Voices in My Head...

Actually, it is just one voice--my own voice--repeating a growing list of things I need to do in the next 3 minutes:

"Start Lorien on her homework."

"Change the laundry over."

"Take the rotting jack-o-lantern off our back patio and to the trash."

"Go pee."

"Find two dollars for Lorien's field trip tomorrow."

"Turn off the oven."

"Chug some Maalox."

"Find the field trip permission form to go with the two dollars that was due Tuesday."

"Help Wyatt save his Lego Island game."

"Go pee."

These kinds of mental lists often rule my day. Some times they are helpful and some times they make me wish for a lobotomy. Just a quick splitting of my brain hemispheres and maybe I could relax...

When these list become too overwhelming I find myself missing those little moments about my job as a Mom that make my job so great.

For a long time I've said that motherhood is the hardest job I've ever had (true stuff!). It is also the most rewarding job I've ever had, BUT only when I look for the rewards.

So tonight, with the kids finally in bed, I sat down to upload some pictures from our camera. Seeing these pictures helped me remember some of those rewards from the last couple of weeks. These pictures also made me thankful I opted out of that self-inflicted lobotomy I had scheduled for 6:00 this evening.

Watching Wyatt make is own fruit salad. And then (the real reward) when Clare noticed his creation and asked me to make her some, Wyatt quickly saying: "Oh, I made LOTS! You can just have some of mine."

"Why do you keep taking pictures of my fruit salad?" asked the boy after I snapped the fourth shot of him cutting an apple...because you are so darn cute...that's why...and because you wont let me give you kisses any more so I have to take pictures instead...so there!

Or today, in a rare moment of weakness I let the girls wear some of my make-up and clip on earrings. Once they were appropriately adorned and painted they went out in the back yard and sang "Opera" while riding their scooters. And then, (the real reward) calling each other "Princess Pretty" and "Princess Pretty the Second" as they passed.

Ummm--do you hear Cher singing "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" when you look at this picture? No, just me? Oh well...

Or Clare, who loves to be with her Daddy more than just about anything in the whole wide world. Hanging out with Will while he did push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups as part of his work out--all the while trying to keep up with her own set of reps. And then, (the real reward again) her honest pride and joy at hearing Daddy tell her: She was the best wrestler girl he knew.

Clare jumping down from our bed (where she did her "work-out") coming to tell me that she is the best wrestler girl.

--Ehem--just one more little reward for me--pertaining to

my job as "wife" not "Mom". Seeing my hot, sweaty and

wicked buff husband after a work out. I am such a lucky girl.

I debated putting this picture up for a while...but I couldn't help

myself, he is too good looking and I am too proud...