Mommy Moments
When I was pregnant with Jacob and contemplating what baby #5 would do to me and the dynamics of our home and family, I came to two conclusions: he would slip right in smoothly or things would be turned inside out and upside down! Some days I feel like things are going smoothly but more often than not lately I feel like I am living inside a snow globe; I've been turned upside down, shaken around a bit, then turned right side up again only to have it snowing down a mess all over. With each of my previous babies I desperately tried to get things "back to normal" as soon as possible. This time around I have realized that things will never be "back to normal" but instead we are creating a new normal. I have become a different Mom each time we have added a new baby to the family, and for better or worse I am a much more relaxed mom than I was 11 years ago.
And for better or worse here are some of my more memorable Mommy Moments over the last several of months.:
* Sarah was wanting me to come play with her, but I needed to feed Jacob first. She asked, "Is he going to eat on one side or two." Two sides," was my response. In a tone of great disappointment she said, "But, that takes sooooo long."
* After a weekend trip I frantically got 4 tired, grumpy children ready and out the door to school; dropped 3 off at the elementary school and headed to the preschool. As we waited outside for the time Sarah could go in, her teacher came out to let me know there was no preschool today!
* I let my kids stay up until 10pm on a school night so they could finish watching a movie. (A year ago I never would have let them even watch TV after dinner.)
* Almost in tears one night after the kids were in bed I asked Paul if he could go get the groceries out of the back of the van that had been there for two days. No worries, it was just case lot, non-perishable stuff. :)
* I had a lengthy dentist appointment and was dropping Jacob off to be tended by a friend. As I got back in the van to then take Sarah to preschool, Sarah asked in a very concerned tone, "Mommy . . . is she going to keep him?"
* I had almost made it through Wal-Mart about ready to purchase two weeks of groceries. We had just gotten Sarah her treasured free cookie from the bakery and were headed to the check out line, when she dropped the cookie on the floor with only a nibble taken out of it. Arg! What to do? Do I tell Sarah, "Sorry sweetie, it has to go in the garbage", go ask the grumpy bakery lady for another, or to avoid a major melt down just pick it up, hand it back to Sarah and act like it was no big deal. Um . . . I chose the latter. (Hey, no judging until you've been there. Besides just think how strong her immune system will be.)
* Rachel had been needing new tennis shoes for a couple of months. We had checked everywhere in town and couldn't find any for her. I had planned a Saturday shopping trip to Bull Head City but it was still several weeks away, and she got a rock stuck in one of the many holes in the bottom of her shoe. Sigh! The only way to get the rock out was to ruin her shoes even more, so she had to wear shoes with rocks in them until we could finally make it to the store. :(
* After loading kids in the van and dropping kids off places I experience moments of great anxiety as I check to be sure that I have dropped off the correct kids and have all of the correct kids in the car with me. I think one of these days I'm going to forget someone.
* When I asked Sarah one day what she wanted to be when she grows up, she responded, "A pirate!" just a proudly as can be. I'm thinking a pirate is not really a positive roll model let alone something I want my child to aspire to be. Not sure what to think of this, and not wanting to squelch her enthusiasm I ask "Why do you want to be a pirate?" "So I can look for treasure," came her response.
Motherhood has changed my life . . .it continually teaches me to be humble, patient, selfless, creative (not in the crafty sense but in how you handle a situation), organized, resourceful, tolerant, and accepting.
Motherhood is not easy but at the end of the day I have no regrets about my choice to be a Mom; a Stay-at-home Mom, where I get to love, laugh with, support and nurture 5 of Heavenly Father's spunky and precious children.
And for better or worse here are some of my more memorable Mommy Moments over the last several of months.:
* Sarah was wanting me to come play with her, but I needed to feed Jacob first. She asked, "Is he going to eat on one side or two." Two sides," was my response. In a tone of great disappointment she said, "But, that takes sooooo long."
* After a weekend trip I frantically got 4 tired, grumpy children ready and out the door to school; dropped 3 off at the elementary school and headed to the preschool. As we waited outside for the time Sarah could go in, her teacher came out to let me know there was no preschool today!
* I let my kids stay up until 10pm on a school night so they could finish watching a movie. (A year ago I never would have let them even watch TV after dinner.)
* Almost in tears one night after the kids were in bed I asked Paul if he could go get the groceries out of the back of the van that had been there for two days. No worries, it was just case lot, non-perishable stuff. :)
* I had a lengthy dentist appointment and was dropping Jacob off to be tended by a friend. As I got back in the van to then take Sarah to preschool, Sarah asked in a very concerned tone, "Mommy . . . is she going to keep him?"
* I had almost made it through Wal-Mart about ready to purchase two weeks of groceries. We had just gotten Sarah her treasured free cookie from the bakery and were headed to the check out line, when she dropped the cookie on the floor with only a nibble taken out of it. Arg! What to do? Do I tell Sarah, "Sorry sweetie, it has to go in the garbage", go ask the grumpy bakery lady for another, or to avoid a major melt down just pick it up, hand it back to Sarah and act like it was no big deal. Um . . . I chose the latter. (Hey, no judging until you've been there. Besides just think how strong her immune system will be.)
* Rachel had been needing new tennis shoes for a couple of months. We had checked everywhere in town and couldn't find any for her. I had planned a Saturday shopping trip to Bull Head City but it was still several weeks away, and she got a rock stuck in one of the many holes in the bottom of her shoe. Sigh! The only way to get the rock out was to ruin her shoes even more, so she had to wear shoes with rocks in them until we could finally make it to the store. :(
* After loading kids in the van and dropping kids off places I experience moments of great anxiety as I check to be sure that I have dropped off the correct kids and have all of the correct kids in the car with me. I think one of these days I'm going to forget someone.
* When I asked Sarah one day what she wanted to be when she grows up, she responded, "A pirate!" just a proudly as can be. I'm thinking a pirate is not really a positive roll model let alone something I want my child to aspire to be. Not sure what to think of this, and not wanting to squelch her enthusiasm I ask "Why do you want to be a pirate?" "So I can look for treasure," came her response.
Motherhood has changed my life . . .it continually teaches me to be humble, patient, selfless, creative (not in the crafty sense but in how you handle a situation), organized, resourceful, tolerant, and accepting.
Motherhood is not easy but at the end of the day I have no regrets about my choice to be a Mom; a Stay-at-home Mom, where I get to love, laugh with, support and nurture 5 of Heavenly Father's spunky and precious children.
Happy Mother's Day!
Comments
I can totally relate to most of them.... what is this about no food off the floor... it is at least a 10 second (+/- a few minutes) in this house!