Growing Up...

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher

Often when we set out to have children, we envision their whole life, before they have even taken one single breath outside the womb.  We want the absolute best for our children and want them to be perfect in every way, at everything they set out to do, and that they have every single thing that we didn't growing up.  Whether that means toys or friends or popularity, we try to make up for our shortcomings through their lives.  
We have one tremendously lovely, incredibly smart, and tragically sharp witted (tragic for her parents egos) daughter.  Mina is truly a gift from God.  I thank Him for her every chance I get.  Being a parent is a difficult and mostly thankless job.  There is no pay in it, the hours suck, but the benefits are priceless.  When we finally got pregnant, we were stunned.  Chris and I walked around for the entire nine months, looking at each other and giggling.  We couldn't help thinking "what have we done?!".  I was sick every single day, and I would have done it again in a heartbeat.  When I first felt her move, I was lying on the couch (I slept A LOT), and it felt like a tiny butterfly moved in my tummy.  It was about this time of year actually (Mina was born in July).  We have cherished every giggle, every first day of school, the bug collecting, the playing with dollies, the mudpies, the toddler streaking naked through the yard, and making sure that she doesn't see us laughing when we have to punish her for something.  Yes, it is often tough to keep a straight face, we try not to take things too seriously, unless she is REALLY busted and then she knows it and faces the "punishment" valiantly.  We laugh a lot, and try hard to remember that she is a kid and will never be "perfect".
Why all the deep thoughts?  Being a parent means a great deal to me.  I grew up with "issues" as most of us did.  I have spent many years in therapy working out my "issues", and I have a dialog in my head that I run to try to keep my issues from bleeding out to my reactions to Mina.  Being a parent, means you do a lot of things you are not comfortable with, or that you would really rather not do.  Today was one of those days, and even though our time covering the issue was uncomfortable at best, it was still my job.
That is the job I took on, even when it is uncomfortable, unpleasant, or messy.  I thank God that I have that task. 

• Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky.  ~Fran Lebowitz

•  Children make you want to start life over.  ~Muhammad Ali

• Children seldom misquote.  In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.  ~Author Unknown

• Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.  ~Phyllis Diller (this is my philosophy~explains the post from Monday!)