The Fun Mom

Some days I felt like a pretty boring mom.

Clean, clean, clean.
Work, work, work.
Shhh! Stop! Don't!

There are days when it's just easier to contain my children, to keep them occupied and out of my hair.

I just get so focused on the work I have to do, work that I've let pile sky high, that I don't really enjoy being with my children. I just want them to leave me alone...

Then there are days when I can be a pretty fun mom.

I spend more time playing with my kids and less time worrying about all the little things in life. I choose to smile and do nice things for them, even though they often choose to be a little wild and crazy.

Today was one of those really good days. 

Recently my grandma gave the kids some monster shaped cookie cutters.

Cookie box along with my first attempt at a "cute" cookie.
Not so much...

My three-year-old took one look at the box and started begging me to open it.

"Mom, can we eat the monster cookies now PLEASE?!?!"
"Buddy, they aren't cookies. They are just cookie cutters."
"Can we eat the cookie cutters now PLEASE?!?!"
"You can't eat cookie cutters. You use them to make the cookies."

All I've heard since then is, "Can we make cookies now? Now is it time to make cookies? Can we eat them now? Mom? Mom?!?!"

So last night I stayed up late cleaning my kitchen and making a batch of sugar cookies knowing that the first thing my kids would think of this morning would be monsters.

I hopped out of bed at 7 am and instead of exercising, I walked to the corner grocery store for Karo and powdered sugar.

And by 9 am, my kids were painting their very own monster shaped cookies.

Of course, our cookies weren't anywhere near bakery standards. The cookies themselves were dense and a little dry because all I had was whole wheat flour. The icing was super sweet and sugary with not quite enough vanilla. And the decorations looked very much like I had preschoolers assisting me (although I'm not sure I could have done much better on me own...).

But they were our monster cookies, and my kids loved them!

As I watched my kids work this morning, I couldn't help but smile. There are days when I wish I didn't have to stay here and corral so many young ones, but not today. Today I am thankful that this is my job. 

I'm thankful that I can choose to make our days funs. I can choose to spend time with my kids. I can choose to enjoy my children, even when they seem like a lot of work!

Picnics in the backyard.
Riding bikes down the sidewalk.
Trips to the library.
Painting pictures (followed by an extra soapy bubble bath).
Running in the sprinklers.
Endless piles of books, puzzles, and games.
Snuggles on the couch.

This is the real stuff of childhood, the stuff that they'll remember and cherish. This is the stuff that makes life fun, and I can give that to them. Maybe not everyday, but hopefully more often than not.

Because it's through these routine experiences of childhood that I can really teach them the more important things in life.

Lessons in togetherness, sharing, kindness, and obedience. Lessons about their Creator and our Life Sustainer. As we do life together, we share so much more than fun. We share our hearts.

I know that motherhood won't always be easy and full of sunshine, but if you have time to make cookies today, do it.

The rest of the work will wait.