letters to Emily {potty training, the bond of mother and son, & the life of motherhood}

Dearest Emily,

Well, I was elated to hear about your pregnancy!!!  What a dream!  Four kids:)  Since people aren't having as many kids anymore you have an official large family for 2015.  I am so happy Chase decided to potty train all on his own.  Well, let me just say potty training + me = H-E-double hockey sticks.  It has been the most challenging thing so far with raising Bear.  Strong willed parent plus strong willed child isn't a good match for potty training.  So me, being the strong willed parent has had to learn to be patient, flexible and understanding.  See, they don't tell you that parenting is harder than going to school.  Even though I would much rather experience things to learn them, than to sit and read about them.  I think it stretches you more and it is HARDER.  But the rewards are greater.  Smithy is the most adorable toothless kid in town, I just squeeze him every time he smiles and I see that glorious gap in the front of his mouth.  Him and I have grown much closer these past few months.  I hate to say it was because of the accident he had at school, but I did feel so deeply for him.  I think it was the first time he had an accident that wasn't me or Bryces fault and I felt this mother hen protectiveness wash over me when I arrived at the hospital to be by his side as they pulled his broken teeth out and x-rayed his broken leg.  He was in excruciating pain, and as you know they did a spinal tap on him when he was 2, to measure his nerves and they found the tissue around his nerves was very thin, so he does feel things more intensely.  So he was screaming the whole time, not understanding the pain he was feeling.  My heart was completely broken for him.  So I gave him my heart that day.  I really felt that he deserved all of it.  Ever since then we have really connected and we are a lot closer.  He is my buddy.   He grabs at you so much more now and he really loves to play around.  I was painting one day, while my two kids were at school…so funny that I have an empty house from 9-1 now, and as comfort back ground noise I had stardust (the movie) playing  and the dad gave some advice to his son and I will never forget it.  He says, 

"I can tell you that every man I ever envied when I was a boy, 

has led an unremarkable life."   

I really loved that.  Sometimes when we look at others as children or young adults you never realize that you have all the power to have a life full of whatever you want.  But you are so fixated on wanting their lives you forget to live your own.  Sometimes I feel like I live on a little island here in Germany, that is full of magic and old history around every corner.  It also has its hardships, but I have learned so many extraordinary things and I am so grateful for that.   America is my country, Heidelberg is my hometown.  I feel like being a mom is an adventure of it's own, different from living in another country, and an essential life lesson that will push you to be your best and worst.  It is the remarkable that I searched for and now am living as plain old mom.  All moms live a remarkable life, sometimes it feels unremarkable,  but once you catch wind of the magic and excitement it brings it will sweep you off your feet and carry you to places you never imagined possible.  The life of motherhood should be upheld as the most remarkable thing you could ever do.  And that is why my dear, you are a remarkable woman, living  a remarkable life.  I love to hear of your adventures with your kids and the creativity to bless their lives with beauty, creativity, love and learning.  I love you miss Emiline Harris!  Have a  great and REMARKABLE day being a mom.

love

Beth

the you know what part

so this happened.

chase dragged me kicking and screaming on monday by the hair on my head,

DEMANDING underpants.

it was monday.

i had every excuse to talk him out of it,

mitigation, costco day, preschool day, speech therapy day,

almost as busy as a wednesday kind of day.

but the man would NOT be put in another diaper for one more day of his life.

and even though i had to drag him all around and potty train him on the run,

with extra pants and underwear in my bag all day,

by the next morning,

he was potty trained.

{god bless the third child and their ability to do everything on the run.}

i couldn't even believe it.

the man was ready.

i had no idea he was that ready.

i stood there watching him wave to brennan as he left for school the next day,

just like he does every morning,

and i looked at my family, and they all looked a little bit older.

like a new phase of life we'd hit.

no one in diapers.

people in school with homework, and friends, and lunches, and stuff.

it took him another half a day to really get the hang of the you know what part,

the hardest part in my opinion,

but man oh man, i've AGAIN by corrected by one of my boys.

there's a common theme here.

my boys teaching me things about the world that i thought i already had figured out.

like the fact that maybe boys can ACTUALLY be easily potty trained, not just the girls.

who knew?

i'm so glad he made me do it.

and i could watch his little proud face all day long.

i will NEVER forget the look on his face and the hug he gave me when he finally got the hang of the you know what part.

i watched him grow up a little bit right then and there.

and i felt our mother son bond squeeze a little bit tighter.

because we got through it together.

and it wasn't even all that painful.

4 months without ANYONE in diapers.

this my friends, is awesome:)

first time in 7 years i have not been changing someone's diaper.

not gonna lie though, i'm so glad to be having another bum to change on the way.

because i'm just not ready for my family to be THAT grown up and out of babyhood quite yet.

this WILL be the first time i've had a newborn baby without a toddler in diapers.

awesome awesome awesome.

awesome baby man.

thank you my sweet little baby man.