1. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes- if I could drink the stuff knowing it would protect me from germs I would! And yes, I am the crazy parent that wipes down everything, in public, before my child touches it....and wipes their hands afterward!
2. A dinner out with ONLY grown-ups or just my husband- no screaming children, no picky eaters, no drink spills or food messes, and no wiping hands and faces. You actually get to eat your meal!
3. Slow drivers in the neighborhood- Jeremy and I are now those people that wave at people to slow down who go barreling through our neighborhood. I am officially apologizing to all my neighbors, during my high school years, for my speedy driving. And YES, I am the reason my neighborhood, growing up, put in speed bumps.
4. Going to the grocery store alone- When Jeremy and I first got married, I always hated going to the grocery store alone. I loved it when he was there, mainly to help me carry all the heavy things! Now I love being able to make it through the grocery store with no meltdowns, pleads for special treats, or emergency restroom breaks. Truthfully, my girls are pretty good in the store, but it's just so much easier to go alone sometimes!
5. Sleeping in on the weekends- My sleeping in, before kids, used to be 10:00 a.m. My sleeping in now means 7:00 a.m. Macy and McKenna usually crawl out of bed at 6:30 a.m. Macy either wakes Big Mac up when she flings open her bedroom door, or McKenna wakes Macy up because she stands at the baby gates screaming, "MomEE", "DadEE". Either way, they wake up at the same time...EARLY!
6. Christmas- it's not the gifts, it's not the food, it's the magical feeling. I feel like I am seeing Christmas again like a child. I love watching my girls learn about giving and receiving, learn about Jesus, and show the excitement, they can barely contain, at bedtime and when they wake up.
7. Reading a good book- I stopped reading for many years. My excuse was that I just didn't have time. Well, I have found time! When I drop Macy off for school in the morning, we have a 30-40 minutes wait. When I pick her up in the afternoon, I have a 20 minute wait. I have been reading. My most recent read, "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom. It was a fantastic book. I am working on a book from my favorite author, Nicholas Sparks, right now! I love a good book, and time to read it :)
8. A picnic 0r nature walk- We absolutely love packing up and heading to the park for a family picnic or a fun nature walk. My girls love carrying baskets and collecting things they find on the way. It's a great way for them to learn (vocabulary, colors, shapes, sorting), and it's such a fun family time!
9. Singing in the car- When I was pregnant with Macy and McKenna, I used to sing to my belly in hopes they would hear me. Well, they must have fell in love with music then, because these two little girls were born to sing and dance. We love turning up the music in the car and singing! We sing, we laugh, we dance...no limits! Yes, I know every word to every Justin Bieber song!!!
10. The meaning of family- People may think our family is unique due to the fact that we do everything together. We eat dinner together every night. We go for walks together any night the weather allows us to. We go to the store together. We go to ballet class together. We do EVERYTHING together. And I wouldn't have it any other way! Not only do we enjoy doing things as a family of four, but we love our family time with parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. We understand time, distance, and schedules can often keep families apart....but we love our family time whenever we can get it!
What things do your appreciate more as you move through the phases in your life?
Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true!
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