Never Enough Patience

My patience gets worn.  It is exhausting being a mom.  It is exhausting having to constantly have answers and be on your game.  I lose my patience on a daily basis. I would like to learn how to control my reactions to my kids, which I haven’t done that yet.  I am very reactive to my kids and I hate that about myself.  I have a hard time stepping back and taking a breath before saying what needs (or in some cases doesn't need) to be said. 

However, being reactive leads to exciting things as well.  Everything is a celebration. I get super excited when they do things and I love my reaction when they share something new. You got an A on a spelling test? Jumping around the kitchen! You were on purple at school? Ice cream! You mastered your round off? Mom will do one too! You scored in your game? I am screaming on the sidelines.  Everything is a big deal, which means when things aren’t always sugar and spice that is a big deal too. 

I don’t handle not listening well.  It is the kryptonite that leads to some ugly things in my house.  My kids have the world’s most magical selective hearing.  They don’t hear me say put your shoes on or brush your teeth, but they can hear me unwrap a candy bar from a different room. It is truly a gift of theirs.

I lose my patience with them daily.  Luckily for me we are forgiving people. I forgive them for never listening and they forgive me for being “mean.”

I wonder at what point will they actually start to follow directions.  I wonder if I have done something wrong as their mother along the way.  I wonder if  it is me that has made them think they don’t have to listen when I speak.  The other thing I have noticed as a mom is it is really hard to forgive yourself when you overreact to something.  We never want our kids to be sad and when we are the one responsible for them being sad it is painful.  Forgiveness is key on both ends. 

I wouldn’t trade being a mom for anything in the world, I have learned more about myself than I ever knew possible.  The love these kids have given me is unexplainable. 

I am thankful for children that are loving and accepting.  I am thankful for new starts to each day.  I am thankful for friends and a husband that can talk me off a ledge any day of the week.

all the things i said....

I told myself that this is how I would do things when I had kids....then I had kids and I told myself to shut up.  I realized that my non-kid self was dumb.

non-kid self: I will not spank.
mom-self: yeah right.

non-kid self: They will eat what I make.
mom-self: I just make what they will eat.

non-kid self: I will make them sleep in their beds and cry it out.
mom-self: Climb in and I will spoon you.

non-kid self: I will leave where I am if my kid throws a fit.
mom-self: Nope, I just keep on walking as if it isn't happening.

non-kid self: I will not pick my kids' noses or lick my finger to clean off their face.
mom-self: Everyday I pick someone nose (other than my own) and lick my finger to clean their face off..I am not proud of this but it is the reality.

non-kid self: I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER drive a van. EVER.
mom-self: I have no intentions of driving a van. Have you been IN a van?? There is so much room!!!

non-kid self: We will do our homework RIGHT after school everyday to get it done.
mom-self: We will almost always do our homework right after school, but sometimes the weather is nice or Mom is tired or you are in a bad mood and I don't want to argue....either way it will get done.

non-kid self: I will make my kids clean up and have chores
mom-self: I will pick my battles and I clean up way better than any kid in my house anyway!

non-kid self: I will never let my child wear that in public.
mom-self: You're wearing that? Ok, let's go!

non-kid self: My kid is not allowed to play football, it is too dangerous.
mom-self: Another weekend, another football game.  He loves it, we support HIM.

non-kid self: I won't send my kids to their room...that's where their toys are!
mom-self: Go to your room. Now.

non-kid self: I will not spoil my kids, it makes for bratty children.
mom-self: I spoil my kids.  If I can then I will.

Happy Anniversary (plus a few weeks)

A year later I am happier than I was the day we got married.  I am more stable than I was the day I walked up the stairs to say "I do".  I am more confident than I was the day I kissed my husband for the first time.  I can honestly say it has been a great year.  A great year filled with true love.  I am so head over heels in love with my husband and am so thankful to have that constant desire to be near him.  It is stronger now than it was then and I love that.

We celebrated our anniversary as a family.  Considering when we got married we weren't just bringing two people together we brought along the Brady Bunch to join us in this ride. We felt it was only appropriate to celebrate our anniversary as a family....also known as "famiversary."  We went to dinner at the same place we had our "after wedding dinner...." and it was delicious! Since the wedding gift for your first anniversary (according to the world wide web) is supposed to be paper we stuck with that tradition and simply gave each other cards. We wrote letters to each kid telling them how we felt about this year, so they got to experience the "first year" gift as well.  We will continue these yearly gifts (according the world wide web) until it gets to diamonds at which point I will be recieving a gift and everyone else can sit and watch me open it!  After dinner we went bowling, which was super fun.  Bailey would argue that "fun" isn't the word she would pick...but I do think the whole family had a blast!  I am lucky to call this bunch mine and I look forward to all the excitement that the coming year will bring!

Happy One Year anniversary to us!

Aiden is 7!

The boy is SEVEN! I am a little late on his birthday post, but better late than never.  Aiden is officially a seven year old.  Crazy to think that in 3 years he will be 10.  Then 3 years after that he will be a teenager.  Time flies!

I love this kid, absolutely love him.  He has me wrapped around his finger and I couldn't be more ok with it.  I love his passion for drawing.  I love his passion for learning about spiders and snakes.  I love his passion for every sport he tries. I love his passion for snacking. I love his passion for always being right.  I love his passion for arguing.  I love his passion for snuggling. I really just love him, everything about him.

He loves to be outside and play football.  Aiden loves football, absolutely loves it.  But he starts basketball this week, so his passion will push forward to basketball during basketball season.  And in the spring, it will push through to baseball.  He loves these three sports and I couldn't be more proud of the effort he puts forth into those three things. 

School is not Aiden's favorite place.  He says he loves lunch time (duh, who doesn't).  He loves to hang with his buddies and talk about gross stuff.  He doesn't love to sit in class and learn but he enjoys math.  He does well at counting, adding, subtracting, and making number sense.  Reading isn't his strongest thing, but he gets better every day!

I am so proud to be this kid's mom.  I look at him everyday and thank my lucky stars that he is mine.  I have big hopes for him and know that he has big hopes for himself.  I can't believe that 7 years ago I became a mom.  He came into this world and changed everything I thought I already knew.

that old saying....

You know the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Well I have a new one….”If a picture is worth a thousand words, than a video is worth a million!”

There are so many times in my life when something happens that desperately needs to be shared with the world, but there is no amount of words that can truly explain what occurred.  There is no picture that can put into words what you witnessed, but if it is videod, wheeeeewwwweeeee could I tell my story. 

I really think this pertains to Sloane in many ways.  A person truly can’t grasp the magnitude of her personality unless you see it in action. 

This also pertains to a group of people that are listening to live music.  There is something about live music/bands that make people just lose their wits about themselves and go for it.  While I can appreciate their ability to go all out and enjoy themselves, there is a fine line between WOAH and CUTE.  There are no words to express what you witness when people feel the music.  The only way for one to truly understand the things that are happening around you is to see it with your own eyes.  

****Before all my readers (I stole KB’s line….) go all judgy on me…I do realize that I have made a fool of myself a time or two in my day, but there is a FINE LINE, yes a fine line, which I try hard not to cross.  I do LOVE LOVE LOVE when people cross that line, because it makes for some magical entertainment.

I am an amazing people watcher, some call me a person that stares, I prefer “people watcher,” it is more PC.  Kyle and I can sit at dinner and create amazing stories about the people around us.  We know their background, how they are feeling, what they are thinking….all from our people watching skills.

I want to Thank Moon Dog Tavern for inspiring this blog post.  If it wasn’t for the amazing talent on the dance floor that night I am not sure that “all my readers” would be as enlightened as they are at this moment.  I would also like to thank my parents for giving me the “people watching gene” …. I can never repay you for that!

Gami visits

My mom came in town for Natasha's wedding a couple of weeks ago.  She stayed with us while she was here, which is always nice.  When she leaves Kyle and I become quite helpless because she does so much while she is here.  I haven't done a load of laundry in over two weeks....I haven't washed a dish or unloaded the dishwasher in over two weeks. Yep, I am that daughter!

The kids love having Gami here.  Not only because they just simply love Gami, but Gami gives them whatever their little hearts desire.  You want a cookie for breakfast? Ok.  You want candy before dinner? Sure! You want to take your blankey to school? Of course!  Gami is a typical Grandma!  She loves my kids to the moon and back and let's them get away with murder.

Aiden and Sloane are always sad to see her leave, but they never really understand it until she is gone.  Yesterday when Gami wasn't home after school they were so confused.... It is bitter sweet that they don't understand.  I never want my kids to be sad when she leaves but they also don't know how to appreciate the time they have when she is here.

Gami does a lot for my family and I will forever be grateful for that.  She is amazing and deserves that lovely retired life she is living.

My Little Sloane

Sloane has the worlds biggest personality!  She is so animated and has so many faces and stories that she could have her own reality TV show.  I feel like she could go so far in this world if the right things happen for her!  She has such charisma and spunk that everybody should get to meet her.  I am clearly biased and feel like she is amazing....but whatev.

I wish I had a better memory to share all the things Sloane says and does...because she is quite funny. She doesn't know it, but she is.  She just always has something to say and something to do that makes people laugh....even though she is usually not trying to be funny.  Usually her little reactions are all drama, which is what is so funny.

My mom was laying with Sloane the other night before bed.  Sloane wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep so she was wallering (I think I made this word up...) all over.  Mom tells Sloane (at least 10 times) that  she needs to lay down so she can go to sleep.  Until eventually Sloane says, "Gami, you just need to get up!"  

Sloane is just a character in all she does.  She is very dramatic and VERY opinionated (don't know where she gets that). She is very interested in her hair and lipstick and clothes and all things girl.  This drives some people crazy, but I LOVE it.  I love that she loves that stuff. I love that I have somebody to shop with and somebody to get my nails done with.  I am sure I have created a monster, but man I love her!  

I bought Sloane a new fall jacket one weekend when she was at her dads.  That afternoon I was with her at Aiden's football game so I took her to the car and showed her her new fall jacket..... I couldn't handle how cute it was and needed her to see it!  She took one look at it and said she didn’t like it (which was ridiculous because it was super cute)!! She then proceeded to tear up and say that she won't wear that, ever. So I told her that it is very cute and whether she likes it or not it is hers to keep her warm when it is cold. I explained that (through her tears and constant interruptions) there are children all over the country that don't get new jackets and new clothes and she should be very thankful.  I told her that there are kids that would do anything to have a new jacket like that....she proceeds to look at me (with the most amazing little eyes) and proceeds to giggle and say, "Oh mommy, you are funny!" She has no clue....

Sloane is sweet....she is loving...she loves to sing and dance and be the center of attention.....she doesn't enjoy playing with other kids (a lot)....she doesn't like to share her time between friends....she prefers all attention from or on one person....She loves her cousin Madison and would spend every second playing with her.... 

I love this girl!