How Do I love Thee(se Children of Mine)? Let Me Count the Ways!

Motherhood is hard. You figure out the magnitude of that statement the moment you become a mom! We all have our struggles and the list of them at any given moment could be endless. Those struggles are real and completely valid, but it is also definitely easier to fixate on the hard stuff. The hard stuff is what drains our energy stores and that’s often what we focus on and tell others about (craving just a little affirmation and solidarity); and yet, if I asked ANY mother what she loves about her kids, the list would be a lot longer than that of her woes. Which got me to thinking:

How do I love Thee(se Children of mine)? Let me count the ways!

I Love:

1. Their rosy, toasty post-nap cheeks
2. The unique way each one says mom
3. That my name to 4 humans IS mom
4. That they leave love notes in the mail for me
5. When my toddlers crawl into each other’s beds because they want to be together
6. Finding my middle guy in the most precarious sleeping positions – upside down, turned around, or, heck, under the bed
7. When they graciously help one another with tender hearts
8. That they ADORE their Daddy
9. When they say the funniest, most inappropriate things
10. How blindly confident they are in their abilities
11. That when I give them an idea, they run with it farther than I would have imagined
12. When they show unsolicited affection to each other
13. That they run to my bedside with drawings and pictures as morning offerings
14. When they beg to sleep in a bedtime fort
15. My reserved little man and daring little lady
16. How they want to read the same book 4,742 times and are equally enthralled every time
17. How proud they are to show me their accomplishments and creations
18. When they say, “I love you, Mommy”
19. Watching them work hard and improve
20. The pure delight in celebrating birthdays and holidays
21. That hubs and I can laugh hysterically about all the hilarious random stuff they do 
22. When they’re vulnerable about something that hurt them
23. How they speak wise and deep truth when I least expect it
24. Spectating at their events (it has a special way of highlighting how big they’re growing)
25. Disciplining them and seeing their hearts soften and respond to correction
26. Observing their friendships
27. How much they appreciate life’s simple pleasures
28. Family Friday Pizza & Movie night – their expectation, excitement, and participation!
29. Stumbling upon a private reading nook
30. That they have a lot more going on beneath the surface
31. That they have their own personalities and passions
32. My daughter putting on my lipstick, wanting her nails painted, and always adorning headbands and necklaces
33. My sons – wanting NOTHING to do with those things, ha!
34. When they sweetly bring me a cup of coffee in bed
35. Watching new information *click* – Something didn’t make sense and now it does!
36. That they know A LOT more about me than I think they do
37. When they think it’s the “best meal ever” – “Mom, I’d eat this at a restaurant!”
38. They are fascinated by technology, but equally with the great outdoors
39. That my daughter would actually never come inside
40. That biology doesn’t make a lick of difference in loving someone
41. When their laughter is so genuine and pure I cannot contain my own
42. Watching them mature – saving, spending, and giving their money
43. When their hearts long to serve others and they find their own simple ways to do it
44. When they are more concerned that someone else doesn’t have food than what they’ll have to eat
45. That they get super excited to tell a story and then talk so fast I can’t understand a word
46. When they sing in the bathroom
47. How they say each other’s names
48. Overhearing them talking to each other (or themselves) about dreams, plans, or stories
49. When my middle guy gets so enraptured in his thoughts that he’ll walk right into a wall if you don’t direct him
50. That they are WAY more resilient then me
51. How they always want to do family projects – building or cleaning, doesn’t matter, we’re together!
52. When they have a bad dream and come flying into our room and dive into my arms
53. That they find constant comfort in the love of family
54. When I come into the room and my toddlers wrap their arms around my legs saying, “mommy, mommy, mommy!”
55. How they have favorite cups, shirts, blankets, spots, etc.

I love that even in the midst of the daily crazy – when they’re striving to give chaos a whole new meaning – and when I act (and probably look) like a rabid animal in response…they still think I’m pretty and funny and the best mom ever! That sometimes we’re polished and all put together and most of the time we’re not. I love that I’m theirs and they’re mine and we’re all in this together!

Okay, that’s 55 off the top of my head. Your turn! What are the reasons you love your kids?