What I Appreciate About Me As A Mother

Yeah...ok so I am still recovering from last Thursday. In fact, I sent the pit-of-despair email to a few friends today.  But, I had a few friends kick my ass and reminded me I needed to change my thinking and get with the program.  Thank GOD for a dear old old friend whom I called during my mommy meltdown last week and she brought me and the family dinner and brought me a book called extreme self care.  She said, "Go read this tonight."  So I did.  I decided that I will try to write something positive, however short, about me, my kids, my husband or my my intentions several mornings a week.  I am doing tomorrow mornings tonight.  My husband is sitting here so I will ask his help.  Seems maybe this could combat the louder narrator who operates most days in my mind who says something like this  "You suck at mothering and you are fucking up your kids.  And all the other moms you know think so too."

Here is what I appreciate about my mothering;
1.  I make honest connection with my kids
2.  I am a really really good teacher.  I teach them stuff in the moment when they are interested and foster fascination.  I enjoy watching their faces light up with fascination over the sound of a letter.  Today we went on a long hike and we talked about the magic redwood trees being 100's of years old, counted banana slugs, read about tics on the warning sign and talked about how they like to suck your blood, talked about staying on the trail as a way to take care of and honor nature but my favorite was touching the "carpet on the trees" - moss. 
3. I am good at talking about feelings, teaching about feelings, listening to feelings and empathizing with feelings most of the time. 
4.  I am good at saying I am sorry.  I am well practiced. 
5. I am not a "scheduling junkie". 
6.  I consult with other mothers about parenting often and consider it often.
7. I make pancakes for my family every Friday.
8. I gladly take help from my in laws.
9.  I am growing to appreciate that running a house efficiently is a job and I am getting better at it. 
10. I can pick up both my sons at one time - 75lbs.
11.  I manage to hold a firm boundary about potty talk even though I find potty humor funny.
12.  I play with my kids.
13.  I am getting better at saying 'no' without shame.
14. I write this blog. 
15. I mange to take a shower every other day. 

So THERE dark voice of criticism.