Babies, Brownies and Blessings

She's the picture you see in the movies...princess nightgown, plush puppy, favorite blankie. Sweaty hair swept across her precious forehead, cheeks flush from sleep, her chest rising and falling. The tantrum that got her there early long forgotten in the quiet of her rhythmic breathing. He's the picture you see in the movies... head tipped to one side, camo comforter across his bare little boy chest, pair of six guns peaking from under the pillow, favorite blankie hidden but there. The mean words that got him there early long forgotten in the flutter of his "too long to be wasted on a boy" lashes as he dreams. Big He is the picture you see in the movies... newly-long hair tossed across his face, favorite blankie now stowed away. His stance even at rest one of strength. He's becoming a man, but my boy child while he sleeps. The strength that brought tears to his brother from a punch tossed in anger now silent as he rests. It seemed possible that the en...

The kids and I were at an indoor playground a few months ago with a dear friend. We were chatting during a rare moment of uninterrupted conversation while the kids played. In my periphery I noticed that 2 of my 3 had broken the "you've gotta have socks on" rule. I stopped talking mid-sentence and prepared to yell across the gym to the kids. My friend stopped me and said, "let the owner do it, maybe they'll listen better".   At that moment I was at a cross-roads in parenting: do I parent my kids or let someone else do it. What also became crystal clear was that there was more to this for me. The question I was actually asking myself was this: if I wait for someone else to tell my kids to follow the rules, what kind of mom will the owner think I am? Would I appear disrespectful? Lazy? Clueless and unaware? Would she think I'm a bad mom and I'm what's wrong with the world? Why does a little thing like telling my kids to put on thei...