A frequent comment I get when people see my life with three kids is “I don’t know how you do it”. I smile politely in large part because I have heard the line so many times and I know no one is actually looking for me to explain how I parent my three kids. But… I thought I would explain it a little bit here. For the most part my day to day life is me and my kids. We craft, we go on outings, we shlep around doing errands, we drive each other nuts one minute and belly laugh with each other the next. We live. That is us now, but there are two people who behind the scenes have made this reality possible. My parents. Today I am celebrating grandparents.
My parents are amazing parents. They demonstrate through actions and words that being a parent means providing unconditional love, dedication, humor, fun, structure and moments of chaos. I am the parent I am because of them. My parents are also two of the best grandparents I have ever seen. My road to becoming a mother of three was rocky and my parents were by my side supporting us the whole way.
On January 13, 2011, 11 days after we moved into our new home, my mom was babysitting my son so that I could go to a doctor’s appointment. We returned from this appointment at 5pm with the knowledge that the next morning I would be delivering my girls 6 weeks early. Without pause my mom called my dad to say that he needed to come stay at our house. For the next 4 weeks as my husband and I figured out how to parent our teeny NICU babies and a toddler at home my parents never left our house. With boxes all over our house my mom and dad dropped everything and moved into our guest room. They cooked, cleaned, drove me back and forth to the hospital and took care of my son. Most importantly they provided us with comfort and love during a very difficult time. I truly have no idea how we would have survived those months without them.
After a month my parents returned to their own home but returned at least 3 days a week to help me. My children have developed such a strong relationship with their grandparents because of the time my parents give them. We are all incredibly lucky.
A year ago my parents decided to move into our town. What an amazing gift to us all! My children have formed a closeness with their grandparents that I never could have dreamed of. We share Saturday dinners, berry picking trips, afternoon swims, birthday celebrations and exhausted afternoon kid shows. We share laughter and form memories. I could not imagine my children’s lives without the richness this relationship gives them. Happy Grandparents’ Day Mom and Dad! We love you!
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