Ups

I was talking to my friend Robert yesterday and he said (in a nicer way than this) that after reading my blog he was glad that he didn't have kids. I guess I've been writing too much about the downs and not enough about the ups. So I started thinking about why I'm so glad I have my kids.

First is watching them develop as people. Miles will ask the same question say, maybe, fifty times while you are driving in the car (Daddy's in the airplane? Daddy flying to Connecticut? Daddy's in the plane? Where's Daddy?) as he tries to process the world. And Mia is learning to take care of people -- even the one who just hipchecked her away from the train table. She follows Miles around the house, constantly brininging him his lovey or binkie or sippy cup.

I also love seeing the world through their eyes. For most of my life I actually walked right by construction equipment or tow trucks and didn't spend twenty minutes marveling at the mysteries of heavy machinery. The kids also introduce a lot of laughter into my life, although I don't always understand the things that they find funny. They can crack each other up simply by passing a book or a binkie under a door. They were hysterical when he covered her in band aids. Or when he plays diaper man.

There's also the physical closeness of these two small bodies. If Mia isn't being held her favorite game is to walk toward me and then suddenly (and sometimes painfully!) dive on top of me. Miles needs to cuddle in my lap for half an hour every time he wakes up. So as much as they were driving me crazy when we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago because they were touching me constantly, I wouldn't know what to do with my personal space if I had it back.

And of course there's what children teach you about yourself. Admittedly I'm still working very, very hard on learning patience (more on this later!). But before I had Miles my friend Sam told me that one of the best things about motherhood is that you find that your capacity to love is more than you ever thought possible. And she's right.

Now back to picking tonight's mac and cheese off the floor....