Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Messes Are Okay Now...As Long As They Come With Smiles!

Mmm....watermelon!



Sarah enjoys it too!




Don't ya know you're not supposed to eat the green part Jack? The girls tried to convince him it was a yucky part, but apparently he didn't share their opinion!




Smiles and Laughing...ALL worth it!


Nice dribble coming off his chin...


...with his blanket he used to wipe off the drool and juicy mess...



Viewing the glory!


Get in my BELLY!


All DONE!


Once upon a time ago I was a different kind of mother....almost 9 years ago now i would have anxieties that thankfully now to not exist even in the slightest. Some of that is due to time and being older, some of it from having 4 kids now instead of one, and i have to admit some of it from living on a farm with 14 other people. Whatever the reasons, i have gone from stress to joy at messes. There's a small catch though i will again admit and that is there has to be plenty of smiling and laughing!

That was my experience last night. Now that John has a job we are often subject to late bedtimes as if i need the car we have to then pick him up, and that's at 8pm. A small price to pay for the blessings of a job! In any rate last night we were putting together quick dinners for the kids and i had bought a WATERMELON! The kids wanted it and i couldn't resist. NONE of my kids liked watermelons two years ago...perhaps it's the south, perhaps age, but it sure didn't stop Jack-a-lope! He devoured it! He even started to eat the green part, until i gave him the rest of Sarah's that she didn't want. Soon enough he was a big slobbery, watery, juicy mess! He asked to take his shirt off after the first dribble and then each time watermelon juice trickled down his big belly he proceeded to get his blankie and wipe himself off.

Like i said in the past i would have had plenty of wipes or a washcloth, a bib for sure, and most likely would have even cut it up into small manageable pieces and put it into a bowl with a fork for him. AND i definitely would NOT have let him wipe himself off with his blankie, the one that i then let him go to bed with that night instead do washing...in fact it's still not washed! Ha ha!

I like being a different mom. I like being a mom that can let things go, a mom that knows what doesn't really matter. Perhaps a more experienced mom. A mom that allows her kids to get messy...at least when i know there's plenty of smiles involved! As you can see, he had a very good time, lots of smiles and laughing, giggling even, and i had an even greater time seeing him enjoy himself so much!

1 comment:

Tamsyn said...

I love how big Jack's belly looks in that one picture!! Jovie's belly is so much bigger after she eats..it is so funny!