This is what it's all about...

I just read this quote on another blog. A much needed reminder to myself to slow down and "be in the moment." The blog is http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ . (It is actually quoted by Elder Ballard in his April Gen. Conference talk.) The host of the blog, Stephanie and her husband were in a plane crash in August and are still in ICU. I just saw the story about their crash and their blog on LDS Living.

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

So speaking of being in the moment, I was a part of many moments and a bystander of a few others today. The first moment of the day involved teaching Carson how to clean colored pencil off the door with the Magic Eraser (love the Magic Eraser - whoever invented that should get the Nobel Peace Prize - it does allow peace to dwell in my house that's covered in Carson's personal artwork! Whenever I have the time or get tired of looking at it, it comes right off with that magical sponge!) Another Magic moment, wiping purple crayon off my tile floor. (Okay, I know he has to be supervised every minute when the artwork stuff is out!) While wiping up spilled juice on the floor, which was knocked over when Carson threw his ball on the table, he climbs on my back and says "I love you!" (okay, first spontaneous I love you! He knew he was in trouble!) Carson took the matter of snack time into his own hands - he climbed on to the countertop, got into the cupboard, and came out with granola bars for him and Audrie, exclaiming "Bars!" and oh so proud of himself. He was so fast and quiet about it. This afternoon, I walked in on their play time with our neighbor friend, who was in the middle of helping Audrie and Carson apologize to each other after a "disagreement." Thank goodness for 6 year old friends! Tonight, instead of fighting with them to get ready for bed, I turned out all the lights and said good night! Audrie yells, "That's not fair!" (her new favorite catch phrase). I said "You guys get yourselves ready for bed." Audrie actually attempted to help Carson find his pajamas (of course they were still in the dryer - the "other drawer"), Carson took his own shirt off for the first time and shouted "I did it!" They brushed their own teeth and brought their book to me to read on my bed. My favorite is the moment they do something new for the first time and exclaim "I did it!" I love the look of satisfaction and accomplishment. Anyway, it was great and a change from the ordinary - "dinner, bath, book, bed". I too want to be better at being in the moment!