The things I want my daughters to remember

It happens sometimes, when I'm doing something, like muttering "f#ckit" when I'm frustrated, saying "aaaaargh" under my breath when I'm impatient, pouring a glass of wine at the end of the day, or reaching for another [and another] piece of chocolate, that I hear a voice inside my head saying, "they're watching, they're listening, they're remembering..."

Now I can't remember anything at all about being one year old.  I do remember bits and pieces of being almost-five-years old though.

These are the things I want my daughters to remember, when they think back on their childhood one day:

 ~ All the millions of hugs and kisses they get every day
 ~ How I tell them that they are beautiful every day
 ~ How I just stop and stare at them in awe and tell them they are wonderful
 ~ That we love to laugh and laugh and laugh
 ~ That their daddy and I love to hug and kiss each other and hold hands and sit close to each other
 ~ Reading books together, lots and lots of books, over and over again
 ~ That their daddy and I talk nicely to each other
 ~ That we relish special family time together
 ~ That we eat supper together at the table every night
 ~ How we put the music real loud and dance together and sing together
 ~ Picnics and tea parties
 ~ Movie nights in our pajamas
 ~ Special family holidays
 ~ Special times with Granny and Oupa, and Oumi and Oupi
 ~ Singing in the car
 ~ Morning snuggles and cuddles
 ~ Bedtime stories
 ~ Candlelit baths
 ~ That birthdays are special
 ~ How I tell them to just be themselves, because they're perfect just the way they are
 ~ How we tell them to be kind, honest and gentle
 ~ That we respect people, and pets, and belongings
 ~ Soft kisses on cheeks
 ~ Afternoon naps together
 ~ How much smiles and kind words mean
 ~ Asking them to choose what they would like to do that's lots of fun for them
 ~ Saying yes to random requests like "can we paint now" or "can we bake cookies now"
 ~ That friends are important but family comes first
 ~ That if anything ever makes them feel uncomfortable, they must just walk away
 ~ How we value communication

What wonderful memories we're trying to make for our two special girls...  Yet, how many times do I get it wrong, when I spend too much time looking at my phone, or when I tell them to "hang on, I just need to reply one email", or when I look at them with a look of frustration, or speak to them in too harsh a tone of voice...  And they remember those moments too...

Let's just hope that the good times override the bad!
xx