Can you tell?

So can you tell there is something different about me lately? Maybe it is the ridiculous rate at which I am blogging about my babies? Maybe the fact that I seem to have my camera attached at my hip again like I used to? The photos I am plastering on Facebook of our fun times and adventures?? For me, what is different, is the amount of time I am spending doing fun things with my girls, and taking in their smiles, their smells, their secrets, their silliness, and their profound love for their "new and improved Mommy."

The woman who inspired me to make these changes, Kelle (blog here) has brought so much to my life in such a short period of time, and I will dorkishly admit I was a little star struck to see that she commented on my blog post that I wrote about her. She said I made her cry. If I brought even a small moment of joy to her life by saying how incredible she was in my post and that she was about to change my life (which she has just like I predicted), then I am so glad, cause she brings unmeasurable things to my life, just by being her, and by sharing her beautiful stories, words, thoughts, photos and children with me and everyone else who is now addicted to her blog.

Yesterday we played at the park for three hours. I don't think I have ever hung at the park that long with my kids. And guess what else? A big "B" was missing from my diaper bag. That B is a BOOK! No book! Instead I chose to pack my bag with some other B's... we had bubbles, balls, binkies, blankets, bicycle helmets and scooters. Ok ok so the scooter was an S and not a B, but I was going to bring the bike and Ella stopped me last minute. It was really nice. We had a wonderful day. Ella's friend Kassidy showed up to play and I love spending time with Kassidy's Mommy Lisa, who is so easy to talk to and fun.

Here are the photos from our day at the park.




PS: the other night I went to get into bed and Jimmy said "Honey, I don't know how you did it, or what you did, but our house is so different. The kids are so much fun to be around, and Ella has been so good and well behaved. It is ALL YOU. You did this, and all I can say is a profound Thank You!!" It was so sweet and so nice to be acknowledged in that way.

I too have felt that we have our house back, and our lives back. The power struggle is over, the resentment is gone, the bickering and the debating is no more. The tantrums are fewer and fewer. The kids are happier and so am I. I feel like I am finally the Mother I always wanted to be. I don't know how I lost my way, or let my priorities get messed up along the way, or how I managed to give my control and power away to a three year old. But now that it is fixed, our lives are so much better, and in such a short period of time. I keep saying over and over that it is in part thanks to this book I read, and in part thanks to Kelle. I am now enjoying Motherhood instead of surviving it. The only word I can use to describe it is... WOW. Which is ironic since that is the only word I could find to title my blog post about Kelle.