What Being a Mommy Taught Me

Some things being a mother to these two rugrats taught me:

1. Material things are just things. It is patently difficult to keep books, CDs, magazines, even handbags from prying little fingers intent on playing with your stuff. What were once treasured or carefully kept possessions before have absolutely no importance to me now. Except my shoes.

2. Some, actually, a lot of things can wait -- the bed can always be fixed later, that you can still find your clothes in a messy closet, a messy bathroom is still a bathroom -- but having the opportunity to dance the noodle dance with your kids should not be passed up.

3. I've learned that I was a more relaxed parent the second time around. We let Faith play/crawl on the floor without vacuuming first, and that a weird sounding sneeze is not a good enough reason to go visit the pediatrician.

4. A fever will always be a scary thing. And that having your children get sick will always make you feel helpless.

5. A little voice saying, "I Love You" will always make your heart catch in your throat. Even if they say it to avoid being yelled at or being given a time out.

6. No matter how much I want to get away from the kids when things start getting crazy, it only takes 5 minutes before I start missing them.

7. You will always put their needs first before your own. Which is not to say that you don't need a time out every now and then. There are times when you really need to pay attention to yourself.

8. The pediatrician is my best friend.

9. Grandparents make the best nannies. Too bad they can't do it full time.

10. Sometimes talking in a whisper will get toddlers in the midst of a screaming tantrum pay attention faster.

11. Guilt is your constant companion.

12. You won't always be patient -- but you always need to be kind.

13. That mom instinct? It really works.

14. Sesame Street's appeal never goes away. Not even if you're a grown up.

15. Your children are separate individuals, no matter how close they are in age. What works on one doesn't necessarily work on the other. Or maybe boys are just different from girls. Go figure.

16. You really do understand what your mom went through with you.

17. My heart doesn't belong to me anymore. It's been walking around outside my body since my children were born.