Things I Never Would Have Expected

Reposted from January 11, 2007

I know...I've only been blogging for about seven months -- like I should be reposting things already. LOL But, I was reading back through some "old" posts, and saw this one that I just wanted to share again.
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Last night, Eric and I talked to our priest about children after our RCIA meeting, and so that kind of had the idea of kids on my brain last night. I started pondering about some of the things that have surprised me about being a mother, and that also led me into thinking about just some things that surprise me about having gotten older (you know, I *have* been 30 for almost a whole two weeks now). [ed. note -- since this was written in January, now I have been thirty for a whole six months as of today, and I feel even wiser. LOL]

1. I am a music lover. I have an iPod that is packed with music, and I love it. I have always loved music (even back to when I was little and my Mom would put a sticker on the side of a 45 record to let me know which side I liked before I was able to read). But, I never would have expected that the songs that warm my heart the most are those that come out of my kids' mouths. There is something almost magical (to my ears) of hearing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" come out in a two year old's voice -- "Tinkle Tinkle Wittle Stwar..."

2. I never expected to ever have such an urge to knock a five year old to the ground. Not my own, mind you, but any little child that is messing with my kids. You know it -- you've been there. It is a suprisingly powerful urge to protect our children.

3. I would never have thought that I would happily give up getting Christmas presents when money has been tight just so that I could give our kids more for Christmas.

4. I never would have expected that the people at the McDonalds drive through would know me on a personal basis. Okay, really -- that's a lie. They don't know my name or anything. But, some of the people that work more often *do* seem to recognize me. LOL

5. I wouldn't have expected that leaving home would be so hard. I remember taking a weekend girls only trip right after I got married, and I don't remember feeling all that weird to leave. But, now when I have gone away for a weekend, I have to fight the urge to cry when I'm falling asleep the night before.

6. I never knew that it was going to hurt so much to be a mother. It is in those times when one of my kids has been hurt (either physically or emotionally), is scared, or the like, when my heart will just ache. Literally, it seems. I try to realize that there is a comfort in those moments to know that it is because I love those kids so much that I am feeling that way. It's still hard though.

7. I couldn't have imagined that I would be so interested in other people's poop. I mean, c'mon -- really. I have had entire conversations about the bowel movements of another human being. There is just something weird about that, but when it is actually going on, it seems so darn normal.

8. I never expected that I would want to stay at home with my kids. While I never thought that I *didn't* want to stay home, I do know that I went to college with the full intention of teaching. I am thankful now to have my businesses and be able to stay home most of the time with them now, but still work a bit.

9. Speaking of teaching, I used to think it was crazy to hear about people homeschooling while I was in college getting my teaching degree. Now that I am a Mom, I can not only understand it, I admire those that do it.

10. I would never have expected that there would ever be an opportunity in my life where I felt inclined to catch the vomit of another person. Yes, that's right, catch it in my own hand.

11. I always felt like I was a pretty liberal person as a teenager, I never expected that I would have become more conservative as I grew older and as I had kids. (Of course, I'm sure the road to becoming Catholic has also made me become a bit more conservative as well.)

12. I would never have expect that each time my youngest child was between the ages of 12 - 24 months or so that I would long for "just one more." During a busy day, I will then think that I was insane for having that feeling, but then it always manages to come back. (Obviously, because we *do* have three kids.)

13. While I already appreciate my mother, I wouldn't have expected to have grown to appreciate her as much as I do now. Not only is it nice to be able to get advice, I can now appreciate all the laundry she must have done when we were all living at home (since I never did laundry until I got married!), all the large meals she cooked, and how much work it must have taken to keep the house clean.

14. But, on the flip side, I wouldn't have expected to look back at my childhood and think, "What were they thinking to let me do (insert whatever situation I am questioning)?" My Mom says it was a different time then. Still, I think things like, "I don't let my kids cross our cul de sac alone, and they let me cross huge busy streets when I was just about the same age." In an odd juxtaposition, my parents will sometimes indicate that I shouldn't let my kids do something because it is unsafe. I will always remind them of something that they let me do that was far more dangerous, and my Mom usually follows it up by proclaiming that she was stupid then, but knows better now.

15. I wouldn't have expected that I would ever mediate fights and come up with solutions when everything in the fight is imaginary. This happens to me every so often, and it makes me chuckle each time when it is done. For instance, last night, the boys were fighting because, it turns out, Noah planned to make us pretend lemonade when we got home and didn't need Jack's help. I finally suggested that cookies went well with lemonade, and asked Jack if he could please make us pretend cookies. Problem solved. And, of course, as any parent may guess, they totally forgot about it by the time we arrived home, and so there was no imaginary feast to be had. Oh well.

16. I would never have expected to sometimes listen to things like the Veggies Tales in the van and sing along...when I've been all alone. ;)

17. I wouldn't have expected that the compliments that I would appreciate the most would be those having to do with my kids.

18. I wouldn't have imagined that I would find my husband most attractive when he was doing things like reading a book to the kids, singing in the garage with Molly while he is working on a project, or when he is doing dishes.

19. I once helped to take care of kids in a family where the kids slept with the parents. I thought, "How crazy!" I never would have expected that I would have one of the kids in bed with us for so many years, even though he is finally in his own bed. (But, when he snuck in to bed last night, I was happy to cuddle up to him.)

20. I would never have expected that being a mother would both consume so much of my life and be so darn rewarding.

Added as of 6/29/07 -- So...now I'm curious -- what has surprised you about the way you have changed since having kids?