It has been a long summer in the Lion household! We began a pretty substantial home renovation project in April, and shortly after found out we are expecting our second little one (a baby girl, due in February!). To say I have been overwhelmed is an understatement. Combine a super active toddler, a non-toddler friendly home environment (at least without LOTS of redirection), a stay at home momma with morning sickness who gets dizzy when she gets hot, plus the summer in the south, and well, I think you can understand why I haven’t really been able to turn words into coherent sentences lately!

Since April we have basically been in survival mode, trying to keep Little Lion safe, happy, and entertained while I try to keep my dinner down and my spirits up. My perfectionist self has had a lot to come to terms with in the last 7 months, that is for sure.

And now that we are on the other side (save a few small remaining projects, and you know, the impending third trimester) of the chaos, I can see that I learned a lot of valuable lessons during this time…lessons that hopefully will serve me well as I get ready to embark on life with two little ones.

1. What my kids need most from me is ME: Art projects are fun. Trips to the zoo are fun. Playdates at the park are fun. But so is curling up on the couch reading story after story, or sitting on the floor pushing cars around. Little Lion and I haven’t done much this summer worth blogging about, but we sure have spent a lot of time together. And in the grand scheme of things, that is all that matters.

2. Perfectionism is overrated: We have watched more cartoons than I ever dreamed I would, and not long ago I actually reasoned that ketchup really is a vegetable. I have pretty high expectations of myself, but the reality is that when you are in a difficult season of life, these little things really don’t matter that much. Do I want to be the best parent that I can be? Of course. But extending some grace to myself is really important too.

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3. Being more than just Mom is so so important: When things get hard, my first instinct is to stop taking care of myself, to neglect my hobbies and my friends, and just try to make it through the day. I think that my tendency to do this definitely put me at a disadvantage during this challenging season. I wish I had taken a little more time to see friends (or at least call them on the phone) or do other things I enjoy during this time, instead of hiding out like a hermit. I wish I had asked for help from those around me rather than trying to tough it out and deal with things on my own. And I discovered just how important it is that when this new baby gets here, that I still make time to be my own separate person, because I don’t want to get to the day my youngest goes to Kindergarten (or, even worse, college!) and wonder who I am as a human being.

None of these lessons are new to me. In theory, I have known them to be true for some time. But something about going through a rough patch can really solidify their importance. I know they sure have for me.


Checking out the new wall in his room!