Finding Happiness in Doing What You're Doing

So I have three little boys: 6 months, almost 4, and 6 years old. Although I have never been a "kid person," I love my children very much and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Look at those impressionable young faces. :)

The other day I was with my 6 yr old doing SOMETHING--for the life of me I can't remember what it was, but it was one of those mundane Mommy things I don't really like to do. I remember sighing impatiently while I waited for him to accomplish his task and was about to pull out my iPod to "pass the time doing something constructive". That's when hit me just what I was doing. I had the "I'd rather be somewhere else, doing anything else" attitude. Let's face it. It's HARD to enjoy laundry, cleaning up bodily fluids, scrubbing dishes, cooking, shopping, chauffeuring,  scrubbing toilets and sinks and hairy showers...But still, I wondered how I could POSSIBLY think my iPod would offer more happiness than spending time with my precious son. I realized I'd been treating my Mommy duties as something to push through in order to get to better things. Like facebook and blogging and writing books...even things like cooking fabulous dinners. Connecting with family and friends, writing and making a nice dinner for my family aren't BAD things, but I was putting their importance over the emotional needs of my children. Once I put the iPod away and looked my 6 year old in the eye and helped with what he was doing, his whole countenance changed. He was happier and I was happier. Putting him first in deed AND in heart made a biggest difference in the world........even though I didn't particularly like doing it. :)