Fifteen...

You've seen them. . . the links on Facebook that connect you to those perfect mommy blogs where they had some amazing self discovery. How a mother will never again tell her young child to "Hurry up!" because she's rushing through life and missing the most important things, like water puddles and butterflies. You nod in disbelief as you read the blog because you find yourself relating a little too well to exactly who this BEFORE mother was, and you want so badly to be like the one she became. But get real, right? This is REAL LIFE and we have places that we have to hurry up and get to and we simply don't have time for little Judy to soak her socks in the water puddle so you'll have to change them and possibly her shoes before she heads in to school!

Like my intro?

Last year, last August.... my sweet family and I took a vacation to Italy. The villa we stayed at in Bracciano was not air conditioned. We rushed to the store and bought little table fans and slept with the rooftop door and all the windows wide open. The first few nights were rough to get used to, but soon we were living like Italians. It was a refreshing experience.

We rushed through our days, partly to pack in as much experience and as many sights as possible... but for me - to get back home safely, to our villa, and enjoy being Italian. Each night, we'd shower the girls, and a new tradition was born with Victoria. She felt out of place without her "own" bed from home - so I'd sit beside her while the fan blew across her naked back.... and I'd run my fingers through her hair and hum to her, softly... I'd wait until the last of the sweat dried from her clammy skin, and I'd cover her with the sheet and drift upstairs while she was sound asleep.

That tradition, born in Italy... remains. There are times when I find it a huge inconvenience :/ At the end of a long day when I'm rushed to get kids to bed so I can finish dinner dishes and put the clean clothes away... It's somehow a pain in my behind to have to stop what I'm doing for fifteen whole minutes and rub this child's back! Seriously?! You're almost 3!!! (I don't say these things to her though.) I simply sit beside her bed, tell her to turn over... and proceed to rub her back until she falls asleep.

So yeah, I do rush my children. Hurry up and get dressed - you're gonna miss the bus! Hurry up, stop dragging your feet or we're going to be late to soccer! Geeze!! Would you hurry up and get to bed! You have to get up early and I don't want you to be tired! (but if I rush them to bed... then I know I have those 15 to spend with Victoria. Prayers, a drink.... and 15 precious minutes to watch her fade to silence and sleep. . .