Time with family is precious to me, and I eat it up! As we were hanging out, traveling between family Thanksgivings, and as the kids were getting banned to their rooms because they couldn’t play nice for the forty-fifth time, I found myself reflecting on some things last week:

1. My kids like to push on my belly. After being home with my kids a few days, I started noticing that my kids think it’s fun to press on my belly. I think they think it feels cool. All soft and squishy. Nice! But I kind of felt like the Pillsbury doughboy, so that madness had to stop! 🙂 In fact, the kids had just seen a video of the Pillsbury doughboy doing his laughing thing when poked so maybe they were trying to get a giggle out of mom. There were no giggles. 🙂

2. I forgot my swimsuit!!! We had reserved a room in a hotel one night for the sheer fact that it had an indoor pool. The kids were stoked! In packing for the trip, I made sure everyone else had their swimsuits. Then on the morning we were supposed to swim, I woke up and realized I didn’t pack my own swimsuit…or extra underwear, but we won’t talk about that! I did a great job packing for everyone else! The only thing I can think of was that I thought so much about swimsuits that I seriously thought I had packed mine. The kids still had a great time at the pool and got to climb all over dad. And I got to relax by the pool and smile at my family, so all wasn’t lost.

3. I never sleep well in a hotel. It seems so fun to go to a hotel. I always think I’m going to be so relaxed and rested. And then I can’t sleep. It’s such a bummer!

4. I feel the most vulnerable in life when one of my kids is sick. And I feel a million more times vulnerable when they are sick over holidays or weekends when it’s nearly impossible to get into a doctor. And really, those seem to be the only times my kids get sick. They’re gifted that way. 🙂

5. I don’t get embarrassed very easily anymore. As stated above, one of my kids got sick right before we sat down to eat lunch at my Grandmother’s house. Of course, my kiddo and I were a complete mess and I had not brought extra clothes. We typically can get through one meal without having to change clothes. Not this day! I stood in my Grandmother’s kitchen paralyzed in wondering what in the world we were going to do when my family started jumping into action. My Grandmother went to get me some of her clothes to wear. My dad ran home and got my son some pj’s they had at their house as well as some of my mom’s clothes for me. I went into the laundry room, changed clothes and emerged like this…

The teenage Stephanie would have been mortified to wear this. The adult Stephanie stood in the laundry room cracking up and couldn’t wait to show everyone…and take pictures…and post it to social media! I love this change in myself! I love that no matter what gets thrown my way, I can always find something to laugh at.

Life is pretty funny!