Living in the moment

Living in the moment is amazing!  I have these moments where I feel like I resonate with the different phases that the kids are in and adapt/flex/mold myself to meet them where they are - and it's fascinating.  It happens when I am able to turn off outside distractions - no work, no chores, no technology, no interference...

In these moments, I get where Ava is and it's fantastic. Her desire to be ahead of the game, to be more advanced than other 5 year olds (and everyone else!), her focus on the minutia and its importance to her, her perfectionism. It's like riding the wave right alongside her - and reminiscent of her madrinha when we were little. 

Then I morph into Alex. I enjoy the freedom, the desire to challenge boundaries, and the humor found in everything. He is never malicious. He challenges his boundaries, but never with bad intent - just the desire to see what happens, in a safe environment, where he knows he can learn the consequences but not suffer them. He finds humor everywhere, and loves irreverent humor - so the apple does not fall far from the tree. In these moments I revert back to myself at that age - in a weird way I feel like I remember exactly what it's like to be a 3 or 4 year old again. 

Then even Sofia allows me to adapt and see the world through her eyes and mind. Watching her attempt new words, feeling her make the effort to communicate verbally, and feeling so fulfilled when she succeeds. Observing her attempt things on her own in her quest for independence, and feeling victorious when she says "I did it!". That fulfillment infiltrates my soul in these moments and then fully resonates with hers. 

I am so grateful for these moments of pure consciousness. It feels like achieving a meditation goal. It's amazing and a blessing to truly feel like you grasp what is important to a kindergartner, a preschooler, and a toddler.  

I then, of course, try to hold on to these feelings when I get wrapped up once again in the daily grind.  I try to remember to not overreact when Ava digs her heels in about some minor thing, or when Alex is pushing his limits, or when Sofia falls to the ground in frustration over not being able to communicate or being able to exert her independence.

We are so blessed!