And Bear says...

"I like this house better 

than the house we had when we were at Disney World."

Our nice big multiple room/bathroom house compared to the tiny one room/bathroom hotel room.

Yeah, I like it better too.

There really wasn't much room to spread out.

Of course right outside the door there was a huge swimming pool...

It is hard being a mom, what did you expect? Steps to motherhood: Part three

You can pretty much forget going to bed late or early, or waking early or sleeping in.

Once your kids are old enough to walk, talk, and open doors, nothing is yours anymore.

You already had to give up your body for your little one, even if you adopted, 

your body is your child's comfort blanket.

You wrap around them to keep them warm.

Wipe their tears from their eyes.

Get rid of the constant stream of boogers from their nose.

And of course wipe their little tushes.

And chances are you've done all of those things (except the last one) with the front of your shirt.

It's not just that however,

anything you have your children will immediately assume is theirs.

My Mother never wore jewelry.

She has 5 daughters.

You do the math.

I find myself more often than not choosing not to wear my jewelry.

Because I have a daughter, and she LOVES jewelry.

That is very cute and all, but it's just not safe to let her 

wander around in one of my super long beaded necklaces.  

Entangled, strangled, wrangled.

It's just not safe.

Plus the necklace usually ends up broke.

That is not all.

Eventually your children will start going through your things.

Drawers, cupboards, under your bed.

Nothing is safe.

Some of the favorites my children like to get into are:

Tampons

&

Condoms

Kept of course in a cupboard and in a drawer.

Now none of my children are using these items as of yet.

I am confident that we have many more years before we even need to worry about that.

Yet, they find these things and immediately assume that they are theirs.

But what are they?

The kids don't know.

Is it candy?

Is it a toy?

What kind of surprise sits in these wrappers, they wonder.

So they open them.

I once found one of my children sitting in a pile of condoms.

There were more than a dozen opened, and their were two pulled up onto 

this child of mines hands, like mittens.  

I am pretty sure the next step was to put them on as socks.....

Anther of my children likes to open my tampons.

They discover a colorful box of wrapped somethings, they just gotta know what it in there.

Surly it's candy, maybe a popsicle.

It's neither.

Though what the heck it is the child simply cannot figure out.

And just like the condoms one is not enough.

The kid has got to open them all.

Like a bee trying over and over again to go through a window.

Smack, smack, smack.

My kid tries over and over again to find something they want.

Maybe this one, nope, maybe this one, nope, this one?  Nope.

The whole box is soon empty.

That is usually when I make the discovery.

Gosh dang it!

Nothing is safe.

Your stuff is always better and more interesting than theirs.

Eventually they will grow out of it, like when they move out.

Maybe......

But, when you find your kid in a pile of whatever it is they have gotten into,

You just can't seem to help but think it is the funniest, cutest, silliest thing ever.

And if you are smart you will grab a camera and take a picture.

So that someday you can show their spouse, kids, them.

You can revel in their spouses delight, their kids laughter, and even their own laughter and understanding that these things don't just happen to them.

And of course you know that you'd rather keep your baby and just buy more tampons.

I know I can live without things.

But I can't live without my babies.

Motherhood = Sacrifice = pain = understanding = love = Motherhood

If you like it all that much it's yours....

Miscellaneous crap

I simply have all together way to many boxes that fit into this category.

I am certain that I have guardian angels, and they aren't a fan of my shoes...

I am pretty certain that I have a small group of guardian angels.

And I am also pretty sure that they don't like my shoes.

Especially in the winter time.

They don't like that I have tall boots,

although these boots do keep out the snow

They have absolutely no traction and no insulation.

They don't like that I have darlingly gorgeous pumps.

With high heels, and of course no traction

they are pretty much a death trap to wear when it is snowy.

And yet,

I wear these kind of shoes to church every sunday.

And my guardian angels, I'll tell you what,

they make sure I make it to church safe and sound.

While sending me a message,

via small slips that bruise up my shins,

to stop wearing such stinkin shoes. 

I of course remedy my bruised shins by covering them up.

Via tights, long dresses, or of course my tall boots.

It is hard being a mom, what did you expect? Steps to motherhood: Part two

I am a wife and mother with three kids: 5, 3, and 1

My full time job is cleaning house.

The same house everyday.

My house.

Meanwhile I raise my children.

It is a difficult task, but someone has to do it.

Raise the next generation and all that.

As much as I love my husband and children I must admit:

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like had I chose a different path.

Would I be happier, would I enjoy life more, would I have joy?

Suppose I hadn't gotten married when I was nineteen.

Suppose I had worked my way through college, gotten my degree in sports medicine, 

gotten a job as an athletic trainer, moved onward and upward, 

perhaps finding myself working as the head athletic trainer for a professional football team. 

(as has been a career inspired dream of mine)

Would I enjoy working at that?

Would I like my co-workers?

Would I go to sleep at night excited to go to work the next day?

Would I feel successful, appreciated, happy?

What would I do in my spare time?

Where would I spend my evenings?

Would I have a plethora of friends to hang out with?

Would I rather be with friends than family?

Would I plan trips to visit my long distance family?

Would I have moments when I wished things were different?

Would I wonder what life would be like had I gotten married?

I don't know the answer to those questions, but one thing is unmistakable:

Spending an evening with my children, 

watching them dance, 

listening to them laugh, 

clapping for them, 

cheering for them, 

witnessing their silly quirky ways

 has filled me with such entertainment, happiness and joy.

Having my Superman by my side and knowing he is enjoying it just as much as I am,

knowing what we have created together,

and reveling in that "success"

is smiles in a bottle that we drink and enjoy while toasting each other.

I can't change the past, and I don't want to.

Even if it is hard being a Wife/Mom.

 Every.

 Single. 

Day.  

Of course come dinner time tonight,
when my kids are all hanging on my legs and bugging me for this or that.
I am sure I'lll start wondering again,
just what would life be like without them.
And when they are sleeping soundly with their little angel faces,
I'll be reminded again that I wouldn't have life any other way.            

It is hard being a mom, what did you expect? Steps to motherhood: Part one

When I was pregnant with Bear (my first child) I was living in a small apartment (with Superman).

The apartment complex had a pool, a tennis court, a weight room, etc...

Being an active person, I loved this.

I remember looking longingly down at the tennis court wanting desperately to go out and play.

Being pregnant though, I thought it would be better (safer) that I didn't.

My baby was due in February.

So I dreamed of springtime after I'd had the baby.

Springtime would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of that tennis court.

As I imagined playing tennis and having fun with Superman I made a startling realization:

What would we do with the baby?

I pictured bringing the baby in his car seat into the tennis court and setting him in a corner to "watch".

Then I pictured an unfortunately lobbed ball flying right at him.

It was that moment that I knew that I would never get a chance to play on that tennis court.

It was that moment that I knew the minute I had my baby life would forever be altered.

It was in that moment that I desperately clung to my pregnancy, not wanting it to end.

Though I did want to hold my sweet baby in my arms I was afraid of everything else.

I was afraid of not being able to leave him.

I was afraid that there would be moments when I would have to leave him.

I was afraid of the unknown.

Of course I met each of those challenges head on and many more besides.

I faced each of those challenges all over again with each baby I had.

It was hard, it was scary, it was.....it was......

AMAZING

It was amazing that I could grow up so fast, instinctively knowing how to tend to my new baby.

It is amazing how much I love my babies.

It is amazing how much I want to be around them and bring them with me everywhere.

It is amazing.  It is hard.

and

When my baby Bear was finally filling my arms with  his tiny needing self,

I no longer cared about playing tennis.

Animals in my pantry, drinking soda!!!

 I went to get a soda out of my pantry.

I reached in the box to pull one out.

I grasped hold of a chilly can my hand squeezed just enough to lift the soda out of the box.

As I did so the can dented inward and soda sprayed out of the can and all over my hand and the box.

I was confused to say the least.

At first I thought that maybe the can had frozen, expanded, and cracked the can.

But, suppose there was an animal in my pantry that had caused the can to leak!

Investigation was necessary.

I pulled the entire box of soda out of the pantry and placed it on my kitchen work table.

Slowly I ripped the box open taking out one can at a time.

I didn't find any small animals.

RELIEF, flooded through my veins.

I looked closely at the can leaking its sweet nectar.

There in the side of the can I found the springs source.

Two small holes in the side of the can.

What were they!!??

Spider fangs, snake fangs, mouth teeth or claws, some other unknown....

I scouted around the pantry looking for tell tale signs of any animal residence.

Droppings, skins, webs...

Nothing.

I stood staring at the box of sodas, wondering if I ought to throw them all away.
I mean if an animal had been crawling all over them the last thing I wanted was to be sharing them.
As I thought the situation over I glanced at the box.
Something caught my eye.
I looked a little closer.
Two little holes.

So whatever it was had gone through the box and into the can.
Hmmmmmm.....
I thought, and thought, and thought.

There was only one animal that could have done this.
But it just didn't seem possible.
I questioned, I hypothesized, I tested.

"Bear?  Do you know what happened to my soda?"

"No."


"You don't have any idea where it might have gotten these holes in the box?"

"Well I poked one of those poke things in it, but just the box.  I didn't do anything to the soda."

"Oh."


I don't know exactly what the "poke thing" was, perhaps a wall staple, but one thing is certain:
There was an animal in my pantry,
and it was Bear.

I can live with that.

I opened a new can of soda and drank it down.

And Lyon says...

Me: Lyon I really don't like you walking 

through the house with your boots on.

Lyon: Well that's why I like doing it.

Three cheers for Home Depot...

It had been a long and trying day.

Though it was a sunny, (all be it cold) beautiful day, 

I had spent my day inside cleaning, cooking, cleaning.

I hadn't sat down for more than a minute since I woke-up that morning.

The kids were rowdy with pent up energy, and I needed a moment to sit down, 

and have my kids sitting down as well.

There was only one thing to do.

Go somewhere.

I needed sandpaper, so I had an excuse to go to Home Depot.

The drive was wonderful.

Just as I got on the free way, a police cruiser pulled in front of us
stopping all lanes of traffic.

He swerved back and forth, back and forth across the three lanes until he was
 sure no one was going to try to go around him.

We crawled at maybe 20mph.

I could have been annoyed and irritated, but I was not.

This police cruiser had just extended the length of time
that I had to relax and stay seated in my car.

Plus the kids were entertained.

We did eventually make it to Home Depot.

Unscathed.

I was rested and ready to tackle bringing all three of my children into Home Depot.

I would have preferred to leave them in the car while I ran in really quick, but that is socially unacceptable and I probably would have ended up in jail, with fines, etc, etc...

So in we all went.

Led by Lyon who raced unhaltingly across the parking lot,
despite my plees for him to, 

"Wait!  Come here!!  Hold my hand!!!"

We got a cart and Fenix refused to sit in the seat provided.

No she wanted to sit in the basket.

I'd have to watch her really close to make sure she didn't stand up.

Probably safer than the seat anyway, she always manages to squirm out of the belt
and stand up where there is nothing but me to keep her from falling....

Bear was the only one who wanted to sit in the carts seat.

My 40 lb kindergartener, who is much too big to fit.

He ended up walking beside me, while Lyon hung off the side of the cart,
 and Fenix sat in the basket.

Really it would have been safer for them to wait in the car.

It took me a few minutes to find the right kind of sand paper.

I get shy when it comes to asking the employees who happen to be everywhere.

Just the same, I found what I needed and went to check out.

As we past some of the closed check out stands 

Lyon spotted some impulse buy, cartoon character flashlights.

I was at the end of my patience, I told him to come on, he wouldn't.

I didn't have the strength to fight him and lift him into the basket, 

plus in the scuffle I didn't want him to end up kicking Fenix.

So because the register was right there just a few feet from where he was I said,

"Fine, I am going to buy this stuff, I'll be right over here."

There was no line, I walked up to the register, the employee rang up my items 

(sandpaper, which Bear kept calling toilet paper).

In that minute and a half of making my purchase, Lyon disappeared.

This happens nearly everywhere I go with him (see yesterdays post).

It was no surprise, though I internally scolded myself for thinking that
this particular child would stay put when history had taught me other wise. 

I walked a few yards in each direction trying to find him.

I saw two Home Depot employees standing not far from where Lyon had been 

and asked if they had seen a little boy in a green coat.

They hadn't, but instead of saying sorry and ignoring me they jumped into action.

One employee, a woman, though she looked pretty young so I want to call her a girl,
but I will call her a woman because she told me she has a four year old
and losing him causes her all kind of panic, she was impressed at my calm demeanor.
That is what I exhibit on the outside
while I internally am screaming and bawling in fear and panic.
 I do so only internally because I know 

that  sort of action will do nothing to find my son.

So the woman told me she would go and stand by one of the entrances
to be sure he didn't go out that way, by himself or horrifyingly with a kidnapper.

The other employee led me to the service desk where they sent out a silent alarm
to all employees to keep their eyes open for my little three year old son,
with a green coat and blonde hair.

At least that is what I assume they did because...

It took less than a few seconds before one of the employees there said
they thought they had found him.

He was back in the kitchen display area.

The employee I was with ran ahead to check and see if it was him,
while I calmly but quickly followed him as I pushed my cart with Bear and Fenix.

As I approached the kitchen appliances
I saw three Home Depot employees standing at the end of an aile of refrigerators.
Three guys on one end and one guy on the other.

They had Lyon "cornered" so to speak.

I crept around the corner and there stood my lost treasure.

With a determined scowl on his face.  

He stood there with a small pack of skittles.  

The Home Depot employees dispersed as I thanked them profusely.

I put Lyon in the basket of my cart
and walked determined to leave the store without further dilemma.

On my way I took the pack of skittles
and tossed them up on a display of decorative mirrors.

(Sorry for that Home Depot, I would have put them back where they went,
but the catastrophe that might  have cause,
showing my kids all the candy, well it wasn't worth the risk.)

I marched straight out of the store and loaded my kids as quickly as possible.

Only taking a relaxing breath of relief when yet another
helpful Home Depot employee 
kindly took my now empty cart
so I wouldn't have to walk across the parking lot to put it with the others.

So in short I just want to say to Home Depot, 

Thank you for taking my missing child seriously and acting quickly and efficiently!

Thank you for actually looking for and finding him quickly and efficiently!

Thank you for not announcing over the loud speaker, 

information that would have probably been left unheard and/or ignored!

Thank you for finding my son in a store that is so large
with so many nooks and crannies that alone
it would have taken me weeks to find the little guy!

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

:D

Such skills, such strength, such superior effort working together:

THAT'S THE POWER OF THE HOME DEPOT! 

And Lyon says...

Yesterday I lost Lyon.

I mean I had an idea where he was, but he was lost none the less.

I had driven to get Bear from school.

I usually pull up to the door of the school, park the car and wait until he comes out.

Well, Lyon didn't like the idea of waiting in the car.

So he decides to hop out of the car and go in to wait outside Bear's classroom.

I couldn't really leave the car, Fenix was strapped in her seat.

I didn't want to get her out either....

I figured, Lyon knows where Bear's classroom is, 

he'll wait for him there and come back out when Bear does.

Well Bear came out, but Lyon didn't.

He was no where to be seen.

I asked Bear where Lyon was and he looked at me like I was an idiot.

Clearly Lyon wasn't with him.

So I get out of the car, feeling comfortable to do so as Bear is with Fenix and there are several teachers near the car.  I go into the school and look around for a second.  No Lyon.

I head back out to the car to tell Bear I am going to go to the office.

As I am walking out I mention to Bear's teacher that I've lost Lyon.

They tell me kindly that he is in fact at the office.

So I go to the office.

Lyon had left with a nice office lady to look for his brother.

The ladies in the office asked him what his (Lyon's) name was and he told them...

"My brother knows."

I am sure the ladies found that to be a huge help ;D

Milk, it does a body good.....

No matter how you drink it...
;D

And Rose says...

"I thought of something really clever to say 

while I was at the Walmart today,

and now I just can't remember...."

No one likes a frownie face, change it for a smile....

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy...

There is nothing like sitting in the sun

on a cold wintry day.

I sit back and relax 

and soak it all in.

No matter how cold

the day is outside.

As long as there is sunshine,

I won't complain.

Cool aide

Bear, lol, this morning Bear was raiding the pantry. He climbed the shelves to reach what was supposed to be unreachable. There he found my stash of candy and some packets of cool aide. He got it down and proceeded to mix the powder with water to make a yummy drink. He didn't realize that you are supposed to add sugar. He gave it a try and pucker, pucker, pucker went his mouth. He came and told me that next time I buy that cool drink I should get the kind that is not sour.......

:)

Crucial conversations...

It's so fun listening to the conversations kids have with their friends.

So very entertaining to say the least.

Bear says to his friend:

"So what did you get for Christmas?"

His friend told him, but Bear couldn't hear.

Instead of asking "what?" Bear says,

"Well I didn't hear what you said, but I bet it is something really cool."

Bear and his cousin, Aiden, are having a discussion.

Aiden mentions that he recently watched "Phantom."

Bear has no idea what that is.

Aiden explains that "the Phantoms face is like messed up like Darth Vaders."

(The Phantom of the Opera)

Aiden then goes on to pull a roll of medical tape out of his pocket which he says he snuck from Grandma's house.  They use this tape to make Phantom masks.

Oh how I wish I could have gotten a picture, 

but alas I was driving on the freeway with no stop light in sight.

Lol!!!

Kids and their friends fight over silly things.

Can make a game out of just about anything.

And probably 99% of the time that game will end up with someone hurt.

It's worth it though just to hear the funny things they say,

and to witness how fast they get over it.

At least most of the time.

 ;D

And Bear says...

"Hey mom, do you think you could teach me how to make ice cream sometime?  

So that I can make it by myself without you guys [you and dad]."

Its my own fault really, for not using the eyes in the back of my head...

It's my own fault really, 

I should be a better example by not climbing into the drawers and cupboards my self.... 

It's my own fault really,

for giving her free reign in the bathroom... 

 It's my own fault really,

I shouldn't encourage the little ones to chop off their fingers....

(That'd be my mixer, in the time it took for me to take out the trash these little stinkers managed to get out the mixer put on the attachments, plug it in, and turn it on.

It was going full blast when I came in.

Nothing short of horrifying!

However they are really really smart and knew better than to stick their fingers in something that might cause them pain thus fingers are still attached....)

It's my own fault really,

I don't know why it just is...

(That'd be the back of a chair at Carls Jr that she is licking there....)

It's my own fault really,

if I just kept a TV at the dining room table my kids would probably be more likely to eat their breakfast there instead of on the floor of my bedroom.

(This is the first thing I saw when I woke-up this morning.  Thank goodness for big brothers who know how to make their own breakfast cereal and share that skill with those who don't know how ;D

And Lyon says...

My boys were fighting about something.

I hear Lyon yell at Bear,

"You want a piece of me!?"

And here I thought motherhood would be easy...

I guess it's not really so bad....

And Bear says...

"Mom, do you think you could hook me up with some more milk?"

Vocalizing silently...

Today I'd just like to tell you that I love my computer.

Due to a recent, er ahem, "injury" I am not supposed to do much vocalizing, or smiling, or laughing!

At first it seemed like keeping my mouth shut would be no problem.

Well it's a problem!

Face to face I have a hard time communicating without talking, smiling, and laughing.

However on my computer/phone/ipad I can talk all I want.

I can laugh (LOL!)  I can smile :)  I can frown :(

I can make an angry face :@

Well I can try anyway, lol!

 Thank goodness for texting, email, and facebook....

Sadly I cannot facebook myself food.

Or tell my kids,

"NO!"  

It's going to be a loooong recovery....

What!  This kind of bandage works on TV! 

;D

PS-I have been experiencing severe jaw pain on the right side of my face due to muscle spasms.

No idea what caused the problem, just an idea of how to fix it.

And Bear says...

My family has been sick for the last what seems like forever.

Poor Bear has had it the worst.

I keep telling him to drink water and wash his hands to get rid of the germs.

Now when he washes his hands he says to the germs,

"Ha ha, SUCKERS!" 

Snow is...

Cold

Wet

Icy

White

Sparkly

Pretty

And Bear says...

"Water tastes like nothin, just like air tastes like nothing.  Unless you have bad breath.  But if you have nothin breath then it still tastes like nothin.  I wonder how you get nothin breath.... Maybe someone should invent nothin toothpaste so you can have nothin breath....  That'd be pretty hard...."

piercing baby ears...

I don't think I ever mentioned what I got my baby girl 

(actually this was really for Superman)

for Christmas.

Yep, I gave in and let her ears get pierced.

Aren't they adorable on her.

She did cry.

Only for a minute.

(Superman has the photos of that on his iphone)

So why the change of heart?

Well, I noticed my friends daughter has pierced ears.

I asked her if she liked her earrings.

She said she did.

So I asked my friend for details.

How old her daughter was when they were pierced.

How she reacted, etc...

The answers were good, not scary, not horrifying.

So I told Superman Merry Christmas.

It was in fact fine and Fenix loves her "pretties"

:D

Thanks Tahsha, couldn't' have done it without you ;D

Stitches...

 Superman's stitches

My stitches

I suppose if we were smart we'd stop throwing knives around.

We'll have to this year, what with the way health care is now a days.

We won't be wanting to spend all our cash on stitches....

;D

This is NOT a post about new years resolutions ;D