We've just come home from another grueling family outing. It was a time to get out of the house, spend some time together, make some memories... and I've come home exhausted....again. Not the good exhaustion that comes with a lot of fun and laughing, but the exhaustion that accompanies any parent lugging a double stroller, 15 coats, 2 bags of popcorn, an insane amount of crap and 3 kids too tired to walk but don't want to ride in their stroller turned limousine.
The only thing left to do now is scream at my children, "Are you GETTING this?!? Are you remembering even the slightest bit of joy we're trying to make right now? Do you see all the effort and love and energy we're putting into this outing....for YOU?!? Do you remember ANY of the trips to the zoo, the aquariums, the farm shows, children museums, mountain trips, walks in the park or train exhibitions? Are you taking mental note of all the cookies we bake from scratch, hours of play-doh, painting, stories read, horse back rides, kisses good-night, and cuddle time on the couch? PLEASE tell me you are understanding that we go to church every Sunday to praise God and that Mommy and Daddy hate disciplining you but love you enough to do so and that your meals are planned and served with your health and future in mind.
And then I sit back and take a deep breath, because the answer is obviously no. No, they don't get it. No, they don't understand. And maybe, if you're lucky enough, they MIGHT have a sketchy memory of that giraffe they saw eating leaves from a tree way back when. They don't get it. You know how I know this? Because I didn't get it at their age. I didn't 'get it' until I became a parent myself. However, I did get that Mom and Dad loved all of us with their entire being, and that we had a happy childhood. So if my children never remember, never understand, never get it...it's worth it all if they KNOW that they are loved and they are important.
And I'm documenting all of this 'fun' with hundreds of pictures, just in case they do forget ;)
Love this! :) And it's very true…our parents look SO very different from this side of things, don't they?
ReplyDelete[Thanks for the comment on the nursing post… another thing that's so different from this angle- if you did 4 months with all your kids, you've still nursed longer than me at this point ;)! Way to go! You're my hero :) ]