A "Good Mom" Day

Today is one of those days where I feel like a good mom. (A bit sappy - but it's really for me not for you anyway, right?)
Just about every morning, Ava will wake up and come crawl in bed with me. Sometimes it before Daddy leaves for work, sometimes not. Today was a "not" day. We snuggled until Elise woke up. I went and got her and then put her in bed with Ava while I started my "routine". While getting ready for the day, I look into the bedroom and see my sweet little girls, snuggled together, sharing a pillow in the barely lit room, watching a cartoon. After a while, we got up and dressed pretty uneventfully and I kept my cool even when Ava, who wasn't ready to go potty and get changed said in a defeated, tired way, "I don't want to do anything you tell me to do today." To this I responded, "I know...it's hard...I'll help you...do you want to go to the library?" We ran an errand, ate breakfast in the car - bananas and whole wheat bread...(it's amazing how much more appealing whole wheat bread is when you give it to them in the car, taking it out of the zip-loc bag as if it's something really special), and then headed off to the library for story hour and lots of time to check out and read books. I even got them a few videos even though I knew they'd be scratched up...just because...the library is the only place, that I've found, where kids can go and get whatever they want pretty much. At one point during the morning, when walking into a building, Ava says, "what a nice day. It feels fresh."
After the library we went and saw Daddy at work for a minute so they could say hi. Then, we went home and had a healthy lunch. Nap time came next. Elise acted like she was going to take a nap but then had a stinky diaper and didn't want a nap anymore. During the half-hour Elise was "pretending" to nap, I read my big girl about 5 or 6 books from the library. Elise didn't want to nap so -No big deal - let's watch a movie (one of the 3 from the library that wasn't scratched).
After movie, we went over to a friends to play and then walked/rode to the park. Ava got to ride her brand new bike for it's inaugural ride to the park. (pics later). I took some time in the beginning to teach her how to stop without using her feet, making her practice a few times to make sure she had it. I stayed close but also gave her room to try it out on her own and offered bits of encouragement along the way. She was going up a relatively steep hill and I said "I think I can, I think I can". So then I hear her whispering that under her breath on the next hill. Along the way, Ava said things like, "Look at me! I'm riding my bike all by myself!" and my favorite - "I'm so proud of myself!" :) We played at the park with friends for a long time and had lots of fun. A couple of times Elise got hurt and wanted her mommy...even after Daddy tried to comfort her. I don't want Chris to feel bad, but it just melts my heart when my girls want their mommy.
I made a healthy dinner (although the recipe wasn't that great). After dinner, we played a bit and then I helped Ava read a book! What a rewarding experience! -- and I'm a teacher by trade. She's known her letters for a long time and knows all of the letter sounds now. So today at the library I picked out some first reader books..."Mat sat. Mat has a hat. Sam sat. Sam sat on Mat (yes it said that)." She sounded out the words and figured out the words with very very little help. I'm so excited to keep teaching her how to read.
With no naps, the girls went right to sleep at bedtime after a few stories, prayers and hugs and a few tickles.
This may sound like a fairly normal day for all of you well-balanced, patient, saintly mothers...but for me, it was just so peaceful and nice.
Motherhood is underrated. (Stay tuned: tomorrow I'll be eating my words)