Laundry what? Dishes who?

So as usual life has been getting in the way of my blogging. Work takes most of my time, but who's does it not? Often I find myself saying, "I should be...", "I need to be...", or "Why am I not...". I have been trying to take more time out of my packed schedule to breath, and take in a TV show, chat on the computer and when my kids are home, spend every second I can with them.

My mom once passed on a very important piece of information I hold closer to my heart, more so now than ever before. She said "The dishes can wait. Laundry will be pilled up tomorrow. This moment with your babies will be gone if you miss it."

I often look back at old pictures, old home movies of when my babies were really babies. They are three and almost two. I have my hands full with them, but they are my reason for everything I do.

A little back story here would be, like a lot of people now a days, I am a single parent. My ex-husband and I take turns with the children. One week with me, One week with him... so on and so forth. It works for us, and I thank God everyday that he is such a great dad and he wants to be a part of their life as much as I do.

It took us a long time to get to where we are now. We believe in the same discipline, same values and goals. We both want what is best for our children, and we work together, still, to make sure that happens. We both went into this swearing we would never be where we are today. But it happened anyway. So now that I only see my kids every other week, it is always present to me how fast they are growing up. My son was potty trained by 20 months, and my daughter is so close to victory. I remember all the days I spent getting Noah use to the potty, telling him what its for, the training pants, the mistake of putting on big boy undies too soon, the carpet cleanings, the poo all over my bathroom floor. And now he goes in, does his thing, and needs no help from me. Some days I do miss changing the diapers, I miss making the bottles, I miss feeding them and watching them learn to feed their selves.

However, I enjoy so much watching my little boy make complete sentences, have his own ideas, seeing his personality emerge. Lillian's personality has been ever present from that first night in the hospital. It continues to grow, and I see how independent and sweet she is. And for all that they have gone through in their short lives, they are amazing. They have a lot of people in their lives that love them. And as cliche as this sounds, it really does take a village. With out the help, understanding and compassion from our families, I do not know where we would be.

So here I am kicking off my new blog. I hope that what I share finds some familiarity in your own life. I hope to share my struggles and triumphs with you, and I hope to hear yours too!

~Cholie