Being a good parent

*Post was written yesterday (Sunday October 24th) but it was not posted until this morning because my camera was MIA and pictures are aways fun.

I read this post last night and this morning. It really got me thinking.
I have always thought of myself as a good parent but I have never really thought about what it means.
It is so much more than what your kid(s) can and can not ___________ (insert any of these words and more do, eat, say, watch, act or play with).
Being a good parent has nothing (or little) to do with what type of house you live in, car you drive, how much money you make, what type of schooling you have or expect your child(ren) to have.

I believe my role as a parent is to raise my children in a happy and loving environment and teach them to be functional members of this world (no mater how messed up it may become). I want to raise them with Godly values and standards. I want to let the own creativity and personalities to shine and develop.

Or something along those lines.
Ten or twenty years from now what will my kids remember?
Will my kids remember that the house always looked 'lived in' or will they remember that mama got down on the floor and played with them?
Will my kids remember that the sink had a pile of dirty dishes in it or will they remember that we baked together?
Will my kids remember that their Halloween costumes were homemade and imperfect or will they remember working on them together and making them just the way they wanted?
Hopefully the later half of all of the above statements.
Will it really matter if my kid eats cereal and milk as one meal sometimes two daily?
Will it really matter that we watch Mythbusters as a family and my kid counts down the days until it is on?
Will it really matter that my son wears his 'Greg coat' everyday?
NO! Ten or twenty years from now he may not like cereal or Mythbusters and his 'Greg coat' will be much too small by then.
Here are some real pictures from this afternoon. Unedited and not watermarked just raw pictures.

The view from my computer as I am typing this post.

The view from where we sit.

To myself, and every other parent out there who worries if they are good enough:

You are.  Don't be afraid of imperfection.  Go out and enjoy each moment for what it is, and know that when you're busy squeezing every last drop of happiness out of each day that is way more than good enough. 

Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person.

-David M. Burns