Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Good Ol' Days {A Guest Post!}

I'm pleased to have my childhood friend and fellow blogger Jodi guest posting today! Here's a little glimpse into her life and heart...
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I'm really excited to be guest posting here for Alicia and so honored that she would even ask. Alicia, congratulations to you and your adorable family! You're such a superwoman and if I could rally a parade and bestow a crown and cape upon you, I would. So consider yourself virtually crowned and caped. :)
I'm Jodi and I blog over at Life and Oh-La-Dee-Dah. Like Alicia, I'm a mother of two boys. Judah is four and Jacob just turned three. Three years old, already!  It's cliche to say, but wow! Time really does fly. In order to keep time from passing too quickly and leaving me with unopened moments, I remind myself periodically that these are the good ol' days. You know, the days that in a year from now, I'll look back and think "Remember when..." and my husband and I will get all misty-eyed sentimental and let our hearts yearn for one more moment with the boys when they were oh-so-tiny. If you think about it, each moment will one day become part of the good ol' days, right? So, I'm determined to keep that in mind, especially when these two little guys of mine are creating messes and running dizzy circles around me. :) It's not easy, but with enough coffee...
Our family dynamic is slightly different than the average family because Judah has special needs, but there are three things, give or take, that I think are universal to raising boys, special needs or typically developing. Feed them well, give them dirt to play in and always have a cabinet stocked with disinfectant. I'm smirking just a little, but there's some truth in that, right?
Whether we're raising sons or daughters, I think one of the biggest challenges of parenthood lies in the balancing act of being organized, but also being willing to let unplanned and imperfect moments join us on the journey. Almost every seasoned mother I've talked with has told me that they never regretted leaving the laundry undone, but they do regret the moments they missed with their kids because of a to-do list. I am still learning that and still sometimes the to-do list takes priority when finger painting or bubble blowing should be the priority.
I've made a loose cluster of New Year's resolutions and the one I really want to grasp tightly to this year is exactly that. Doing better at balancing priorities, making sure I remember that these are the good ol' days. If that means a bed or two goes unmade or the dishes pile up for a bit, well I'm ok with that.
Alicia you truly are an amazing woman. I love getting to read your blog and peek into your life as a wife and mother. You have a sweet heart for your family and it shows.

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6 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for guest posting, Jodi!
    I really enjoyed this post...funny, because a friend and I were talking just yesterday about how the main thing that older parents tell you ACROSS THE BOARD is to treasure the years where your kids are little.
    It's such a busy time, which is what makes it challenging to do just that!
    Taking pictures is one thing that helps me slow down and revel in the moment. Along with ditching the to-do list when needed, like you said. And getting outside really helps (AWAY from the dishes and the laundry!).
    Love, Alicia
    P.S. If I had a crown, I'm sure there would be spaghetti noodles hanging from it, and the cape (are capes safe? haha) would be smudged with dirt and spit up. But that's the glory of motherhood, I suppose! The equivalent of gray hair for the aged...

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  2. Did you write this post Jodi? Or are these my words? It is so true and balancing between housework and motherhood is a daily challenge. Sometimes I sit besides my kids beds when they are asleep and just look at them and sit there and smell them and think; this is NOW!
    Love Amelie

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  3. Great post Jodi! And such a good reminder that these are the good ol days. Now I'm going to go sing 10,000 Maniacs "These are the Days" and enjoy that even the whining, poopy days are good ol days.

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  4. Jodi this is a beautiful post and I love your goal of balancing. It is a big challenge but I know that when I look back I wont think, "dang that sink full of dishes sure made the days when the babies were little miserable" but it sure feels like that in the moment. I wonder why? I have found it really helpful to find mom friends who share my values and spend time in their slightly unorganized homes. Not that organization is bad, I really admire and learn from those momma friends too!

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    1. Katie, I totally know what you mean...I enjoy my friends who are relaxed about having people over in their less-than-perfect house. :D

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  5. So true about remembering that these are the good ol' days. I would rather remember the times were laughed about something crazy that the kids did, rather than the times that I had my sink shined 3 nights in a row (which never happens btw).

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