Monday, August 29, 2011

The Hard Part

Loving these two little boys is incredible... truly. They are each so full of life and thus inspiring to me, as a parent, and they are vastly different and unique from one another. Sometimes I feel like I've been given my own life-size Science experiment to watch and participate in! And sometimes the responsibility of raising, loving, training and caring for these beautiful people is daunting/terrifying. I wouldn't be honest with myself if I didn't admit that there are incredibly difficult parts of this role (as parent). It seems that the things that bring us the greatest delight/fulfillment in life also bring us the greatest challenges and emotional stretchmarks.

Helping Madigan to understand that his role in our family and in life is so valuable and his contribution important while simultaneously guiding him through this realization that he is not the center of the universe (ours, his or anyone else's - tough on a first born!).

Teaching an 18 month "older" brother how to be gentle when patting and kissing on his little brother.

Trying to get Declan on some sort of eating schedule so that I am not feeding him every 20 minutes (a starving boy's preference).

Encouraging Madigan to play robustly and enthusiastically with his toys while simultaneously watching my once orderly living room turn into something decidedly less orderly.

Then there's:
Dual dirty diaper duty - love it when they BOTH take a dump at the same time.
Bundle keeping up the crying choir upstairs while Declan managing it simultaneously downstairs. That can be so unnerving!
Getting both boys in/out of their carseats - this is truly an art! If it weren't for Auntie Virginia, I'm not sure how many places I would go to throughout the week.
Lack of sleep. That might be the hardest part.

So, yes, a day in McGaryville isn't always a walk in the park - sometimes it's more of a hike in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. Totally worth everything!


3 comments:

p&k said...

Well said, Eryn . . . so true.

teona said...

My dearest Eryn, when I read your latest entry.....well I smiled.
I thought what sometimes seems overwhelming at the moment, will all too soon be a faded memory. I promise my sweet niece, these days will be over in a blink of an eye. Cherish each and every moment....even the lack of sleep and the dirty diapers.

I will continue to pray for you and your precious family.

Enjoy your mama! :-)

Love Aunt T

Dustin and Tiffany said...

You made me laugh! I have had a few of those days myself, and it does get easier! Just wait until they are old enough to discover, in the car, that they can't hear themselves when they plug their ears (tightly) and yell. Or sing. Or scream. Or pretend they are little mignons that go bleh-her-bleh-her bleh-her bleb... (But, sometimes you sound very funny if you plug your ears not so tightly,and repeat said noises. Or so i am told!) And just wait. When they figure out that if they close their eyes and plug at the same time, they can't hear you OR see you BEG them to stop. Your choices are: A. to swerve, while simultaneously swinging your arm towards the back seat until you can reach one of them, desperately trying to stop the noise that makes your brain un-functionable so you can then concentrate on all the other lousy soccer mom, arm swinging drivers who are fighting the same issues, all while driving 65mph on the freeway... B: if you are the passenger, you may then unbuckle, (this is safest, you know), risk becoming a flying object weighing some 100+lbs of flying force should driver be slightly distracted by said noise and accidentally loose control of vehicicular momentum due to safely buckled children in car seats making noise new to mankind... or C: Try desperately to go to your mental quite place. (not effective for me)
There you have it. Parenting 101 from the Marsh's! Love you and hope to see you soon!!