we're all just trying to figure it out...

I may be 28, but sometimes I act like I'm 10. Mya may be 3 1/2, but sometimes she acts likes 16. And V may be 15 months, but sometimes she acts like she is 3. Age is irrelevant when it comes to life because a lot of times we don't act our true age. And that is usually the root of many problems.

Everyday, there are moments I get frustrated with Mya or V because they do something that I've asked them not to do or because they fight me on doing simple things they know they should do. Sometimes I shake my head. Sometimes I scowl. Sometimes I yell. And sometimes I put them in time-out just to catch my senses. 

I have found it much easier to find a solution to our problem when I don't engage in childish fights with my children. It is so easy to snap quickly so I find distancing myself from them for a few minutes really helps me put things in perspective.

And the biggest perspective I have gained over my year stint as a stay-at-home-mom is that we're all just trying to figure it out. What's it? Life. (I probably tell myself and the kids this phrase at least five times a day.) Whenever I feel frustrated with a situation, I look at Mya and think, "You are only 3 1/2. I'm 28, and I expect you to know what I know." When I remember that simple fact, I look at her and things a little differently. I do the same with V.

As moms, I think we assume our kids know more than they actually do. I know many times I expect my kids to know more than they actually do, and I forget their true age. Being three, of course Mya is trying to figure out her limits. She is learning to deal with her own personality, and there are challenging moments as she grows. She is trying to understand my sarcasm but usually interprets my little side comments incorrectly. She is finding her voice, and with that comes a lot of screaming. She just wants to be heard. When I remember these little things, I don't view her as the defiant little stinker for too long.

And Miss V...well, she is one. What would it be like to be one? No wonder she pees on my carpet any time the diaper is off her cute little bum. Of course she throws a tantrum when Mya asks her to take a turn with a toy (or forces her to give up a toy). And of course she thinks it's appropriate to smear food all over her body and head every time she eats. In the moment, she exhausts me. But after I step back and remember who she is and who I am, I smile and laugh.

So I guess this little post is just a note to self that we're all just figuring life out. It's not easy, but it sure is fun.