Toilet Journal

At my MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group today a counselor spoke about "Sanity Savers" in parenting.  I loved a lot of what she had to say, but the advice that stuck with me most was the idea to create what she dubbed the "toilet journal".  As a mom, we rarely have a moment to ourselves.  I am well aware that my blogging frequency subsided after becoming a mom, and I only found time to write this at 10:00 in bed on a Friday night:-)  What I really wanted to do was go to bed and catch 15 more minutes of sleep, but alas her advice reminded me of the importance of journaling.  She said that she kept a journal behind the toilet (gross) the only place she found solace by herself in a house of three young boys.  And there she would write about her day (the good, the bad, the ugly).  These entries were often stories about her boys including the time she found her middle child drinking the toilet water.  Yum!  Her boys are now teenagers and savor every word in their mom's journal.  She even remarked how in the case of a house fire everyone was instructed to save the toilet journal.  Her son is graduating from high school next year and she plans on making him an album of pictures combined with the various stories she told about him growing up.  This reminded me of the importance of taking a moment to jot down the funny things Charlie says and does throughout the day.  Sometimes I get bogged down in having to find a poignant purpose to my blog entry.  What am I learning? Sharing? Expressing? Who  cares?  Those entries are great when I have the time and desire to sit down and write them, but just as important are the little moments I share with Charlie throughout the day.  I hope he is able to look back at this blog (not think I'm crazy) and laugh at all the adorable, ridiculous, horrifying, wonderful, hair pulling moments we experienced together.

Today's Moment;
After falling asleep in the car on the way home from MOPS (a mere 10 minute nap) Charlie decided that was enough rest for one day.  After 45 minutes of screaming in the crib he found himself lounging on the couch with me while the girls slept.  He is a lover of the pacifier and as he lay there sucking, I looked over and watched him remove the paci and stick his index finger in his mouth.  A smile broke out across his face.  "What are you doing?" I inquired.  He laughed and replied, "Mo, mo" (more) and proceeded to move on to the next finger and the next.  I watched his mind work as though pondering the reason why one would choose to suck a thumb.  He tested each one of those fingers like Goldilocks testing the Three Little Bears' porridge giggling throughout the whole experiment.  Finally, after exhaustive research he returned to his one and only love, his pacifier.