Friday, July 30, 2010

Scary, unknown, a fear I've never felt before!

See this beautiful girl?

Well as of this coming Monday she will be a freshman. Her first year of real Independence.

And the first truly scary year of her mom's life! Scarier than being pregnant at 18. Scarier than being a single mom. Scarier than any night full of colic and screaming. Scarier than any temper tantrum. Scarier than many sleepless nights with millions of ear infections and busting ear drums.

Really and truly folks this is the time she needs me most. Not when she skinned her knee learning to ride her Barbie bike for the first time. She needs me more now than when she swallowed her first tooth and was so scared the tooth fairy wasn't going to find her. More than any bad dream, or her first "break up", or when the "mean girls" have been mean.

Because the true decisions come now. The first real decisions that will ultimately affect the rest of her life. True the classes and grades are important. But the decisions that will ultimately be thrown upon her...drugs, sex, peer pressure of any magnitude. Those are the true decisions that will influence her life.

She has her head on straight. She knows where she wants to go in life...It's truly the other kids I'm scared about. The other parents medicine cabinets that they find the drugs to experiment with. The older boy she might have a crush on. I was a teenage girl once too, and I remember the great feeling when I found out a boy thought I was pretty. I remember my first kiss and snuggling on the couch like it was yesterday. But times have changed (oh boy do I sound old) and things are even scarier than they were for me.

Oh where did the time go? One minute I'm rocking this precious girl and reading her bedtime stories...and now I'm discussing peer pressure, sex, and drugs. I never knew what true worrying was until I was thrown into it today at her orientation. I was forced to face the fact that my little girl is growing up. And now more than ever she is needing me to help guide her in making real life choices.

So here goes nothin!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Hotels can only bring you closer...

2 adults, 5 kids, one room, 2 beds w/ a pull out couch...
Brings a family closer...

Well, sorta...

We're traveling for the Little League World Series. Bubby's team started a tournament Thursday night. We haven't slept much at all...well mommy anyway. The first night I woke up every hour...and I mean every hour. The second night there was a car alarm going off for more than 4 hours. My neck is sore and my head has been pounding. Little Monkey does not understand how to be quiet in the room, or to lay down in the bed.

We have an extra little guy with us. The boys are having a great time. They have truly enjoyed staying up late, swimming, playing baseball in the halls, running from room to room, eating out, and most of all jumping on the beds.

It's been great for us. Even with the lack of sleep it's been really nice hanging together and being this close.

Oh yeah and watching lots of baseball and dodging thunderstorms.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Holla... Finally Something I Can Win!


This morning I saw Mommyologist's new contest. "Not" Mom of the Year! And I thought, "Well hell Danielle you could totally enter that contest. Especially since it was actually pointed out to you yesterday that you should be more grateful because you obviously totally take being a parent for granted. And it bothered you so much you couldn't sleep thinking that other people don't think you appreciate being a parent. Oh and you were informed that you apparently yell at your kids too much. Oh and how about all the times people have said 'You have your hands full.' Which obviously implies you look like a total mess every time you go somewhere." But as I was thinking all of these things and crying all night over harsh comments that were made to me yesterday I couldn't come up with one truly catchy story that would entertain and really show my "Not" Mom of the Year side. And because I am such a "great" mom and this was difficult to find a few flaws to discuss...I decided to leave it up to my kids to prove to me today that I am totally "Not" Mom of the Year material.

This morning I was loading a few pictures that I had taken of the kids last week...at the park...while it was raining...because I was insistent on getting some summer photos. And right after this one was taken, that cute blond boy in the middle, slid down the slide right into a puddle, and got soaked.

I believe the words "suck it up" escaped my mouth. I didn't want to hear any whining...after all I was there to take "happy" family photos....of our extremely happy family! See that sweet Princess in this picture? Not too long ago she yelled at me one day saying, "I'm calling DFACS. You are the meanest mom on the planet." My reply to her, "Here's the number. Just remember they are taking you away... not me. I get to sleep in my comfy bed while you get a new family...let me know how they are."


While I was loading said pictures a certain 2 year old was MIA. I didn't hear any noise so I continued enjoying my silence.

After I was done with my FBing, blogging, loading pics...I decided I should be a mom and get the kids showered (I think it's been more than 2 days)and get them ready to go to the library. Because the teacher in me reminded me that the kids go back to school in 3 weeks, and well we haven't been to the library once this whole summer, and the kids have summer reading lists to complete. As I'm yelling to my offspring to hurry and get in the shower, I see this on my counter...

Hmmmm!!! "WHAT?!?!" "Holy Goodness! Who cut their hair?!?!" To which my super sweet, silent, 2 year old says, "Me Mommy. See" (pointing to his head)


Yes that is a small cut on his forehead because he used a daddy's razor to cut his hair. So as I picture all of the horrific things that could have happened while he used that razor, I decide to hurry up and get them showered and out of the house.


So we shower, get dressed, pack up the kiddies and realize it's 12:00 and I haven't fed them lunch. So after packing them into the van...that I am certain would not pass any health inspection test since there are french fries from 2005 shoved beneath the seats and a few sippy cups of curdled milk...I run back into the house to grab a box of frozen Uncrustables, a few apples, a box of gummies, and some very sugary juice boxes...and head back to toss them at the wild pack of hungry and now caged animals.

Finally we're off to the library with a 10 year old, 8 year old, 4 year old, and a very very tired 2 year old. Said 2 year old preceded to yell at me almost the whole 30 minutes we were there. It was more than I could handle, so I quickly grabbed the kids lists, asked the lady at the desk to help me, and warned the 4 year old to please not let the 2 year old get a hold of his books.

I reminded the kids about how we take care of library books, always holding them under our arm so we don't break the spine, how we gently turn the pages one at a time, and how we most certainly not let the 2 year hold them when we read to him because he could tear them up. Well, I never warned them about leaving them where the puppy could get a hold of them.

Crap! Now I must pay for this library book and take it in to explain what happened. I'm pretty sure when I take it in I will most certainly be reminded of a what a GREAT mother I am not!

And after a very long day and night I have finally sat down to blog. While I sit here, at 10:00, I am being pelted with paper airplanes and listening to screaming kids arguing over who should get to jump off the couch next. I'm tired. And have accomplished what feels like nothing today. I need to clean the kitchen, put away the mile high pile of laundry, and put the heathens to bed...before my husband comes home and truly thinks I did nothing good today.

The good news is tomorrow is a new day...the bad news is they get to wake up to the same ol "Not" Mother of the Year. But I wouldn't have it any other way...because how boring perfect must be...and my days are never boring:)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

We've been SUPER busy!

Almost two weeks ago we headed down to Florida to see my step-daughter's dance recital. We drove 8 1/2 hours there...watched the recital, took my MIL to dinner, and drove 8 1/2 hours back. It was a long day, but we only had Princess with us so it was kind of nice to just talk and drive.




She did so great and it was so nice to see her even if it was only for a few minutes.

Bubby's team won State Championship...undefeated!



It was so awesome!

And this sweet boy had surgery. He's doing great too:)



So you can see why I am so behind on blogging. But one day, someday, I'll have a minute. Maybe, wait only 2 weeks left of summer vacation? Are you kidding?!?!