Motherhood. It is a time of great joy and happiness and wonder. And also a time of great sacrifice. A time when you really discover what your body and mind can endure and what you really need in your life. I thought about this throughout my day yesterday and came up with my list of What Mama Wants versus What Mama Needs.

Mama wants to be able to sleep past 5:30 AM, but Mama needs only about 5 hours of actual sleep to have basic human function throughout the day.

Mama wants a full-time housekeeper, but Mama needs to just be happy that the dog eats all food dropped on the floor and that the clothes is at least clean, if not folded and put away.

Mama wants her kids to "Eat a Rainbow" of fresh, healthy food everyday, but Mama needs to be OK with some of the lesser known rainbow colors too sometimes (chocolate, Kraft Dinner fluorescent orange and Spiderman "Fruit" snack Black)!

Mama wants her children to explore their artistic sides and do crafts all day long, but Mama needs to realize that SHE is not crafty at all and watching Mister Maker do it is just as good, right?

Mama wants 3 hours of uninterrupted work time each and every day, but Mama needs to figure out how to squeeze it all into 15 minute power sessions between meals, school, activity classes and naps!

Mama wants an overnight Date Night once a week (so does Dad), but having a standing weekly reservation at a local hotel might make Mama look like she has a different kind of 'job'. (Hmmm, this one might just be a NEED too, maybe just once a month though!)

Mama wants to shop for herself and by herself, but Mama needs to accept that she has 2 miniature stylists that must accompany her and who seem to have some pretty strong opinions about what she should and should not wear.

Mama wants to have a long hot shower EVERY DAY, but Mama needs one a minimum of 3 times a week and for some reason always has to have an audience!

Mama wants a perfect family, but what Mama needs is the one that she has. With all the crazy, sleeplessness, "I need more hours in a day" and THIS is the way we do it around here and it works for us, that goes along with it!!

Needs are the basics, the essentials that we can not live without. And what I have realized is that my basic needs as a mother are met each and every day when my son looks me in the eyes and tells me "I love you so much Mommy." and my daughter wakes up at night and says, "Mommy, I NEED you!".

Children have this incredible power, the power to show us what we really NEED in our lives and surprise, surprise it is often not what we thought we WANTED in the first place!!

I NEED these two!

Photo credit: magda kirkwood photography

Natasha~