Friday, April 6, 2012

This Week's Favorites

Favorite photo...


Favorite quote...

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a 
mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; 
the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and 
grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.  
~George Bernard Shaw

Favorite links...

I love this family so much.  They are so full of love and embrace life in such a 
beautiful way.
Nichole captures the beauty of simplicity in a way that takes my breathe away.  
She inspires me daily.
This blog, this moment, these photos: WOW.
An incredibly smart, articulate post on vaccines.  I have wanted to post on this topic 
often but have feared the backlash.  Dani manages to capture my thoughts and had 
me nodding in agreement.  SO refreshing to read this point of view.
One of my new favorite blogs.

Favorite recipe...



Favorite pin...


Favorite moment...

After a busy afternoon playing outside in the garden and a very messy dinner on the 
back patio, I picked Brees up and brought her inside for bath time.  She threw the 
temper tantrum of the century, complete with screaming, head butting, and thrashing 
limbs.  She ran for the door and tried to get back out, a true lover of the outdoors, not 
wanting her time in the yard to end.  I took a deep breathe, picked my mad little girl up, 
and carried her upstairs to the bath.  I filled the tub with warm water and lavender, 
placed her favorite duckies in the water, and stripped off her dirty, sticky clothes: all 
while she screamed bloody murder and attempted to crawl, kick, and scratch her way 
to freedom.  I have never seen her so upset and was truly taken aback by her behavior.  
But I just kept patiently trucking on, methodically running through our night time 
routine, staying calm and putting her gently in the tub.  When she got into the water, 
she instantly stopped crying, looking up at me with her big brown eyes.  She scooted her 
way to the side of the tub where I was leaning in on my knees, ready to wipe her tears 
away.  Our eyes met, she let out a huge sigh, and then she wrapped her arms around 
my neck.  My heart completely melted in the floor as my tired, dirt streaked baby gave in 
and relaxed.  We sat like that for a while, me leaning into the tub, her leaning out of it, 
our arms wrapped around each other.  I scooped water onto her back slowly and 
hummed "Strawberry Fields Forever" into her ear.  Her breathing slowed and her tears 
were gone but she didn't let go, she just listened and enjoyed the water as I scooped it 
over her back.  We held each other close, the warmth of the water and our hug 
comforting her.  After I had gotten her as clean as I could, I picked her up and put her 
jammies on.  I brought her to the nursery and rocked her to sleep, her arms still 
wrapped around my neck.  This moment was my favorite for two reasons.  One: It was 
one of those tender, beautiful moments in motherhood that take your heart and make 
it bigger.  My little girl threw her tantrum but then gave in to the love of her mama.  
Two: I kept my cool and parented out of love.  I didn't get frustrated, I didn't react to 
her negative behavior.  I remained consistent and allowed the predictability of her 
routine and my calm and cool vibe to comfort her.  As a parent, that can be an 
incredibly challenging feat.  I am thankful for and encouraged by this experience.


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6 comments:

Moments and Impressions said...

This made me all teary... and the pin made me laugh.

Christa Cox said...

oh my gosh, that first pic is so cute!

Katie said...

You have such a sweet, gorgeous little girl. I love your moment. And your quote :)

nichole said...

Aw...what a wonderful moment you and Brees ended up having and also that you took the time to write it down! we mothers always need positive reinforcement when the going gets tough and it's so profound to be able to look back (see the proof) and realize that we don't always screw up!!

thank you for the link love and for the kind compliment. i'm happy my space adds something to your days...xo, nichole

Renee said...

Love this post!!! (the pin is awesome!!) I ADORE your fav' moment story!!! To be honest, your blog is one i go to, to feel a bit closer to calm myself!! Your girls and Hubby are truly blessed in you!!

Kate said...

Moments like these truly make up for all those sleepless nights and endless to-do lists we face as mothers, right? I agree with Nichole- thank you so very much for the link love! :-) and I've found a few new favorite blogs now because of this!