What will they remember?

When my sweet children are grown and gone with babies of their own?

Will they remember all the colourful toys and the trinkets cluttering their bedroom floor?

Will they remember family vacations to the mountains where at least one of them spent it vomiting in the van?

Will they laugh remembering happy memories?

Or will they remember mommy like this?



I would rather my children did not remember me like that...
{but I will say my iPhone case is stinking cute and my nails are looking quite shinny}

I have been pondering those questions these last few days....really trying to looking at my success and shortcomings.

Engaged parenting doesn't happen by accident and I'm excited and looking forward to a fresh start. There will be bountiful opportunities to grow more into the parent I want to be.

I want to be the mommy that sits with my children nestled in my lap reads stories after story. I want to smooshes play dough in between my fingers and create green snowmen.

I guess you could say I'm establishing and creating boundaries to re-create an atmosphere that works with this modern technologically addicted family.
Obviously I can't throw all of our computers out but I can set limits on how much time we spend on them.
Same with all of the video games and cell phones.
There is a place of both of them ... But manipulating and dictating 99% of my life isn't in this new picture.
I grew up without a cell phone and didn't have one until I was in my late 20's.
I went out for coffee with friends, grocery shopped and lived a quieter life and it was wonderful.
Being "off the grid" shouldn't be so startling...

Why would anyone want to be available 24/7?
Seriously?

What email message or text message is that important that it couldn't be replaced by a simple phone call? Or a letter?

Can you imagine??? Going to the mail box and getting letters instead of useless junk mail & bills? **happy sigh** what would that be like?

I want my children to remember me curled up in my snuggly pajamas with a great book or me down on my hands and knees planting my favourite flowers broken dirty fingernails and all.

I want them to remember watching their parents dance in the kitchen and all the stolen kisses while my hands are in a sink full of warm sudsy water.

I love new beginnings because I know that God's mercies are fresh every morning, every week, every year.

For me and for you!