raising a mommy

raising a mommy

Sunday, June 9, 2013

unplugging myself

Today's blessing:
Being called out by a 16 month old.

My child just said "Hello?" into her Graham cracker. For as much as she tries to turn everything into a phone, you'd think we have the things glued to our ears! Really, we don't spend all that much time talking on the phone. Personally, I really don't like doing it. I do like talking to my mom, and I enjoy the occasional long catch up conversation with an old friend I haven't seen in awhile, but for the most part, I'd rather not.

In spite of this, I somehow manage to waste a sickening amount of time on my phone. The allure of stupid games is really what gets me. I like to "build" things...cities, restaurants, bakeries... I like to start with an empty slate and slowly build it up to my ideal. I'm not talking about hours at a time - just five minutes here, twenty minutes there. There's something satisfying about it to me.

Why? When I look at the little person in front of me, and I realize that she, too, is a blank slate. She is waiting to be developed and nurtured and formed into a loving, life-embracing child. I don't want her to have her nose buried in electronics. She should be running outside and chasing birds, and she should have her mommy right there with her. Helping her learn how to climb up her slide is way more rewarding than reaching a new level with my city. I can unwind at night with a good book or a new crochet project, just like I used to before I had the fancy phone. Yes, I have wasted enough time building virtual cities and restaurants and lives. They are gone and have been replaced with real life - with more chasing around the yard, more trips up and down the stairs just for practice, more slobbery macaroni and cheesey mashed potato-y high fives from the high chair. I'll invest my time in real life, thank you very much!

 Note the lovely blobs of mashed potatoes both on her nose and the side of her face...

Did I mention spaghetti sauce-y? This girl knows how to enjoy meal time!

I am proud to say that P is raising a mommy who is plugging herself in to real life, and is looking forward to every minute of it!

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