What will they remember?

Sometimes I feel inadequate to the task of motherhood. Whew. I said it. I try to be the best I can be but sometimes I wonder, am I really doing my very best? A friend has a sign in her kitchen that says, "first the fingerprints get higher and higher and then they disappear." It makes me wonder, when those fingerprints are gone from my kitchen, will I wish I had done a better job being a mother? Am I making the most of our time together? Am I making the most of my teaching opportunities?

And what of my children? When they are older, what will they remember about our time together? Looking back on her memories, will Aubrey more readily remember snuggling under the covers and giggling with me? Or will the evenings when I say less patiently, "Go to bed, Aubrey, no more talking!" dominate her mind? Will Andrew be most likely to remember playing puzzles and cars with me, or will he remember all the times I sat him in front of the TV so I could do something I thought was more important? Will they know I love them?