him (even the not so fun minutes) because he is my baby and may be the last baby I ever have.

Being both boys mommy means that I fall in love with my husband again every day as I marvel at his fathering skills and am so grateful that God gave me the best daddy in the world for my boys. It also means that my love and respect for my own mom deepens every day as I realize the sacrifices she made and continues to make for our family and as I now understand just how much she loves me and the rest of my siblings. A mom's love is almost painful in it's intensity and in an odd way it can be almost a burdon in its overwhelmingness. Thanks mom for your love. I also am grateful for my mother-in-law and the love she showed to a little boy who grew up to be the man I now love.

so happy and grateful to be a mom on this mother's day and always.