Thoughts on {motherhood}

This evening we left church. Stephen and I decided that he would take D'arcy and Julian to La Parada for dinner, and I would come home with the babies. Stephen, D'arcy, and Julian were up for more socializing, and I was up for quiet time. Schroeder is quick becoming a big kid and was disappointed when he had to stay home with mommy. To ease his sadness, I put Maggie to bed and asked him to join me outside while I watered our freshly laid sod. I thought he would just enjoy watching me, but he was eager to run under the stream of cold water.
It's Mother's Day, and so many people have wished me a happy one. So I've been thoughtful about what it means for me to be a mother and Schroeder trompping in the water this evening summed it up.
It has been a beautiful day, warm but not hot. The sun was setting. It was the golden hour for photography where the sun makes everyone lovely instead of washed out. Schroeder just looked so perfect playing on our bright green yard. His presence made my simple task a joyful event and a time to reflect on the wonder of life.
At first he was content to just splash in the water and then he wanted to hold the hose and try to water himself. Motherhood is all about living your life and pausing frequently to teach your kids how to live life too. It makes me sad when I don't pause frequently enough and just plow through.
You could tell he was getting cold, so after I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures, I brought him inside and slid off his wet clothes. There is always more work to do when kids are around. Work is inevitable in life, though, whether you have kids or not. What people long for is to have meaningful work.
A mother has meaningful work.