motherhood – Page 8 – Lemon Drop Pie

The best part of the day is in the dark of the morning. My husband has already gone to work; my children are still sleeping (if I’m lucky). I pour hot, black coffee into my favorite mug and sit down on the living room couch to fully wake up.

No, wait, when my daughters come tip-toeing downstairs in their penguin nightgowns, their hair still rumpled from sleep and their movements slow and sleepy, that is the best part of the day. They sidle up next to me for their morning hug, and then run downstairs for a little morning TV.

But there’s nothing like dropping them off at school, either. Then I can breath a sigh of relief. Lunches have already been made for the day, homework and library books are safely in backpacks, and the morning rush is over. Then it’s off to teach all morning with my preschool class. I’m so grateful to have a job I love.

And isn’t it nice to be able to come home for lunch? I have the whole afternoon ahead of me to get some things done that need doing. Laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Tasks I don’t necessarily enjoy, but one of the benefits of having a part time job is having the time to get them done!

I love picking my girls up from school and talking to them about their day. I’ve missed them, you see.

There are some parts of my day that are not the best. Making dinner is one of them. It’s not that I don’t like to cook; I actually do. It just that making dinner every night gets a little…tedious. As does washing the dishes afterwards.

Yet there is nothing better after a long, hard day than stretching out under my warm, down comforter in my soft, cozy bed, and turning out the light.

I may have had a little difficulty choosing the best part of my day.

What’s the best part of your day?

This week for Tuesday Ten, Lisa and Rabia challenged us to think of ten things we should say more often, and I have to admit, I had trouble with this one! Here’s what I came up with.

10. “What game do you want to play?” So often I get stuck in “I have to get things done” mode when my daughters are in “We want to play” mode. I need to give in and play with them while they are still little!

9. “It’s okay if you make a mess. We can clean it up together.” Many projects my daughters want to do are messy. But they are also so fun!

8. “Thank you for making the coffee.” My husband makes the coffee every single day. I love him for it!

7. “I need help.” I need to get over my “mommy martyr status” and ask my family to help around the house. My daughters can easily help me load and unload the dishwasher and put away the laundry!

6. “Yes, you can help me.” Sometimes they want to help, but I just want to do it myself because it’s easier! If my daughters learn how to do something, they will do it better next time. For example, I have trouble letting them help me bake. They love to break the eggs and beat them, but it’s so much easier (and less messy) if I do it myself.

5. “No.” Sometimes I just need to say “no” instead of “maybe,” and stick with it. No means no, especially when Emmy wants candy for breakfast.

4. Saying “yes” and then following through. I’ve told my daughters that yes, we could do something, and then I put of off until we never actually do it!

3. “You are awesome.” My kids already know I think they are awesome. But does my husband? I need to say this to him more often. Because he is pretty awesome.

2. “I’m listening.” And then I need to really listen. To my kids, my husband, my sisters…really listen.

1. I say it often, but it always bears repeating: “I love you.”

What things do you want to say more often?

Tuesday Ten is hosted by Lisa from The Golden Spoons and Rabia from The Liebers. Visit their blogs for more Tuesday Ten!