School, Wonderful School

If you are like me, you are blessed with an amazing school for your children!  I am told that not every school comes equipped with an amazing Principal who is willing to work with the parents and the Home and School Association and the teachers and anyone who is there to better the education of the students.  We have one!  We have an entire teaching staff that comes to work ready to teach!  Most, if not all, love their jobs!  Most, if not all, show it!  Our teachers are top notch..and there are different styles for the different learners too.  What is so cool....our teaching staff communicates with one another to aid in the education of our children!!  Our parent population is top notch (if I do say so myself!)!  There are always volunteers to help.  We do not lack in programs for reading assistance, not because funding is being taken away (because that is happening EVERYWHERE!), but because we have parents who volunteer to read to children during the school day!  We are a community of families.  We are all different.  We run the gamut of income ranges and educational backrounds.  But we are involved in our children.  We want what is best for all of them.  We PARTICIPATE IN OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION!!  Go my school!

The Beginnings of SUPERMOM

The Title, SUPERMOM

This is not a given title.   It is a self proclamation.  It was not awarded to me in any way, shape or form.   It is simply what is occasionally heard to be bellowed from our home as I run from one end of the house to the other….multitasking between my children’s emergencies and cries…no, screams, for help.  It is a title that I gave myself.  It embodies the fact that although appearing to be an all out superhero to my children, I do not particularly enjoy some of my duties….but I put on my MOM suit (often covered in spit-up and boogers) and I persevere.

Yes.  I do admit it.  I am not often fond of my duties.  It is a cardinal sin of the stay at home mom.  To actually say aloud that I am not fond of the smells that emanate from my children.  Cleaning up barf at two o’clock in the morning makes me feel sick myself!  However, my children see MOM (a.k.a. SUPERMOM), a calming force that smiles as she strips their clothes, bedclothes, loved animals and blankets, covered in watered down juice and peanut butter all the while whispering sweet nothings to soothe their tired minds.  I lovingly add those soiled items to the mountain of laundry that now cannot wait until tomorrow.  There is just no need for them to hear my sighs!

I am the mother of four.  I have a two, a four, and a six year old plus an infant.  I am up to my eyeballs in laundry, dishes, popsicle wrappers, and bubbles.   Our floor is always dirty and my kids are rarely clean.  But I relish this time, usually after I have had a minute to myself to go for a drive for a cup of coffee while my husband maintains our chaos.  I am often met with questions about how I do it.  I can honestly say that I am not sure why people ask.  But I thought you might enjoy a bit of insight to my world.  The world of a mom knee deep in the toddler years!  

As an aside, I didn’t finish this book until shortly after my infant turned two!  I said SuperMom, not GOD!  We certainly had an interesting turn of events while this book was put on hold.  My previously mentioned 4 year old turned 5, and was shortly thereafter diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and Celiac’s disease.  We have learned so much about ourselves, our family, our friends, and the kindness of strangers.  It has been a difficult heart wrenching and warming roller coaster of 2009.  The tumultuous year ended with me in the hospital for two weeks.  I spent 5 days in the ICU trying to just stay awake long enough to tell everyone that I just wanted to get home to my kids!  Needless to say, I survived.  My son IS surviving, although we pray everyday for a cure.  My eldest is an amazing eight year old who is the sweetest most sensitive young gentleman you’d ever meet.  My youngest is a spitfire that will take any of you on!  Lastly, my beautiful “rella” (as the baby would say) is a sensitive soul who fights for attention with her ear piercing stories and wonderfully elaborate make-believes.  

And so, I sling on my cape and pull up my Spanx... Mommy-hood goes on and so do I.  

Silence is....

GOLDEN!

The Sun, Love/Hate Relationship

I have a love/hate relationship with the Sun.  These past few days have been great.  We've been outside for the past few days... nice sun-shiney kind of days...and we've had fun.  I love the feeling of the sun on my skin.  I hate the whole cancer, sunscreen thing.  I am the sunscreen nazi.  Everyday, everytime we are in those lovely golden rays, I am lathering up the kids and I.  The thing about it is... I don't mind our pastey white skin.  Nor does the application bother me.  It's that we are constantly bathing the kids!  No more skip nights for my guys.  It's a tubby night, every night!  Darn...kids crying...this is a TBC moment!

Spring Ball

I love spring!  Flowers bloom, grass grows, bees buzz, and my boys play baseball!  What fun it has been so far this season... okay, so we are like two practices in for each kid, but really, it has been fun!  I know more and more Moms each year, and my youngers know more and more kids!  With more than one boy in the league this year, it'll be like my own exclusive club.  I'll have to pack better this time:  cooler, snacks, blanket, toys, sunscreen, all of the usual, plus.... my chair.  I haven't ever packed a chair.  There are so many families that do.  I, however, have never had enough hands to carry everything.  Sure, my hubby goes to most of the practices and games.  He's a real gentleman too, carrying the gloves and water bottles, and running ahead with whomever is late at the time (someone is always running late in our family!).  I usually am left with the younger kids, strollers, bags, etc..  Nowadays, 3 of my 4 little ones can walk on their own.  The tiniest is almost two, and strollers are no fun for either of us!  So, I may just be one of those Moms who packs a chair this Saturday.  You'll recognize me...I will look harried, have a toddler running ahead of me, a preschooler crying, an older boy who isn't playing wondering why he's there this time, two bags, a cooler and...MAYBE, a chair!  Cheers to Spring!

CHECK IT OUT!

My two elementary school aged kids are having a fundraiser.  Check it out: Bradford Heights Walk  Oh, and it is way to late to not be tired!

Feeling Great!

The human body is amazing.  I have recovered.  All x-rays and blood tests are a-okay, or at least, back to normal, whatever that means!  After having to take a nap from getting a 15 minute shower (day 1 at home) I feel so good that I am rolling down the hills at the park with my daughter.

A SIDEBAR:  Rolling down the hill is still fun when you are 32.  However, you get WAY more dizzy.  AND, the extra weight of being a fully grown adult woman speeds up the trip to the bottom, producing many more spins.  The extra spins cause a bit of a churn in ones' gut.  The feeling can be equated with that of going on a roller coaster (but not as wild of a ride) after lunch.  Do that a few times in a row (okay, exactly three times is all that I could stand) and you are likely to be a little green and begging your 4 year old for mercy!

The park in the sun was fantastic.  Friends all day for the kids and baking and laughing for me.  The only thing that I can say about still recovering from the whole ICU stay is.... when you do too much it doesn't feel like too much until it is too late!  Boy did I tire myself out.  But the kids had a blast.  I slept REALLY WELL, and everyone got a little vitamin D!

Happy Spring Everyone!