Proud of you, sister!

I love being an aunt....I mean, I wish my nieces lived closer, but either way, it's a nice job to have. Especially when your sister is such a good mom.

My sister doesn't mess around. The kids are good kids because she tells them what's up. She's consistent and sticks to her guns (and is usually pretty funny, too!)

Caitlyn: Can I have a snack?
Stacey: No.
Caitlyn: But I'm hungry. Please let me eat!
Stacey: You just ate an hour ago.
Caitlyn: Comeon, mom, puhlleeease!
Stacey: Yogurt or an apple.
Caitlyn: No, pretzels.
Stacey: You heard the choices. Go pick one, or skip it, but get outta my hair!

The end.

Another thing I love about my sister is that she always calls me for advice. No, I don't have my own kids, but I do teach them all day and she understands that another perspective is best for her girls. I feel super important that she calls me. And, I guess it's good practice for me in case I ever get to have a kid one day.

She also knows that those kids are like sponges - they will pick up all your good habits, but also your bad ones. She was telling me last night about how she was being really hard on herself (Stacey) about her body image, and then next thing you know, Caitlyn picked up on it. When you're a mom, especially around girls, I'm guessing, you have to be so careful about things like this. Now, it's all about being healthy. We eat right to be healthy. We exercise and play sports to be healthy. It's conversations about why endless snacking and eating foods that are high in sugar are bad for our bodies. It's about taking care of ourselves.

And one of the best things about Stacey is that she knows that balance is so important. She's the first to tell you that the girls are driving her crazy and that she needs a vacation. Bedtime schedule is solid for reasons like this....which she just posted today: 

Stacey gets it. She understands that for her to be her best self for Caitlyn and Maddie, she needs time to herself to unwind and have space. Space is good in all relationships - it rejuvenates you and gives you what you need so you can have a good focus when you come back. (Like summer vacation for teachers.) She knows that she can't do everything for everyone all the time, and takes the little moments that she can find to give back to herself.

So, thanks, sister....for trusting my advice. For calling when you need to. For coming to visit next week! For being a good mom. I think we need to do better with skype so I can see those girls (and you!) more, but just know that you're doing an awesome job at the hardest job in the world! Hopefully one day, I'll follow in your footsteps.