Moon Dough Mother

Well, it's been over a week and I finally dragged myself back.

Miss me? Yes? No?

Thanksgiving was full of thanks and family. We stayed in town, and while I missed my brother and sister and mother and father in Indiana, I really enjoyed being with the Vaiseys. Those blessed Vaiseys sure do a lot for us, and for them, I am eternally thankful (That's thankful for all eternity).

This past week I have been actively trying (trying) to provide my children with a technology fast(much unlike the picture of Simon with the ipad and an ipod-geesh). I guess in doing so, I spent a little less time on the computer as well.

My children sass me less if they are engaged in some serious pretend play. Yours?

BabaJuje picked Lena up from preschool the other day, and when they got home she came bouncing through the doorway shrilling about something so exciting called Moon Dough.

Have you heard of this Moon Dough? Well in case you don't know, Moon Dough is a light and airy substance that is a tactile child's heavenly bliss and it also happens to be my arch-nemesis.

If I'm being completely honest- 4 year old Kelly would have loved it as much as 4 year-old Lena does.

I was truly excited for her to squish her fingers through it. To fulfill her constant need for sensory experiences. But as I sat there and watched the purple gob crumble its way ALL OVER THE PLACE, into the baby's mouth, on the bottom of shoes, in the carpet, I had a miniature breakdown.

So you see, I am trying (trying) really hard to become a Moon Dough Mother.

The kind that tolerates messes and prioritizes duties. The kind that lets her children play in the bins of wheat in the kitchen because I think it would be fun for them. The kind that welcomes out-of-the-ordinary experiences for her children instead of evaluating what they get to do based on how long it takes for me to clean up. The kind that doesn't have miniature breakdowns daily.

So even though, for now, I think our recent acquiring of Moon Dough will have to be declared a Juje's house activity (only fair since she bought it, right?:)

I'm getting there.

I want to be there.

I know there's happiness brewing on the other side of learning to just let go.

And I guess the point is, at the end of the day I'm really just trying (trying) to live, and by live I mean embrace a disaster or two or thousand for my children today regardless of the piles of laundry and dirty floors that never seem to disappear.

No small feat.