My kids have taught me how to get to daily Super-hero status.

I have always loved children. Children are so honest and unfiltered...life is so exciting to them and the things I take for granted, they find cool and interesting.
I wasn't necessarily sure I would be a mother though. The concept seemed so far-fetched for my lifestyle. Fast-paced, LOUD, unstructured (except for having to work), and somewhat unstable.
After Chris and I were married, I did realize that having children was most likely going to happen but the process in which this would actually happen (besides the obvious) never crossed my mind. Who would have guessed that I would birth our first child while Chris was deployed? I was so unaware that I would be capable of taking care of a newborn baby alone. Then, came two...'oh my goodness, WHAT am I doing?! Chris deploys every other year, he is in training after training or in the field when he actually is home and I am supposed to know what the heck I am doing?!
Oh boy.
Then, throw in the stay-at-home mom (SAHM) part right before Emma is born.
Being a SAHM appeared to be so easy but OMG, not likely. Maybe (?!) when it is just you and one child...but two...or more? Ahem, NO.
I am definitely learning. As much as instinct has helped me, other great mothers (and fathers) around me, and every how-to guide known to (wo)man...I still find that I have learned most of what I know through the children themselves. No, I do not leave them to their own defenses while I prop my feet up and do nothing!
After much struggle with Colin and his very energetic nature, I learned that I need to relax a little, be a little more consistent in following through with discipline and most of all, let him show me how things are done.
Through this, he is forced to think for himself and most of the time feel as though he is making choices on his own.
I will admit, I do find toddlers very challenging at times. They have the ability to go from loud and demanding to funny and lovable. There have been days where I have seen both kids go from one extreme to the other interchangeably within minutes. Chris and I joke that they mentally high-five each other between mood swings as if to gang up on us. If it isn't one asserting themselves, it is the other. However, I just adore their independence most days and think they are just the cutest little people in the universe. Emma is hysterical when she imitates me and Colin is outstanding with his ability to recall everything...I mean, everything. They keep me on my toes!
Nevertheless, the challenging times really and truly have helped to balance me and to teach me more about how super human I really can be.
The truth is, what I have learned most about me through my children is how much I can actually manage before feeling a near imploding, chest-caving feeling. Once I get that feeling...I still manage to handle even more (especially when bedtime is approaching...the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak)

The key for me has been to exude the personalities I would like to see from them in return. So, when I feel overwhelmed, I smile, take a deep breath and attempt to react in soft tones...relaxed.
I also try not to react to every single thing. This is not easy. Patience. Vats amounts of it. Many of my friends have asked me numerous times about my patience and where did I get it? Answer: Realizing there is no other choice. Unless of course I want to make myself crazy (which I have felt on the verge of a few times).
Chris not being around as much as we would like definitely makes things more difficult but hey, this is the life we (sorta) chose and we need to make this arrangement work.
I also find it important to explain to your children how you feel about certain things often. They also need to hear the things you like that they do and how it makes you feel as well as the bad.
You know what makes me feel like a super hero? When my kids tell me I am awesome and that I make them happy. Colin often says at any given moment 'Mommy, I love you'. This just rules. Ems is always for no reason coming up to me and smothering me with hugs and 'Hi Mommy'.
The rocky road of parenthood is so far out of my comfort zone it isn't even funny.
Remember the fast-paced life I led before? Well, it has not gotten slower like I assumed it would, it sped up. Some people claim their life slows down with having kids but not I...not with the Army, not one bit.
This post would never end if I were to acknowledge every little thing I have learned from these two kids. Seriously. So, tell me...what have you learned about you through your kids?