My parents have a condo in San Luis Obispo so little man and I packed the car with Trader Joe's snacks, Mr. Potato head, and the jogging stroller for a weekend away from it all.
Can I just tell you that when I get away from the house - where I'm constantly distracted by messes to clean, laundry to do, and the internet - I enjoy my son so much more. I love motherhood; and I love hanging out with Landon. Him and I have a blast together. But, too often my attention is split between Landon and a huge "to-do" list.
It was so refreshing to get away from all the distractions and just focus on my boy. I needed to get my mind off of adoption paperwork. I needed to enjoy my son. To stop worrying about discipline and behavior and have fun with him. When I get too caught up in his behavior, rather than bonding and tying heart-strings with him, I start a downward spiral of thinking. I begin over-emphasizing his naughtiness. And then I take his natural rebellion personally. I worry about my skills as a mother; and I question my ability to parent him - let alone any more children. It just goes downhill from there.
I've found that I am particularly hard on myself lately. I think it's because we are in the process of growing our family and I'm feeling both nervous and inadequate (and excited too. Too many emotions! No wonder I had a mini-melt down).
All that to stay: while behavior is important, and it is my responsibility to teach Landon to respect authority and curb his naughtiness, it is even more important that I sometimes take a step back and look at the big picture. He's only going to be this age once. And I'm only going to have these times where it's just him and I for a little bit longer. So I need to cherish this stage, take time to away from it all, and have fun together.
So we went out to coffee. Played in the fountain. Enjoyed the park. Ate treats! Played with friends. Snuggled and watched a movie. Had a picnic. Shook out booties in a rockin' dance party. Soaked up the sunshine. And enjoyed a weekend full of giggles.
2 comments:
Love you friend. It was fantastic to hang out with you two. As far as your post and thoughts about discipline and stuff...
one thing I try to remember is with respect to our Relationship with God; our actions are to be motivated in response to God's great love for us... as to how it relates to our little ones, Relationship is sooo important. I find that when I get so caught up in constant discipline and forget to nurture my relationship with my boys that the discipline problems escalate.
But you are such an amazing mom that I know you already know that.
Dallas is at a screening. Lex is asleep. I find myself enjoying some alone time and decided to catch up on your blog! This post in particular really struck me as I deal with those same issues. That stinkin to-do-list won't ever leave me alone. BUT- you have inspired me to walk away from it! Every now & then we need those refreshing moments with our baby boys (especially while they are still babies). Thanks for keeping me company tonite Anna. This was my idea of a perfect evening!!
Love you:)
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