I've learned

There was a time, when I was a mom only to young children, I would get easily frustrated at some play time activities.  When the kids were doing tattoos and they would leave the clear papers everywhere and wet towels laying on the counters.  When the kids would paint and get it on the table, and their clothes, the chairs; basically everywhere.  When they would color and every crayon would end up broken, and then they would gave me a stack of precious art projects knee high and I would have to figure out what to do with them all.  Playdoh was the worst and I have forever banned it from the house.  Clay they can have, but no playdoh.  If only I knew then what disasters awaited me as a mom to 9.  If I only knew that how bad of a mess they really could make.  But I have learned. 

I learned that compared to when they throw blocks all over the house, the little clear pieces of paper all over the place is not so bad.  I learned to hang up the wet towels and let them dry to be used again later for more tattoos. I learned that paint comes off, usually.  And its not so bad as compared to 100 army men on the floor.  They really hurt to step on.  I learned that broken crayons aren't the worst of it.  If you stick it in an electic pencil sharpener it breaks.  And I learned that some kids like to eat crayons.  And I learned that if one gets stuck in the bottom of your vacuum it colors all over your floor.  And I learned that if you dry them in the dryer you have to throw out a load of clothes.  I learned art projects could be boxed up and taken out years later to be smiled at.  I learned that a 5 year old with a piece of clay the size of a corn kernal can have hours of fun and develop a keen imagination. 

I have learned and become more patient.  I learned that in the long run, in the big picture those little disasters are only little disasters.  That kids can make WAY bigger disaster and even those don't end the world.  I learned to let the kids have fun when they are kids, because you can't sterilize the world.  And even if I could, then I wouldn't have the memories I do.  I think how proud I am that I have learned, that I am not so thick headed that I couldn't learn.  It gives  me hope that I am still learning, still becoming the better parent, better person.  And thank-goodness for my kids, they have years of fun ahead of them.