And 10 things I am really good at!

Since I confessed to some things that may not be all that flattering, I wanted to add ten things that I think I do really well in my life as a mama.

1. I have always put my girls and their needs first, no matter what that means for me personally. Breast feeding, staying home, cloth diapering--these things have meant lots of sacrifice on my part, but they are what I think is best for the girls. Not judging those who choose differently, but these things are important to me.

2. We DO lots of things together--crafts, cooking, playing, cleaning. I really enjoy being with my girls most of the time, and we are constantly interacting. I go to their classes, talk to their friends, and get involved every day. I am not a sideline mom.

3. I have to steal this one from my friend, Kim. I chose a really, really good Daddy for my girls. Jason is an amazing father, and he is so into the kids. He takes the girls out for Daddy dates every week, and he can't wait to get home every day and just hang out with us. He is not just there for the fun stuff, he is there for EVERYTHING!

4. Caitlyn is a very polite little girl. She says, "please," "thank you," "excuse me," and "can I may . . ." She generally doesn't grab or play with things at the store, and she is usually very well-behaved. Caitlyn has never been the kid who runs wild in a store, picking up things and causing a scene. I hope that Lorelei learns these manners, too.

5. Both of the girls are kind and gentle. When I watch Caitlyn play Mama with her dolls, she is so loving, and I can only hope that I am modeling half of what she emulates. I sing to the girls and snuggle them every chance I get, and my favorite moments are mornings when they both pile in bed with Jason and I.

6. I read to the girls all the time. I love books, and I love that they do, too. We don't play a lot of video games or watch movies all the time, and I can see a big difference between them and kids who do.

7. Holidays are a BIG deal, and I try to go all out for special events. I make special food, and we have lots of decorations. I try to cram as much joy and togetherness as I can into every single holiday. I hope the kids remember our traditions with fondness.

8. I try to teach the girls to play hard and work hard. We might play dress up and build a castle, dragging out half of the toy closet and moving furniture in the process. But, once playtime is done, we all pick up and take pride in a clean house.

9. My kids will never be without memories and mementos. I have locks of all of their hair, completely filled in baby books for all but Chris, first outfits, school memory books, and more. We take pictures almost every single day, and I have a big chest filled with their special things. Jason has so little from his childhood, and I don't want any of the children to ever feel the sadness he does over that.

10. I am proud that I am very honest with all of the kids. While we censor information that isn't age appropriate, we strive to tell them the truth about anything they want to know, even when the truth is tough. This is especially important for Chris, but we do this for all the kids. Honesty is so important, and I think the best way to teach the kids to be honest is to be honest with them.