The time is 8:30 on a Saturday morning, and all of my children from the oldest to the youngest are gathered in one room playing — together!  Each child is happy, each child is engaged, and each child is having fun.  I wish this were true all day every day, but alas, it is not.  Most mornings, we are engaged in school work and have only brief breaks for play time.  Mid-afternoon we break for naps and quiet play times in separate rooms.  Late afternoon is the first real chance my children have to play together, and by the early evening they are tired and cranky, prone to argue.  

When morning play times come our way, they always bring a smile to my heart.  After all, I want my children to be best friends.  I love knowing that they can and do get along!  I love watching how they act out stories we have heard together, or cooperate to build elaborate lego structures.  

I recently read a lesson in Terri Johnson’s Homeschooling ABC’s series in which she talks about having circle time together with all the children first thing in the morning.  This is something I have often thought about doing; but never implemented.  As I contemplated the cheerful, happy and cooperative moods of my children at the beginning of our day; I decided circle time should be an upbeat bonding time to start our days as a unit.  As you read this Mondays on Mothering post, I am giving it a try.  

This is the first time I have thought of something concrete I could change in response to a Mondays on Mothering post!  This is my idea; to focus on the moments that bring us joy and introduce more of these moments into our lives.

What brings you joy as a mother?  What do you love about being a mother?  What makes you smile?

Celebrate the Joy!

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To post a Mondays On Mothering ( a Meme for You) blog entry, follow these steps:

1.  Write a blog post  about something you love about mothering, something about mothering that brings you joy. 

2.  If you want to use my graphic; you are welcome to upload my graphic.

3.  Come to my blog, and sign the Mr. Linky on my current Mondays On Mothering post or send a message to the new M.O.M. group on Facebook so that others can read your post and be encouraged!  You are welcome to put a link back to this entry in your post as well, but it is not necessary :).

4.  Visit the other Mondays On Mothering posts, and be encouraged!