Art On My Walls

Dear Elijah,

Today you decided to give us art on our walls.

I was in the living room with your brother and sister, teaching them how to use the home phone we just got. They were calling all sorts of people, and having a great time with it.

Then Talia walked out and three seconds later I hear, "Mooooommmmmmm!!!!" in a scream.

Of course, I jump up and run to the next room, worried about something catastrophic. What I saw melted my heart in love immediately. You turned to me, wide eyed, but grinning like crazy. Then you started playing peek-a-boo with me to show me the latest adventure in our home.

After my heart melted, my next reaction was to be frustrated, but today I chose to handle the frustration the right way. I am proud to say that I am learning a thing or two from this thing called motherhood, and that relationships are always the most important. I knelt down and talked with you about it. "Is it okay to use markers on the walls?"

You yelled, "YES!"

"No, markers are not okay on the walls. Markers are only okay on paper. Where MAY you use markers?"

And then we rehearsed where you could use markers. On the wall? No. On your shirt? No. On paper? Yes. On the table? No. On your face? No. On paper? Yes. We repeated it over and over again.

After going through it all, moving forward from the moment and going on with the day, about an hour later I looked at the wall and thought to myself, "I am going to miss this someday."

I am going to miss art on the walls. I posted about this, and the responses I received from more experienced moms were ALL to the tune of, "Frame it! Keep it! Oh how I miss the days of art on my walls."

I got really emotional.  Here you are, my amazing little man - willing to love, smile and just embrace everything about life. I am so grateful for you. I am so grateful for the way you, Talia and Gabe keep things real for me. I have been really focusing the last few weeks on just being here with you. Not being distracted by other things, not being distracted by other projects, not being distracted from my most important work.

My heart is so at peace with your art on my walls right now. I am so happy to have this, and all the other "real" mom moments, as a part of my life. These moments become the memories which become the true art work of my heart and soul... all because of you and your art on the walls.

I love you,

Your Mom