As I skimmed facebook this morning I saw lots of little “mommyhood is so amazing” posts…and I couldn’t agree more. But, I feel as though we are in a very refining phase right now. I have mentioned before how I feel like about every 6 months we have a sort of boot camp time where the boys seem to push every limit over again and it feels like we have to crack down. And here we are. Let me give you a glimpse into my day yesterday…

Jackson and Seth rushed out the door to school and Owen and I headed out for our weekly coffee time with friends before going to swimming lessons…besides the major nudity exposure that swim class in Europe brings (this is for sure a completely separate upcoming post! stay tuned!)  we had a good morning and enjoyed our friends as always. Owen fell asleep on the way to drop off our friends after class and was less than excited when I woke him up to pop into the grocery store. To my credit this isn’t nap time so I wasn’t torturing him!! I came armed with a snack and distractions but yesterday they did not work. I put Owen on the floor to walk when he refused the cart and he proceeded to throw his body on the floor of the store and SCREAMMMMMM. I scooped him up, gather the groceries I could remember amidst the screaming and hurried out. Did I ever mention that the stores here feel awfly quiet to this was a bigger than normal scene.

We got Jackson from school and headed home. Owen decided that 15 min nap in the car was sufficient and refused his nap. Jackson fell asleep shortly and we moved along with the afternoon. Because I had been unsuccessful at the store in the morning I decided we would get out and walk to the grocery store for a few more things we needed. Everyone was happily crunching an apple on the walk up. enjoying the fresh air and being outside!

Since I had the stroller I decided to let Jackson push a kiddie cart, knowing our food would fit in it.  He accepted the task with great enthusiasm and on we went. Half way through the store he took a corner too quickly and over went out overly full cart…eggs and all. I quietly up the contents, tossed them back in and moved on.   And I thanked God that no one was in our aisle at the moment. Sometimes the stares feel more annoying than the toppled cart.

We hiked down the hill and made it home in time for the boys to play in the atrium while I cooked dinner. I heard them come in at one point and head back to their rooms. Then I heard them in the bathroom. I went back to see that we were not having a flood and saw that they had open the giant bathroom windows and Owen was tossing bath toys out the window one by one.

At dinner we have been working on Jackson staying in his chair. Last night at one point he hopped out of this chair and as we both spoke up to tell him to sit down his foot landed on Owen’s fork that had somehow made it’s way to the floor. Jackson earned himself a nice little gouge.

Baths were uneventful and everyone went to bed peacefully.

So, although I agree that motherhood is amazing and rewarding, it is also so much work and so refining. It’s tough doing the hard work of discipline and teaching!  It wasn’t that the kids even needed tons of discipline today it was more that they had constant needs and I find that some days it’s just tough getting anything other than little boy stuff accomplished.

I am building in some “me time” this weekend to catch my breath and be able to enjoy the sweet moments a little bit better. They tend to get a bit blurry in the midst of the chaos.  It certainly is no piece of cake!