Random Post...homemaking kind of day...

Last Monday was one of those days - a homemaking kind of day. The weather was sunny, the projects many, and the children - as always - under foot. Obviously I have many of these days, but I must admit, I was thankful for this one. It reminded me of the small little moments I will miss when the kids are tucked away at school, off with their friends, or away from home for that matter.

Both of the kids were eager that I eat with them at breakfast. I normally turn on the t.v. and watch a bit of the Today Show while they eat. I sit and sip my coffee for about five minutes before I set about my chores, but on this day I left the t.v. off and I enjoyed breakfast with my kiddos.

Not long after we began doing a little "school" work. Neither of my kids are in a Mom's Day Out program or preschool so we are pretty much together 24/7. This, too, is one of those things I will miss - in just a year when Charlotte is off at school.

Today we learned the letters "a," "b," and "c." And by the end of the "lesson" they could both write them and Charlotte could identify two out of the three - ironically "c" being the harder one for her to remember.

It was fun seeing them get excited about what they had learned and I enjoyed teaching them. More training ensued as there were a few fights to break up, but all in all they went about their morning, helping me with chores, cleaning up their rooms, and even helping me prep for dinner.

I do love watching their make-believe play. The older they get the more fun it is to watch. I wonder how often my mother watched us as we were engrossed in our little worlds.

While a twinge of loneliness captured my spirit for a bit, I still reveled in the quiet, the simplicity of just "being" with my children.

I don't know about you, but I tend to feel guilty over allowing chores to take time away from my kids and I realize how ridiculous this is. I truly try to involve them in as much as possible and no one in real life gets to be entertained all day. I know that the lessons of homemaking are teaching my children valuable skills - like teamwork, organization, patience, and ultimately love.

There are so many days when the mundane seems so draining and I hear my thoughts saying, "not this again." But, I truly am trying to soak up these little moments because they will be so quickly gone and I will once again wish for the sticky fingerprints on the windows instead of the sun shining so clearly through them.