holy work that matters.

Does it ever seem like each day feels the same?  Wake up, cook breakfast, change diapers, dress babies, insist brushing teeth is the most fun ever, put the baby down for a nap, begin laundry, wash dishes, oversee paint/Play Doh/marker time, change laundry, prepare lunch, do dishes, play, laundry, play, laundry, naps, laundry, dinner prep, try to convince everyone dinner is the best thing ever so they actually eat, say no to snacks, clean dishes, pick up toys, supervise baths, put kids to bed.  

Days are usually this.  Especially in these winter months when it's too cold to leave and go some place or even just outside and let a little sunshine break up the monotony.  And simple things like chores and laundry or a clean floor last seconds before you're ushered back to do it all again while you hear the same little kid show playing in the background and you're so sick of Pablo and all his Backyard buddies for crying out loud!

These are the little years.  The days seem so long but they pass quickly and the years are short.  They're filled with works - lots of work - and sometimes the monotonous work stands out more than the other work.  The raising up humans work.

And in between the chores and the discipline and the nourishing you forget about the day's victories.  The 16-month old who is walking around the place about 70% of the time who couldn't do that 3 weeks ago.  The 2.5 year old who's talking to you about EVERYTHING and asking questions and seeking answers.  The bond forged between brothers daily and the moments they slip away from your site (probably whilst your doing laundry again) and you hear them just cackling away in their bedroom.

This is the Mom stuff.  It's good stuff.  I've read a lot lately about how it's holy stuff these moments of monotony and glory and working with our hands.  These moments we spend wringing out the dish towel and wrapping our arms around a crying little one to hold them as we did when they were small.  These moments we spend folding the small socks and the moments we spend counting toes and teaching... it's all holy.  It's all important.  Every day matters and every day no matter how you are feeling in regards to "I. CAN'T. DO. THIS. SAME. THING. ONE. MORE. DAY." you can and you love it and I know that because I can and love it too.  I agree.  It's holy.  And it's holy because it matters.  We matter.  You matter.  I matter.  This, the raising of our little people, is everything.

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