29 years...A Few Reflections

I turned 29 this past Friday - thought I'd share some thoughts as I become (hopefully) wiser!

1.) Being a mom has aged me.  I'm shocked that I am 29.  I feel like I've been in my thirties for years.  So, yes, being a parent ages you. People should not have kids unless they are completely okay with gaining some wrinkles and gray hairs.

2.) Surprise gifts are overrated.  For my birthday this year (and for mother's day and for Hanukkah last year), I started to give myself gifts "from" Joe.  I'm not saying I don't appreciate surprises because I do, but I know how crazy busy Joe is and finding the time to go out and get me a gift is just another thing on his to-do list. (He's never put it that way, but the man's spare time is spent with our kiddos.) So I get myself something and let him know the gift he's giving me.  It's a win, win situation.

3.) "It's easy to be heavy, hard to be light" - G.K. Chesterton.  I love this quote and try to remind myself of this daily.  As the momma of the Friedman household, I have a huge influence over the general state of happiness in our home.  Mothers have the power to make the home a happy place just through their own attitude.  I try to keep this in mind on the days I am being short or am irritated with Liam because he is asking me for a cookie at breakfast for the tenth time.

4.) The adage "the days are long, but the years are short" has gotten me through many tantrums, many kitchen clean ups, and many sleepless nights nursing my children back to sleep.

5.) Organization and knowing where shit is rocks!  I've always struggled with organization.  And I used to tell myself and others that being disorganized was a part of me. I was just not cut out to be the organized, paper filing, compartment making person.  But over the past two years, I've made a concerted effort to organize our lives.  I have file boxes for the kids' important papers, file boxes for Joe and me, and I've brought order to the chaos of family life and I LOVE it.  I am no longer a disorganized person.  Just because organization doesn't come naturally to me doesn't mean I can't be organized.

6.) The most precious time, is family time.  I work hard to make sure that our weekends are fun and filled with plenty of family orientated activities.  I am not always in the mood to make pancakes and eggs on Saturday mornings, but Joe and Liam love it.  It's so much more exciting than a cold bowl of cereal.  On Sundays Joe and I would love to just veg out all day and read the Sunday paper, but Liam and Marlo need our attention.  So we're usually at the park by 9 am or washing the cars (because Liam is obsessed with cars) or making a day trip to Los Angeles to visit the grandparents.   

7.) Lastly, make the effort to record memories.  Liam loves to go through baby pictures and watch our family videos.  It takes time and energy to remember the camera and to make the photo album, but it's one of the best ways for children to remember the good times!  And Joe and I love going through pictures and videos too.  As the daughter of a photographer, I have always known the value of pictures and the stories they tell and retell over the years.