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!

In Review...

Okay, so here it is.  I did get a break from this not so 9 to 5, in a way.  I was hospitalized on 2/14 (yes, Valentine's Day) for a pretty bad bi-lateral pneumonia.  I spent 5 days in ICU.  Apparently, I was in critical condition, and the chances that I would make it were questionable.  I can say that I just remember being tired and not wanting all of the tubes that were attached to me to be there!  In that state, I wasn't much help to anyone, especially my family.  This was very traumatic for them.  I looked different.  I acted different.  Each new doctor (because I did have a few) and new test brought them more stress.  There was screaming pain and tears.  My poor family could just sit and watch.  And pray.  After the 5 days I was downgraded to stable and moved back into the regular areas of the hospital.  It was there that I stayed another five days.  During my long stay in the hospital, my children were shuffled (very lovingly and carefully) between houses.  Friends and family always making sure that someone was there with them, loving them.  But as far as the kids were concerned....one day Mommy just left.  It has been very hard since.  Nightmares are common now.

My husband has 'losing his wife' nightmares and thoughts that just pop into his head at random times.  Each of the kids are trying to sleep with us, every night.  Our oldest confessed one night that he had overheard the grownups talking, and that I may die, and he just burst into tears.  My baby boy (who will be two next month) wouldn't look at me for the first hour that I was home.  He was visibly mad at my awful betrayal.  Now I can not peel him from my side!  If I put my shoes on, he cries.  If I get a sweater on, he cries.  If I put his shoes on, he cries.  If I walk away, at any time when he is not ready for it, he cries.  Our diabetic son has started giving us the kind of trouble with diabetes issues that he had when he was first diagnosed.  Our daughter has been having issues with not listening (even more than usual) and zoning us completely out!  I have tons of issues too, but they'll come later.

It has been a long month.  It isn't over yet...

While away the germs did play!

Hello All!  It is good to be, well, back.  From my last post a lot has happened.  It will bring on quite a few posts.  This one is just to say Hi.  I spent the remainder of February (from when my husband returned from his trip on the 14th until the 25th) in the hospital.  It was a close, too close for comfort, call.  5 days in critical condition and the rest of the time trying just to get home.  BUT, I am alive and well and recovering. These days are filled with marked fatigue, so my posts will be short.  Bear with me, they will be worth it!

And the Green Grass Grows All Around

Well folks, another one down.  Poor little lovely has caught the, ahem, tummy bug.  Daddy is away, and the germs are at play!  All I can say is that the little rhyme that goes ..."and the green grass grows all around, all around and the green grass grows all around!" is stuck in my head.  Did someone say it's going to snow again?

Yucky Sick Snow Days

Well, it has been eventful to say the least.  We began this week thinking that we were getting over the minor fever and cold that had occured on Friday and Saturday.  Everyone felt fine on Sunday.  Everyone went to school on Monday.  Then all heck broke loose.

Did I mention that I have 4 children, a dog, and a husband?

Now back to Monday....at 1:30pm, all was well.  By 3:30pm my type 1 diabetic, celiac, 6 year old was throwing himself down on the examining table and writhing in pain at his usual endocrine doctor's appointment.  By the time we left at 4:00pm, he had a fever, ear infection and high blood sugar.  What?  So, off to the pediatrician we go.  At his 8pm appointment, he is diagnosed with all of the above, and a compromised lung situation.  On the neb we need to go...every 3 hours.  Which complicates his already complicated diabetes.  So, every 2 hours check his blood sugar and give insulin.  Every three hours give him a neb.  Any Mom had already done the math and said...that leaves, uh, no room for sleep or the other 3 kids!  So Tuesday rolls around and I am tired and cranky and the school calls.  Child number 2, down for the count.  EXCEPT he has the kind of illness that requires a bathroom and a bucket simultaneously.  Poor guy!  Tuesday night I ran a marathon between bedrooms, bathrooms, and children.  My carpet may need to be replaced.  Wednesday, no sleep, snow, shoveling, sick kids, daughter who was ill last week (see above) still can not breathe outside without hacking up a lung (but doc okayed her so why worry?)  and she loves the snow.  Diet, what diet?  My husband is kind enough to let me take a two hour nap and handle breakfast so that I don't throw up from lack of sleep.  But, I still need to do meds for kids.  Guess what.  Wednesday night, fever on the baby...oh, and Mom.  Dad is coughing on his way out to shovel again.  We have no mucinex to keep Dad from getting too sick.  Shovel harder!  Movie and ice cream on Wednesday night (WW what?).  By the way, I now know what I missed by not watching Twilight(...loved it!).  Thursday, what a day!  Took the kids outside and watched them play, but tried not to move because I have body aches.  Dad finished shoveling with neighbor friend (who also did other neighbors' drives because they are so cool!!) and then went to the pharmacy.  He brought me home an extra large coffee from DD, he really loves me!  The baby is sleeping in a feverish bliss and will wake up soon to Tylenol dessert.  Chapped cheeks await at the back door.  One child is hard at work doing homework (what school, what is that?) so that he can get back to screen time.  And I have no idea what the heck is for dinner.

BUT....at least all of this was going on during the blizzard.  No one missed an activity or school because everything has been closed.  When the world resumes, hopefully we'll be ready.  I wish everyone some hot coffee, a break on their diet, a little shoveling, and for God sake, healthy kids!!

Sleep

Why don't children sleep in?  Rather, why don't MY CHILDREN sleep in.  We had a lovely two hour delay due to snow today.  And I had all of my kids in my bed before 7am (minus the baby who was happily bouncing around his crib at that time)!  Stay up late, get up early, that is their philosophy!

Snow Days Rule for All

When we were little, snow days meant endless fun, hot chocolate, sometimes cookies and movie nights.  As a parent, the picture isn't quite so warm and fuzzy!  Almost two feet of snow meant snow suits, hat, gloves, sweaters, socks, and lots of snow all over my hall.  The kids were in and out, excited, tired, hungry, you name it.  Our endless driveway, and two of our wonderful older neighbors' drives, needed to be shoveled (Santa is bringing a snow blower next year!).  BUT, with all of chaos, I found a bit of wonderful bliss.  Snow is a fantastic reason to go out on your own, and shovel!  ON YOUR OWN....get it?  After getting everyone fed and dressed and out of the door, I had a minute to throw a sweater over my jammies, and out I went.  I found mountains of snow.  All of it needed to be moved.  Some may find this to be a daunting task.  I, on the other hand, found it so blissfully....peaceful.  The wonderful waves of white acted like a beautiful sound barrier.  I attacked the task at hand with the usual vim and vigor a Mom must have because snack time was approaching.  Luckily, Daddy was hungry at snack time too, so we tag teamed the kids and it was his turn inside the asylum and I was left to the quiet cold, ALL ALONE.  After the ipod died, I listened to the world.  It was wonderful.  The sound of snow falling is amazing.  I highly recommend it!  Thank you to our other neighbor who brought a snow blower to our one neighbor's drive and took care of it without being asked.  My back is very grateful (as is my husband!).  After many hours in the snow in my jammies, it was time for a hot shower.  Then the noise and hungry kiddos resumed.  Although my muscles are sore, I found that I was so much happier to get the dinner on the table and to join in with the kids laughing and horsing around in the family room.  I hope everyone had to shovel today.... what a great way to spend a snow day!

This is just the beginning.

I'd like to start this blog by saying that it is understood that we love our kids, our husbands, our families...but sometimes being an at-home Mom is torture.  When I graduated from college and entered the working world I was full of ideas, ideals, drive, promise and a whole lot of energy.  I was going to be the best.  It didn't matter what it was.  If I was starting it, I did everything that I could to excel at that thing with the goal of blowing everyone out of the water.  I had no intentions of being a stay-at-home mother.  I had full intentions of leading a company, leading a cause, starting something that mattered!  But life doesn't always go the way that you plan.  I met my husband, laughed harder than I ever had in my life, fell in love and got married.  Before we knew it, before we were prepared, we were blessed with our first child.  I had no intentions of staying home.  I loved my job.  I wanted to go back....until the day that I was supposed to. Then I couldn't bear leaving our son.  I called my boss that morning and quit my job.  At the time, I was making more than my husband.  It was the worst financial decision that we could have made.  But deep down, I just could not leave.  I had no idea how hard being a Mom would be.  I just knew that I was supposed to do it.  That was eight years ago.  Now we are going to explore the everyday job that I sometimes resent.  Again...I love my kids more than anything, anyone in the world.  I would do anything for them.  But I am only human and this job doesn't end at 5pm!