Day 17 - Something That Made A Huge Impact

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

This here would be one of the main reasons that I have been MIA at The Endless Drama lately.

About a month and a half ago, Animal broke his arm trying on clothes (talk about lame! He doesn't even have a cool story to tell!).

While he was trying on a stack of jeans one night, he lifted his leg and got it caught in the arm of a chair. He tumbled over backwards, taking the chair with him. He landed palm down on his left hand and screamed. After Bear got home and looked him over, we decided I should take him to the ER. X-rays confirmed that he had broken both bones in his arm about 2 inches above the wrist.

This is where I need to point out that Animal is one of the most left handed people I have ever met. He does almost NOTHING with his right hand. This meant that he needed help with almost everything...from writing (he has an awesome teacher who did all of his classwork writing for him and gave us permission to write for him on his homework), to dressing, to eating, to basic bathroom functions. I swear he was more labor intensive over the last month and a half than he was as an infant!

Luckily, the cast is off and he has been cleared for normal activity again, so HOPEFULLY our lives can regain some semblence of normality again.

Day 13 - A Picture of Your Favorite Band or Artist

Day 13 - I am going with my favorite artist for this one. And I have two pictures because I couldn't POSSIBLY choose one over the other. This artist is just TOO talented!

Day 10 - The Person You Do Weird Things With

Day 10 - A picture of the person(s) you do the most weird things with.

I am feeling inspired, so I decided to do two today.

As any of my friends can tell you, I am not shy about doing strange things. But my children just seem to bring the craziness out in me!

The stories of our weirdness are endless, but my favorite one was when we went to an amusement park with Bear and my sister. Late in the afternoon, a unexpected storm came out of nowhere and it was an absolute downpour! Everyone was running for cover. We joined a large group of people standing under a restaurant overhang. The storm dragged on for quite a while...showing no signs of letting up. The kids were getting restless and the wall the wall people was getting to me (I don't do crowds!). So...I decided it was high time I taught my kids to dance in the rain! There was no lightening to worry about, so we ran out into the middle of the walkway where a big puddle had accumulated and jumped and danced and made complete fools of ourselves. No one joined us, but everyone watching had big smiles on their faces as my babies giggled and squealed. We got completely soaked and had to stop in the souvenier shop for something dry to wear home, but we had THE BEST TIME!

The Power of Three Will Set Us Free*

I am struggling at work today. A combination of zero motivation and holding a major grudge** has left me unfocused and rather unproductive. I have spent the last 2 hours trying desperately to stay on task and get things done, but all I can think about is getting out of here and heading home (only 30 more minutes!).

The funny thing is that when I get home, I will have to mediate the inevitable bickering between Bubbles and Animal (the fighting is at an all time high), help with homework, do the dishes, cook dinner, force Bubbles (and Animal if there is time) to take a shower, and who knows what else. I don’t really feel like doing any of those things either. I just got two new games for my DS, and all I REALLY want to do is curl up in my chair and play. But I am really looking forward to getting home and facing what lies ahead.

And the reason, as corny as it sounds, is LOVE. I know that Bear loves me with all his heart…despite all my flaws (read: inherent laziness). I know that Bubbles and Animal are just happy to have me around and would probably PREFER that I be lazy with them. I know that if I decided to go home and do nothing but play my games, or read a book, or watch TV or anything else really, Bear would come home and pick up the slack, and he wouldn’t even complain about it! He has this twisted idea that I DESERVE downtime, and he encourages my laziness on a regular basis!

I am feeling very unappreciated at work right now and, as of late, have found myself less interested in trying. I am sure that this feeling will pass given enough time (and sleep!). In the meantime, I am so very grateful to have the love of my family to see me through. No matter what happens at work, I know when I get home, I will be surrounded by three people who love me unconditionally and truly appreciate the things that I do for them.



*So who can guess where this comes from?


**I had one of the worst migraines I have had in a LONG time yesterday and when I told my boss I needed to go home she threw a fit and basically told me that I couldn’t because she had a project she wanted me to do. I finished the project 1 ½ before the time I usually leave, and she suggested that I leave then cause I “didn’t look so good”. I told her no thanks, I would just tough it out the rest of the day. I was NOT a happy girl!

I'm Afraid We (The Parents) Might Have Peaked at 11...

Bubbles turned 11 last Wednesday. How in the HELL did THAT happen??? I swear she was 6 months old when I went to bed on Tuesday, and somehow I woke up to an 11 year old…

Speaking of which…Bubbles and I had a major fight a couple weeks ago. Major. Like Mean Mommy made a guest appearance (actually…she was had the starring role I’m afraid) and said some things I wish I could take back. In turn, Hormonal Bubbles decided to join in the conversation and push all of Mean Mommy’s buttons. It was not a pretty evening at the Drama House, and if Bear hadn’t been there to remind us both that we love each other, it could have been so much worse. Anyway, I felt horrible all evening long, and it just got worse after Bubbles went to bed. So, even though she had been asleep for over an hour, I decided to go up and try to make up with her. I climbed into her bed, snuggled up to her, and gently woke her up. Then we spent a good bit of time talking things out and making our respective apologies. Afterwards, I knew she needed to go back to sleep, but I just couldn’t leave her. It felt so good to just hold my baby again. I pulled her close to me, kissed her head, and asked her how she got to be so big. I said, “Weren’t you only 6 months old yesterday?” She giggled and said, “No Mommy, I’ve been big for a long time now.” I just hugged her all the tighter and thought…Nu-uh!

Anyway, Bubbles has always had a love of art, and she happens to have quite a bit of talent to go with that love. She is also learning how to bake. So this year for her birthday, we decided to step away from getting her more toys (something neither of my kids need!) and focus on those two interests.

Through a special school program, she was introduced to scrapbooking, and though the program ended up not following through on the idea, her interest was peaked. Scrapbooking isn’t something I have ever made time for, so I am kinda clueless on the subject. However, Totally Me happens to make a very nice kit to teach young girls how to get started. So that was on the top of my list of things to find.

We decided that if she was going to get into scrapbooking, she was going to need a way to get pictures. And rather than never knowing where she has hauled MY camera off to, we decided that at 11 she was ready for her own digital camera. This was the hardest gift to find. We didn’t want to spend too much in case she drops or loses it, but in the aftermath of Christmas, the stores hadn’t restocked yet and apparently the cheap cameras sold really well this year. It took trips to 4 stores before we were able to find one in the price range we were looking for.

Bubbles has many aspirations for her adult life, veterinarian and artist being the most often talked about. Recently, she has honed the artist idea into a specific field. She thinks that she would like to be a clothing designer. And if her sketches are any indication, she might have a really good future there! I found a clothing designer stencil set that I thought would be just perfect for her. They also had a makeup/hair design stencil set so I grabbed that too.

Lastly, we decided that since Bubbles is doing more and more baking these days, she might like her own tools of the trade. We got her several items…a mixing bowl, measuring cups, measuring spoons, etc. The highlight of this gift ended up being the whisk, rubber scraper, spoon set that we got her. The handles are shaped like human bodies with the tool part acting as the head. She was HIGHLY amused by the fact that they had little butts with “booty cracks” and all! LOL!

Normally, I wouldn’t go into so much detail about the presents we got the kids. Birthdays are about more than presents. They are about honoring one of the moments that made the family what it is…about honoring the existence of someone you hold dear.

However, this year, the present signified something very important to Bubbles. Something I don’t think Bear and I really realized we were doing until she pointed it out. This was the first year that we gave Bubble “grown up gifts” instead of toys and other trinkets of childhood. In her mind we acknowledged the end of her childhood and the start of a whole new chapter. And this meant more to her than anything else we could have done.

She must have thanked me for her gifts several dozen times before she finally found the words to express what those gifts meant to her. And though I am nowhere NEAR ready for her to stop being my little baby, I am so glad that we were able to show her that we will support her growth no matter how hard it is for us.

Her birthday slumber party was this past weekend (and the reason that I waited so long to post about her birthday), and with that we gave her another nod towards independence. For every slumber party before this one, I have stayed with the girls until they were asleep and then my sister has slept in the room with them. This year, my sister couldn’t make it, and I allowed (read: encouraged) them to kick me out well before they were ready to go to sleep. I figured it was time for her to experience a real slumber party where the girls could feel free to gossip about whatever they wanted without me listening in.

I know this is just the beginning of many changes in our lives as she maneuvers her way through the ‘tween and then (shudders) teen years. I only hope we can show her as much support throughout the rest of the ride.

And I have to admit I am a little worried about future birthdays…It’s gonna be TOUGH to top 11!

*As you can see, this picture was actually taken last April, but she hasn't changed THAT much, and it is one of my all time favorites!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

Milestones are important to most parents. First smile, first tooth, first step, etc. We often have differing opinions on which milestones are most significant, but we look for and document each one. They are proof that our babies are growing as they are supposed to. Proof that we are doing something right…that we aren’t completely failing at this parenting gig. Babies on the other hand, are too busy being babies and discovering the world to recognize these moments as anything other than something else they can do…more freedom!

By the time our babies become kids, we are focusing more on behavior and school and wondering what the hell happened to our little babies to pay much attention to the daily firsts, but they do still occur. First slumber party, first time getting to place a phone call on their own, first time on the internet, etc. Now it is the child’s turn to get excited about the milestones.

Animal turned 8 on Monday, and with his birthday he reached a new milestone. He no longer has to use a booster seat when riding in the car. This was THE BEST part of turning eight as far as he was concerned!

The funny thing is that we didn’t really expect it to be a big deal. When Bubbles was about 3 or 4, the laws changed when it came to booster seats. They decided that instead of stopping at 6, children needed to continue using them until they turned 8. This irritated many of my friends, and they chose to ignore the new laws and stick with the original age.

When Bubbles turned 6 and most of her friends were no longer using booster seats, she was very embarrassed to still have one. When we dropped her off at daycare, her friends would question her as to why she was still in a “baby seat”. She begged us to lose the seat, and we explained that it was the law and it was keeping her safe and she would live. By the time she turned 7, she had accepted her fate and when 8 came along and we told her she was done with car seats for good, she wasn’t really fazed. She said ok…helped us take the booster seats out…and carried on with her day.

Conversely, Animal never questioned his booster seat. He has never been overly concerned with what his peers (or anyone else for that matter) think about him. If anyone ever said anything to him, he never cared enough to tell us. So when he woke up on Monday morning and the first thing he said to me was, “Mommy, I am 8 today and I don’t have to use a car seat anymore!”, it took me by surprise. As soon as he was dressed for school, he started asking when we were taking the seats out of the cars. I unlocked the front door and both car doors and told him he could go get them if he wanted to. He ran outside and came back moments later lugging both booster seats along and beaming from ear to ear! When he got in the car to head to daycare, he was literally bouncing in his seat. I asked him what he was so excited about (expecting to hear about it being his birthday) and he shouted, “no more car seats, no more car seats!”

He had a wonderful birthday evening. We went to the restaurant of his choice for dinner, got ice cream AND doughnuts for dessert, and then went home for the great present unwrapping. He loved all of his presents, and he is very excited about the party that is planned for this weekend. But the real highlight of this turning 8 thing had to have been the loss of his car seats.

As he put it, “I’m really a big kid now, Mommy!”

And he really is…sigh.

**This picture is actually from Christmas with my family (Dec 26th)...I haven’t had a chance to load his birthday pics onto the computer yet.

ANOTHER RANDOM UPDATE!! (Warning...this is a LONG one!)

So you know you have been away from blogging too long when your husband starts complaining that you never update! So much has happened since the beginning of JULY that the only way I can possibly get caught up is to do another random update. So…here goes:

1) We did go to see Kimi and family over the long weekend in July. We, of course, had a wonderful time! Kimi and I watched 4 horror movies (and even got the guys to watch one with us!). I got to see her mom (who is a wonderful lady and treats Bear and I like we are her kids too!), her SIL and her daddy. They took us to see an AMAZING fireworks display. And as usual, Kimi made my favorite “Kim Pasta” & green beans!

2) Also in July, Bubbles went away to Girl Scout sleep-away camp for the first time. While she was extremely excited, I was not ready to have my baby in the hands of strangers in the woods. It was only three days though and we both survived. She had a wonderful time, but she says she doesn’t want to go back next year. Her reason…”I don’t like being away from you so long, Mommy.” Man I love that kid!

3) We were supposed to take a big family vacation this year (we alternate years…family vacation one year, major home improvement the next year), but our back stoop was getting ready to fall off of the side of the house into a void that had developed underneath and was damaging our back door in the process. A friend of mind offered her husband's general contracting services, and he did an amazing job fixing our stoop in one weekend, with no inconvenience to us, and for a spectacular price. I would recommend this man to one and all!

4) In lieu of a big vacation, and with the help of my mother, we decided to take a mini vacation this year. At the end of July, we took a long weekend and went to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. We had the time of our lives. They have an enormous indoor water park, a spa for adults, a spa for children, an arcade, miniature golf, and this interactive game where you go all over the 4 story hotel collecting jewels and spells, saving fairies and princesses, and fighting goblins and dragons. And that isn’t nearly all that the things you can do there. The last day we were there, the kids were playing in the water fort and Bear and I were relaxing by the pool. We started talking about how much fun we were having and how we hated to leave so soon. We talked to the kids that night, and we all agreed that if money (and the house) cooperate, we would like to go back next year for a full week!

5) August started with my 35th birthday. We spent most of the day taking advantage of the state’s tax-free weekend…getting school supplies and clothes for the kids. That night my parents took us to The Melting Pot for a joint birthday dinner for Bear and I (YUM!). The next day, Bear and the kids did everything in their power to spoil me rotten…ending with dinner at my favorite sushi place.

6) Ten days later, we celebrated Bear’s 36th birthday. He took the day off of work with plans to relax and do guy stuff. This was made harder by an emergency that I will talk about next. That night the kids and I took him to Logan’s for MEAT and did our best to spoil him with love and gifts. I had planned to write a post dedicated to him that day, but obviously it didn't happen...maybe next year?

7) The day before Bear’s birthday, Bubbles got stung, not once, not twice, but THREE times by wasps. I went to pick her up from her day camp and on my way out of the parking lot, my car started acting REALLY weird. Bear looked at it when he got home and determined that it needed to go to a shop. Evidently, the torque converter had gone bad and needs to be replaced. As of Tuesday of this week, it has been THREE WEEKS and the car still isn't fixed! We have had a HORRIBLE experience and will NOT be using this repair shop again. We have made it clear that they need to give us a discount on the work, but that remains to be seen. I will be surprised if we get it back before the one month mark! I am thinking most places could build us a brand new car in that time! I might have to write a whole separate post on this once we reach the end…we shall see.

8) The biggest thing to happen in August was Bear’s decision to leave the fire station! Several things led to this decision…most of them I can’t talk about here because they are not my stories to tell. Bear says that he realized that he was putting the station before his family and that we were all missing out on wonderful experiences because of that. So he turned in his resignation and instituted Family Friday. Every Friday evening, we do something fun…just the four of us. The first night we went out to dinner and saw G-Force in the theaters. Since then we have played various board/card/domino/dice games and had Little House on the Prairie marathons. We are also going to try to do more fun things on the weekends like go to museums and local area events. We have had a lot of fun, and I feel like it is bringing us all closer together. It really gives the kids a calm atmosphere to talk about things going on in their lives. I will forever be grateful to Bear for making this sacrifice for his family!!!

9) September brought Labor Day Weekend which was spent hosting several get togethers with friends and one day to relax and get ready for school to start. The Friday before, we went to meet the kids teachers. Animal loved his teacher on site and was so excited to start school. Bubbles’ teacher didn’t make a very good first impression with any of us, and we all spent the weekend worrying that this was going to be another rough year. Monday night, we pulled Bubbles aside and gave her a pep talk. We asked her to give the teacher a second chance and discussed all the reasons that she might have had for acting the way she did. Bubbles agreed, but was still noticeably nervous.

10) Tuesday morning, I took the day off to focus on the kids. I made them a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs and muffins. My mother came over and together we dropped them off at daycare right before the bus was scheduled to leave for school. Then we rushed over to the school, found a parking spot, and waited for the daycare bus to arrive. The kids know that we do this every year, so they knew to look for us. They ran off the bus and called my name and posed for pictures. Then they headed down the hill, turning several times to wave. After that, Mom and I went home to prepare an after school treat of German Chocolate cupcakes. We went out to lunch and ran a few errands, and before too long it was time to go get my babies. I was REALLY nervous to hear how Bubbles had done. I walked into the daycare moments after the bus dropped them off and Bubbles came running up to me…all smiles…yelling “Mommy, I LOVE my teacher! She is awesome!” Instantly, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders…a weight I hadn’t really realized was there. Animal had an equally good day, and I am now hopeful that we will have a decent year this year…hope, hope, hope!

Ok…I guess that brings us up to the here and now. I am certain that I have forgotten things, but WOW this is long! I am gonna have to try to update more often!

I shalt try!*

*Name that flick!

WARNING!!! Hormonal Blogging (Worse than Drunk Dialing)!

My precious Bubbles

Isn’t it weird how the big things can seem so easy to deal with and then something small takes your breath away?

So I am reading a really good book right now…The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a young girl, Susie, who is murdered. The story is told from the Susie’s point of view as she sits up in heaven and watches as her family tries to solve her murder and move on with their lives.

When I first started reading, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the story. I have a young daughter, and losing her is a constant fear of mine. I spend way more time than could possibly be healthy thinking of all of the horrible things that could happen to her (and/or my son). So I was afraid that this story would hit too close to home and start the nightmares.

I am 57 pages from the end of the book, and it appears that my worries were unfounded. I find that I am able to read this book (and enjoy it) without relating it to my own personal life.

Maybe this is because the story takes place in a far different, more innocent, time than the one I am raising children in. Or maybe I have just become adept at stepping into another world when I read and then leaving it behind when I put the book down.

Whatever the reason, I was happy to be able to read this amazingly well told story without my mommy brain kicking in and ruining everything. That is until this afternoon…

In the story, Susie’s mother finds herself in an airport. As Susie watches her mother, she notices a group of kids on a school band trip walking past to go to their gate. They were only mentioned in passing…less than a paragraph…probably just as a way of setting the scene…

But just like that, I felt that kick in the gut! Some day (not that far off in the future), Bubbles is going to be old enough to want to take class trips that require leaving our state. Already, she has taken one field trip that took her 3 hours away. But at least she was still in our state, and in an area that I am familiar with. That won’t always be the case. At some point, I have to relax the death grip I have on her and let her start to explore the world outside of my protective grasp. Where she will come in contact with people I will never see. And not all of them will be nice. This thought terrifies me!

I have told my kids for years, “if I can’t see you, I can’t protect you.” This was a warning not to wander off at the playground or the mall. But eventually they have to go where I can’t see them. Where I can’t protect them. And somehow…I have to be ok with that. Where will I find that strength? I don’t think I have it in me yet…

Isn’t it weird that I can read a story about a girl that it murdered and it doesn’t faze me, but one paragraph about kids who are alive and well can send me into a tail spin?

Bald As A Ping Pong Ball, Boy Are You Bald!*

Animal was bald when he was born and stayed that way for a long time. When the hair finally started growing, it was blond and curly. It was way too long by the time he got his first haircut because I couldn’t stand to cut those beautiful curls…

When we finally did cut it, we went with a buzz. He hated water with a passion, so this seemed like the best bet. With almost no hair, washing could be done quickly and therefore cut down on the chance that water would dare to touch his face!

The original style left about ½ inch of hair on his head, but that only lasted a few months. One afternoon we were in a hurry to get somewhere but decided to give him a quick cut before we left. Bear grabbed the razor and started cutting. He didn’t notice that the sizing guard had been removed and proceeded to cut a line straight down the center of his head that went all the way to skin!

At first, I was upset…I mean, really upset! But after a couple days I got used to it and decided it was really quite cute. And again…it made washing so much easier. I mean…in a pinch, you could use a baby wipe on his head and be done with it!

We always said that when Animal decided that he wanted to grow his hair out, we would let him. In reality, when he started making noise about wanting to grow it out, I ignored him for a while. I had grown to really love his bald head and didn’t want to see it go. Eventually, though, Bear and my mother guilted me into letting have his way.

For the last 6 months or so, Animal hasn’t had a hair cut at all. His hair is still slow to grow, and he was determined to have enough to spike his hair (something we have only done twice because he still isn’t a fan of washing his hair and I insist that it be washed in the evening when he has that crap in his hair). The length had finally gotten to a point where it needed some professional intervention. It was growing over his ears and a bit too far down his neck.

So…Sunday morning we went to Target to buy a birthday present. There was a Hair Cuttery next door and Bear decided to take him in for a quick trim. Bubbles and I went into Target, got the gift, and proceeded to wander about putting things in the cart we probably didn’t need. After about 15 minutes, the boys came in to join us. I took one look at Animal and said, “THEY BROKE MY BABY!!!”

His hair looked AWEFUL! Bear had told the woman what he wanted done and then stepped back. Once she did her thing, he came back to discover she had not understood him. He told her how to fix it, and she just made the situation worse! There really was no fixing it at that point.

Animal was really upset and worried that kids at school would make fun of him on Monday. We discussed possible solutions…none of them terribly good. Then, out of the blue, Animal announced that he wanted me to shave his head again. He said that he wants to grow it out again, but that I should shave it and we could start from scratch.

So…that is what I did. He is back to being my bald boy, and I am going to enjoy every second of it, cause it won’t be long before he is begging me to spike his hair again!

Also…next time we will go to an actual barber for his trims!

*100 points to the first person who can correctly guess where I got this from!

She Really DOES Love Him

I worry sometimes about my kids relationship. They seem to fight SO MUCH! I know it is perfectly normal. My sister and I fought all the time, and we get along fine now. But I still worry. Do they fight more than other siblings? Am I doing anything to make it worse? Should I be doing something to make it better? Will they hate each other when they grow up?

Then one of them does something to show me how much they really do love each other.

Bubbles has a stuffed cow (Cowy...original, right?) that is her very favorite thing. It is her security item...her wooby. She doesn't like anyone to touch it. We have a game where I steal it when she isn't looking and hide it somewhere so she can find it. That is ok, but no one else can touch it...especially Animal!

Animal is sick today. Fever, horrible cough, lethargic. Miserable. When Bubbles heard that he was sick and staying home from school, she muttered something sympathetic and went about getting ready for school. As she was heading down the stairs, she wandered into our room where Animal was resting and placed her beloved cow on the bed next to him. She told him that Cowy would help him feel better today and he could keep it until she got home from school.

I know it seems like a small thing, but that right there? That's LOVE! And it made me so very proud.

Crafting - The Next Generation

So I have been working diligently (and happily) on my craft project for Kimi. I am just under 1/2 way done with it.

Yesterday, I was working away when Bubbles came up and asked if she could help me. I suggested that instead of helping me, she might like to learn how to do it and work on a small project of her own. She tried it very briefly last night, but then she got distracted by watching Twilight (she is her momma's little vampire loving girl!).

This afternoon, after we got home from a lovely thrift store expedition, she decided to get back to it. After several fits and starts, most probably due to my less than stellar teaching skills, she has the hang of it, and she is having a blast. She has been hard at work all afternoon and is already 1/2 done! She has altered her design a couple times and I think her final product is going to be gorgeous.

I am very excited to get back to crafting, but I have to say watching my daughter learn and find joy from it as well is AWESOME!!!

Boys Will Be Boys...

Or Boys Will Be GROSS!!! You decide...

Our dog, Winston, is getting very elderly. With age has come the inability to hold his bowels as well as he used to. We are gone from the house for about 11 hours a day during the week. So there have been accidents.

Animal has always had an overactive gag reflex and a relatively weak stomach. Combine these two things, and he doesn't handle other people's (or creature's) bodily functions very well. Bubbles and I learned a long time ago that if we didn't want a bigger mess to clean up, it was wise to remove Animal from the scene as quickly as possible.

So, last night when we get home, the kids discover that Winston had an accident in the living room. By the time it was discovered, I was elbows deep in laundry in the basement, so I asked Bubbles to please clean it up.

Her first order of business was getting rid of Animal before the smell got to him. She came up with the perfect solution! Winston needed to go out anyway, so she told Animal to take the dog out and stay out there with him.

The next thing I know, Bubbles is downstairs in the laundry room with a look of utter disgust on her face.

Me: What's up?
Bubbles: Animal justed peed in the backyard!!!
Me: ???

When asked later (by his father...I wasn't touching this one!) why in the world he did this, his response was so sensible and yet still so disturbing: "Sissy wasn't done cleaning up the dog poop, and I hadta pee..."

How does one respond to that????

I SUCK!

Most days, I would tell you that I am a pretty decent mom. Not supermom or anything, but I think I do an ok job.

Tonight, though...I completely SUCK!!!

Tonight...I completely lost my cool...

Bubbles struggles with school. Not the learning part...she is actually quite smart and just kind of absorbs information from her surroundings. She struggles with staying on task, getting her work done in a timely manner, and focusing on her work. These problems also bleed over into her homework.

Tonight she was supposed to be doing read and responds. For this assignment, you read a short book or a chapter of a longer book and then write 3-5 sentences about what you read. We had already done the reading and a draft of the writing. All she had to do was copy the writing onto her homework form. She had 5 of these to do (so a maximum of 25 sentences). This took her 2 1/2 hours to accomplish. Then, when I was checking her work I found it riddled with errors. In one respond she had combined 3 sentences into one nonsensical mess. She had misspelled words that she has known how to spell since 1st grade. It was just ridiculous!

And I. Lost. It.

I yelled (something I do more often than I should). I berated. I made her cry...a lot. Then I sent her to bed (it was 10 PM after all). Then I sat here feeling awful.

Bear got home from a meeting at the fire station and I sent him up to talk to her. I told him that we had a fight and I was awful and mean, but I was still too angry to talk to her. He went up and did his best to fix the damage I had done.

After they talked, she came down to give me a kiss and hug, and I told her that I love her so very much. I will apologize for my behavior tomorrow, and being Bubbles, all will be forgiven. And I will do my best to be a better mom. And most days I will succeed.

But for now...I will just sit here feeling horrible....

My Kids Think I am Magical...And Mean!

Bubbles has a cold. A bad cold. One I hope she will not feel the need to share with the rest of the family. She coughs almost constantly, and the snot...OMG...the snot!

Now, one of the advantages of having an older child is that she doesn't fall under the "kids can't have cold medicine" rule. So, last night before bed, we gave her Tylenol Cold. About 10 minutes later, she was back down in the livingroom.

This is not all that stange for Bubbles. Most nights, she sits up in bed trying to come up with some good excuse that will grant her a later bed time. This has become such the norm that as she walks into the livingroom most nights, Bear and I start a chorus of excuses for her..."My tummy hurts"..."I'm not tired"..."My head hurts"..."I'm thristy"..."I can't sleep". She doesn't appreciate our mocking, but so far it has not stopped her from making her regular attempts.

Anyway, into the living she comes last night. We throw out the usual excuses, and knowing that she has a cold, I even throw out "my nose is stuffed up". She gives us her usual grumbling response, and then proceeds to tell us that she can't breathe out of her nose and it is keeping her awake. I ask her what she wants me to do about it. Her response..."fix it".

I explain to her that we have already given her cold medicine, and that is really all we can do. I suggest that she use pillows to prop her head up if she is having trouble breathing. Then we send her off to bed...crying...because we didn't fix it...

Now, please, someone! Tell me that I am not the only mother with children who feel that she has the magical powers to fix all their ailments, but is too cruel to use them!!! I mean, I know it is normal for children to look to their parents for comfort and solutions. But at 10 years old, shouldn't she also know that I would never let her suffer...that if I COULD fix it, I WOULD!?!?!?!