There are many things I love about being a mom. One of them is getting to relive my childhood. I love having a good excuse to watch all the kids movies! I have greatly enjoyed watching Frozen, and The Lego Movie and every other kid movie that has been released over the last few years.
My daughter and I always sit with huge smiles on our faces watching these movies. Sometimes in life we need complete brainless escapism and entertainment, and one of my favorite things about having a child is getting to escape from my day job on the weekends and take my daughter to Chuck-E-Cheese or Monkey Joe’s, or rollerskating or to the movies.
And it’s not just the movie that I enjoy, but it’s everything that goes along with the experience. Watching my daughters response to certain scenes and hearing her laugh and seeing her excitement throughout the film. Smuggling coffee in my purse and 98 cent candy from Walmart so we don’t have to pay the high theater prices, and giving quarters to my daughter after the movie so she can put them in the toy machines.
Everytime I watch her put a quarter in the machine, I have flashbacks to being her age and doing the same thing. I used to love those small bouncy balls that you get out of the machine. I used to have a collection of them like my daughter does now. I love watching her excitement over something so small. The anticipation and surprise of what’s going to be in that little plastic container that Mommy always breaks her nails trying to get open.
There are so many small things that I immensely enjoy in life.
Like hugs. What would we do without human touch? And giggling with my daughter and tickle fights. My daughter and I have a routine every night when we get home. She begs me to tickle her, but what she really wants is my complete attention and she wants us to giggle until we can’t stop…Heaven!
Sleeping in late and Staying up late. Singing in the car with my daughter to the latest Top 40 hits. We’ve been known to belt “Royals,” “Roar,” and “Wrecking Ball” to the top of our lungs, and I greatly embarrass her whenever I dance in the car to “Happy.” Right now our favorite song is Ingrid Michaelson’s “Girls Chase Boys.” We’ve been loving singing this one together the last couple weeks!
Other things that I love: Seeing and hearing my favorite bands and artists live. Coffee in the morning and Starbucks. Conversations with close friends and enjoying my favorite foods, wine & discovering new restaurants. Travel, which I need to do more of. Writing and expressing myself. Warm weather and the Ocean, and everything about my daughter. Seeing the expression on her face when I mention the boy she likes in school. Listening to her sweet voice when she plays with her toys and seeing her latest artwork masterpiece.
Life is not about winning the lottery, getting the big record deal, or climbing the corporate ladder. It’s not about having the dream house, or the latest iPhone or status symbol car.
It’s all the little things in life, many of which are free. It’s the little things that we take for granted everyday that matter the most.
Like everyday that we are healthy and feel good. When we’re able to leave our homes and live our lives without limitations. It’s tickle fights, skeeball and going to get ice cream. It’s singing “Landslide” in the car with my daughter and tearing up when we sing “I’m getting older too.” It’s going to see the Lego Movie or Frozen or quoting our favorite lines from Despicable Me: “It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!”
What are the little things that you live for? What moves you? What makes you excited to greet each new day? What makes life worth living for you? Is it reading a good book? Spending time with family and friends? A good movie? Your favorite song?
Life’s too short not to be passionate and have enthusiasm for even the small things in life, because the secret of life is: The little things, really are the big things.
