My latest thoughts on parenting...

The other day when my 1 year old, Lucy, also known at times (within the comfort of our own home of course) as "Lucifer" or the "Screamin' Demon", was again screaming loudly about something, my 3 year old, Claire, turned to me and said "Mom, can't we just get a new baby that's not so loud". Claire seems to have an innate sense timing and turned a quite frustrating situation into a humorous one.

There are many times that I look to them both and hope that they learn as much from me as I'm learning from them. They see the world so simply and everything boils down to a few simple concepts like playing, eating, sleeping and on most occasions sharing and being nice to others. And they have inspired me to strive to be a better, more polite, less "bossy" person as I do realize that they will do as I do, not as I say.

Their books also simplify life into very basic concepts. One that we've recently read, The Three Questions by Jon Muth, sums up at the end with "Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one that you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in this world."