Celebrating the Small Stuff

Here at Smokey Acres we celebrate the smallest of victories. Getting to school on time - in clean clothes no less - is high-five worthy! It is a double-high five if neither child utters, "Something is poking my bottom" as they fish for a random foxtail that transferred from socks to underpants in the laundry.

We cheer for dinners without spills and bike ride with no skinned knees. We like when jumping on the bed doesn't lead to broken crowns and when tree climbing is scrape-free. It is awesome - though rare - when roller skating finishes without the need for a Band-Aid. 

We also get completely giddy over kind words. I will pause whatever I am doing to celebrate a "please" or "thank you" given from child to child. It is an amazing sound after years of "give me that!" and "I said it's MINE!" 

I know that children need to learn about failure and that it is not good to build them up constantly. I agree. But, celebrating the small stuff is not wrongly teaching them that life is easy...it is teaching them that life is good, even when it is hard.

My big thing is being thankful. Thankful for the clothes on my back and the crop of wimpy hair on my head. Thankful for my big nose and my big feet. I want my kids to be thankful in all circumstances. That is why we celebrate everything from bee stings that actually didn't hurt that bad to a trip to Disneyland.

Our house is chaos. I bow to mothers that have more that two children. I don't know how they do it. I have two and I am exhausted. I work full-time and juggle mom duties and feel completely spent at the end of the day. If we don't have little victory dances here and there I might miss some of the wonderfulness of motherhood. Which, is of course, the mother of all hoods.

Take time to celebrate this day! Your child got a "B" but did their best - Hooray! Enjoy as many fleeting moments as possible. Time goes by too fast! Celebrate and savor the small stuff and much as the big stuff.