"Yes" Mom Challenge: Day three

Remember, these posts are going to be brutally honest. I'm asking you in advance to not judge me based on my immediate thoughts. *grin*

Today was a good day.

I found myself actually getting to mid-morning still looking for my boys to ask me to do something out of the ordinary--and being a bit disappointed that they hadn't.

Am I even going to have anything to say "Yes" to today? What on earth am I even going to blog about? I thought.

I shouldn't have worried too much. After all....there are three little men in my house. It didn't take them too long to come around.

There was the normal stuff:

Colin: "Mom, can we please go outside?"

It was a pretty nice day here today, and I agreed that when I had gotten a few quick things done around the house, outside we would go. The boys played, and I did a quick sweep of the house, getting it in enough order to satisfy my, ahem, tendencies.

We were off, and I immediately made a beeline for my comfy little chair under my comfy little tree decided that I was going to sit for a while and do some reading. I've been doing an online book discussion, and I also wanted to do my Bible reading for the day.

Well, this shouldn't take me too long.

I was immediately--and I mean, before-I-even-read-an-entire-verse-immediately--interrupted with cries of:

"Mom!! Watch this!"

I hesitated; finished my verse; and looked up.

All three boys were waiting on me to look at them. Waiting for me to witness the latest "trick" they had mastered on their bikes.

I watched, as each one sped down the driveway....and then I returned to my reading.

Not one-half of a verse later:

"Mom! Mom! Watch this!"

*Insert scenario above again here.*

They were so excited to show me what they were doing, and it was at that moment that I purposed in my heart that, right then, I was going to be equally as excited about what they were doing. I didn't care how long it took me to read my four Bible chapters, or if I didn't get to my chapter book that day at all.

I wanted them to know that I cared about what they cared about. That I cared about what they were doing right then at that moment.

It took a long time to get through those chapters, let me tell you.

But, I did it....and I don't regret the time invested watching my boys do "trick" after "trick".

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Then, after lunch, we did our normal hour or so of 'reading time'. I read to them every single day before they take naps, and have done so since Colin was old enough to even sit on my lap. Today we read about seven books, and, I will admit--reading aloud really has a tendency to wear me out. I was tired, and was ready for them to sleep. For a couple of hours, if possible.

But, Colin was having none of that.

He was in there, lying in his bed, wide awake. So, after a while, I went in there and told him he could get up. I figured I would turn on a Veggie or something, and we could cuddle*.

*Cuddle is code for "Mommy can snooze for a bit."

Colin had other plans.

"Mom, can we read another Gaskitts book?" (These are books that Colin really enjoys, but we don't read at reading time very often, because they are about 80 pages apiece.)

Oh, you have got to be kidding me...I just read to you for almost an hour! You want me to read some more? I'm sooooo tired, Colin. All I want to do is veg--maybe get a bit of sleep--in front of the TV for a while. I just don't have it in me to read 80 pages right now. I don't think I could even stay awake long enough to get through it!

"Please, Mommy?"

Well.....this is what you get for going looking for an opportunity this morning. Here is one, being handed to you on a silver platter.

"Sure, Col. Go grab it quietly and we'll sit in here and read it."

We certainly got our cuddle time in. Not in the way I had hoped for, but in a much more meaningful way to sweet Colin.

And, I made it all the way through the book. Somehow, I got a much-needed second wind.

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After everyone was up from resting, the boys all wanted to go outside again.

Bleh. I did this once already today. I'm tired....I need to get dinner started. I think I just heard my stomach actually ask me, in an audible voice, for food. It's that hungry.

"Alright, we can go out for a little while."

Colin: "Mom, will you play baseball with me?"

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaa-haaaaaa-haaaaah...

"Sure, buddy. Go get the bases and your balls and bats."

You know what I discovered?

Cameron is actually, I think, a left-handed batter. He was having such difficulty hitting the ball....but I noticed that, when he was swinging the bat, he was swinging much better going the other direction. I turned him around the other way, and BAM! He hit three in a row!

We had a great time, with lots of giggling and cheering. Despite myself, I actually enjoyed myself and our time playing baseball. We also gave a caterpillar and a spider a new home in one of my glass Mason jars.

Talk about something that I wanted to say "no" to. Bugs are just not up my alley. But Cameron was all about this activity. He went and collected 'special grass' and three small sticks for the jar.

"I picked them just for him, Mommy!" he said.

And, that activity led me to having this conversation with Cameron:

Me, after awhile: "Should we let him go now? I kind of feel sorry for him." (The poor caterpillar was just circling that jar like there was no tomorrow, desperately trying to escape....)

Cameron: "But why, Mommy? I made a nice home for him."

It hit me right then: this had been something that was really important to Cameron. Really special to him. He had taken great care in collecting that grass and those sticks! I turned to him and said: "Yes, you did Cameron. You made a very nice home for him!"

And, then, a smile lit up his face from ear to ear. "It's a great home, isn't it Mommy?"

"Yeah, buddy. A really, really great home."

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And, now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to read just a bit more to the boys...even though we normally don't read at night time.

They did, after all, say please.

Today was a good day.