FAIRMONT —
Lots of things can make you happy. The bright sun shining warmly on your face. Birds serenading you from a shady tree.
But maybe nothing brings so much happiness as a child.
When Tenille Wyer looks at her daughters, Sadie Linn, 7, and Sophia Grace, 9 months, she feels the satisfied, fulfilled happiness that a mom feels.
And when she races through each day, she feels the hectic urgency that being a parent brings.
“I try to do activities with Sadie Linn while taking care of Sophia,” she said, as Sophia cooed and drifted off to a late afternoon nap in her mother’s arms.
That takes some planning, she added.
“I make sure whatever activity or event we go to for Sadie, whether it’s at school or church, it’s appropriate to bring the baby. And if it isn’t, then I find a baby sitter, which isn’t always easy.”
Sadie is a pretty active little lady. She divides her time (and her mom’s, too) among Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts, dance lessons and cheerleading for Pop Warner.
“She also likes to play with her baby dolls ... and her baby doll sister.
“That’s a lot of things, but that about wraps it up,” Tenille said with a laugh.
Sadie also sings. She recently performed a solo at a school show.
“I worried that she’d have stage fright, but she didn’t. Not one little bit. I was so proud of her. She has such a good voice.
“And little miss Sophia is just as active,” her mom said.
Sophia may be a tender 9 months, but don’t leave her out. She’s all signed up for a Crawl-a-Thon at the end of the month.
“It’s like a race. We’re allowed to call out to our babies, but we can’t use objects to entice them,” Tenille said.
Like she said, all this takes planning. And she doesn’t rely on some fancy handheld electronic device.
“I use a regular old kitchen calendar,” she said. She puts the usual things on it: doctor’s appointments, kids’ activities.
“I’d feel lost if I didn’t check it every morning.”
She carries a mini-pocket calendar with her.
“It’s a carbon copy of the kitchen calendar,” she said.
When she was growing up, sometimes she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to be a mom.
“I went through phases when I didn’t want kids. But as I got older, I love being a mom. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I don’t know what I did before I had them. I love seeing them happy and learning new things.”
Sadie is already looking forward to returning to Camp Invention this summer.
“She’s upset that it’s only a week long,” Tenille said. “She had such a good time last year. She wanted to go again even before they sent us the paperwork.
“I want them to have every opportunity to have a successful life, but I want them to have fun along the way.
“You have to stop and smell the roses when you can.
“The most important thing to me is setting good moral values. I want them to have a good education. This will set them up for what they want to do in life.
“My children are very happy and sweet children. I’m very fortunate. They have such easy temperaments. They get along well. Sadie likes to play school with Sophia. She’s the teacher and Sophia’s the student. She’s a good student.”
Sadie doesn’t like to hurt other people’s feelings and is very considerate.
“Her school has adopted a boy through World Vision and they donate money to send to him. I like this. It teaches them about charity, the importance of giving and not being selfish.”
Being a mom “is a work in progress,” she said.
“It’s never finished. You go through different seasons in life and each season has different chores and tasks you have to work on.
“And I’m starting over again with a baby. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“My children give me happy, good feelings.”
Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.
Family Times
Related Photos
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Sadie Linn and Sophia Grace Wyer fill their mom, Tenille, with “happy, good feelings,” she says. “I love being a mom. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t know what I did before I had them.” SUBMITTED PHOTO
Happy, good feelings
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