Two steps behind

These days I am two steps behind. Behind the cereal that is thrown over the kitchen floor, behind the laundry that insists on making my basement into a suitable mountain climbing adventure. Behind the baby who seems to want to eat normal food and yet I hold back. Behind the closets that are full of long sleeves and pants and are longing to be packed away for shorter, lighter materials. Behind the weeds that are growing faster than my leeks, tomatoes, onions and green beans. The list goes on. I'm realizing that this is MOTHERHOOD, a time when there is not point in trying to stay ahead but trying to stay level.

To not get overwhelmed but to step back and tackle slowly. I have been overwhelmed, and panicky and have realized that its more productive to simply stop and write lists (and include on the list items that have been achieved just so I can cross them off:)



Last night I attempted to add to the kids summer wardrobe. I discovered that girls shorts are microscopic. The skirts even worse. Everything I hold up I'm wondering if she can run and play and stay covered. I thought this time would come later, in school year times, not at the tender age of 4. And as I swung between the size 4 and the size 5 I realized it only gets worse. Sad when you understand how important it is to teach your children young about modesty and inner beauty. I read recently that these clothing would not be here if Mom's weren't buying it. As Moms do we put our own insecurities on our daughters by dressing them to old for their age? Clothing them in material that barely covers their body parts? Skimpy bikinis and skimpy shorts because we have been lead to believe that a "perfect" body is one that is small and thin, not developed.

I love shopping for kids clothes, its fun to dress them and look put together. But I also believe there needs to be times for them to not be dressed up and be allowed to run and get dirty and to laugh and jump in puddles, to swing on monkey bars without worrying about the unmentionables showing. To be kids. And it is a struggle, a struggle to find shorts and skirts that they can run and tumble in.

Shopping for boys on the other hand.....you simply need to look for items that show the least amount of dirt and will hold up to potential rips and tears :) Nothing you buy will last long, if you have a Jacob nothing will be around long enough to pass along!