What makes a mother smile?

I don't know about you but for me the things that made me smile before I became a mother are much less important to me now that I have three handsome little boys. I also find that things that never before would matter to me now make me smile.

Things that used to make me smile? A pretty new dress, a houseplant that has outgrown it's pot and needs to be moved, a blanket freshly dried on the clothesline (actually that one still makes me smile), a nice clean house, a meal freshly prepared and pretty on the plate, time spent working on a craft of choice, and of course many other things.

Things that make me smile now? A new baby (any new baby), smiles on the faces of my children, dinner being made on time and children who will eat it, the realization that my children do hear what I say, a little time to myself, and compliments from others on my children.

That last one is what I want to write about today. I am not a vain or prideful person, but when I take my children out to eat at a restaurant and am complimented on their behavior it makes me smile. It makes me smile because I know that as a mother I am doing my job of teaching my children the proper way to behave, it makes me smile because I know that as a child of God my children and I are having a good testimony for the Lord, it makes me smile because I know that I do not have one of THOSE children (you all know what I mean), and it makes me smile because I know that my children have heard me all these years of telling them what is ok and what isn't.

We were all tired Thursday after a hard week of apartment prep and such, and we decided to have a meal out at a local family owned restaurant (my favorite kind). Being that it is still technically winter (though I would hardly call 70 degrees winter) it means that our snowbirds are still here (snowbirds are those who live up north during the summer, and here during the winter, they flee from the snow) which means that almost every restaurant would be filled with snowbirds (of whom nearly all are older folks) and that when Hubby and I entered with our 3 boys eyes would roll at the thought of "noisy children" while they are trying to eat.

We all sat at the table, quietly looked at the menus and decided on our meals. We talked quietly while we waited for our food, and when it came we prayed and then we ate quietly. As the boys were waiting for their sherbet for dessert a couple nearby got up to leave and as they did the woman came over to tell me " You have a beautiful family, and your boys are so well behaved. It was a pleasure to eat dinner with your family nearby!" That brought tears to my eyes, and I thanked her and told her how much that meant to me. The boys finished their sherbet, and as they did another group sitting just next to us got up to leave and two of the ladies leaned over to tell me " We agree with everything the other lady said, your boys are absolute treasures, and you've taught them well." I again thanked them and again had tears in my eyes. Nothing in this world means more to me than my family, and being told that I've done a good job raising my children, that is just a joy for me! I love knowing that my family is welcome in public, and that I can enjoy a meal in public without spending the whole time fussing at my boys. At the same time though it makes me a little sad, because people wouldn't comment on how good my boys are if well behaved children in public was the "norm", if one saw a child every day behave in public it would never be noticed, but that is not what most people see in restaurants and stores, and so when a family sits at the table and behaves it is noticed and it makes me just a little sad for others, but it also makes me smile for myself and my family.

Maybe next time I will have the pleasure of sitting in a restaurant near one of you my bloggy friends and as we chat and laugh our children can quietly talk over sherbet.