I’ve spent a lot of time talking about challenges and negative things lately. You are probably starting to think of us as something like a martyr. Sure, parenting involves an amount of sacrifice of personal desires and comforts, but not all difficult things are bad! If you’re a parent, you know this!
As Brian said last night, “When I get home and the girls yell, ‘Papa!!!’ and run and hug me around the legs, well that is worth a lot of sleepless nights!” So, I am going to try and share some of the things we’re enjoying now and looking forward to when we bring home our boys.
First thing on my list has got to be, BOYS! Our house has been all girls, even the dog! And now we have four hens! Everything here is pink and princesses. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a girl and proud of it. But we are in need of some balance around here. A little bit of wrestling, of throwing balls, a little sports, a little grunting and growling. We need snips and snails and puppy dog tails!
One of the most wonderful things about having children is getting to see the world through fresh eyes. Every season is a brand new experience for our girls. Anna thinks that it rains every day. If it hasn’t rained in the morning, then she knows it will rain before bedtime. It has just been winter for that long! This summer will be a “brand new” experience for her as she is now a big (almost) four year old! I cherish the wonder I see in their faces and I rejoice every time they learn something new! Having children makes you look forward to each day with anticipation and eagerness. I am a thoroughly practical person. It is so refreshing to be taught how to play again, how to stop to look at worms on the sidewalk, how to wonder why that tree looks that way, how to enjoy skipping in the rain, carrying an umbrella, going for a walk in a forest and digging in a small patch of dirt with a stick.
I can only imagine what it will be like to watch the boys come out of their shell. I don’t know if they have been in more than one room for their whole life or if they have been able to play outside before. Certainly, coming to our home will be a terrifying experience! As time passes and they begin to believe they are safe… just think of the things they will learn! Oh I cannot wait! They will learn that Mama and Papa mean snuggles and kisses. They will learn to seek comfort when they are hurt or afraid. They will learn what grass feels like to play in. They will learn the joys of siblings doing all the things they do to try and make them smile. We’ll be there to see when they learn to eat from a spoon (probably), walk, dance, trust, and play imaginative games. They’ll go in a car for some of the first times and be adored as scrumptious boy twins by every (kind) person they meet. I cannot wait to see their expressions and hold their hands and bring them HOME where I can be their mother, protecting and caring for them. Ooooh, the mother bear in me is pacing back and forth waiting for my boys!
While sibling adjustment is far from a bed of roses, it is not only bickering either. I just love how Anna “makes Maggie happy” with silly dances, baby talking, tickles and kisses. My spirit sings as I watch them read books together, play imaginary games together and simply be loved on by each other. Anna loves to take a pillow, a blanket and a pile of toys and esconce Maggie in a laundry basket. (did I use that word right?) Maggie goes right along with it all, reading the books Anna brings her and not wanting to get out of the basket. Everybody needs a little sister love!
That’s all for now! I need to go get ready for the day. These last few posts were actually typed Tuesday or Wednesday and scheduled to post later since Brian and I are going to a bed and breakfast for TWO NIGHTS without the girls for our sixth wedding anniversary! It should be a sweet retreat and cozy time together. We are really looking forward to it. Thank you mom and dad for watching the girls! (It’s good practice for the girls too, who will be there for a long week when we travel to Europe later this year.)
“The Joy of the Lord is my strengthâ€. (Nehemiah 8:10)