I really should be making some effort at dinner, and also signing Sammy up for Taekwondo, and making lunch for tomorrow, finding the missing socks, finishing my taxes….
I swear I’m going to work on that…Just as soon as I can verify if Kate Middleton is really, REALLY pregnant again, with twins.
Priorities.
Before kids…… courtesy of dreamstime.com
By the end of yesterday I seemed more aware for some reason of the amount of yelling I do each day. I don’t think anyone can hear me if my voice is not at least moderately raised, and each request must be repeated at least 5 times.
I remember attempting to lecture Sammy at the store about how his repetitive behavior and ignoring of my requests to stop were just going to hurt him in the long run…because I certainly wasn’t going to bother getting him the frozen sorbet treats we specifically came for. Thankfully they didn’t have them anyway so I couldn’t give in.
But it doesn’t matter. Every day, EVERY DAY….. they must test me. I’m pretty convinced it’s their only purpose for being here right now. They haven’t found a greater purpose yet, so will continue to poke away at my sanity until they find something better to do.
Sometime last night, getting them ready for bed…. I’m again lecturing about how tired I am of repeating myself, and repeating myself, and repeating myself…..
My eyes might have looked a little bit crazy. I could feel creases forming on my forehead… creases that were not there before…. and they felt like they were just getting really settled and comfortable in my now regular facial expression of crumpled brow and squinty eyes.
“Do you see this!!??” I asked Sammy, pointing to my poor, worn out forehead. “I didn’t look like this before, 5 years ago I was beautiful!!”
He laughed.
And then Jenna said she refuses to play with me again until I kiss her and say I’m sorry.
And I’m just trying to hold my forehead from caving in all together.
after kids…….. courtesy of blogdesuperheroes.es
I find myself, multiple times a day, telling the 3 year old to keep her tongue in her mouth. I fear if we don’t learn to restrain the thing, she may have problems later in life.
It tends to snake out of her mouth and test the air….for temperature, scent??, I’m not sure…. but it doesn’t like to stay where it belongs. How many times can you tell someone to keep their tongue out of their nose…. their nose!!! This is not something that will be understood in school. I see possibly some popularity from it in preschool, at least with the boys…. but some unwanted attention from those same boys in later years…..
This tongue is amazingly long, it might even help her with balance as it extends out of her mouth while running…… A throwback from prehistoric times?… or is this a new adaptation that we will start to see in future generations? Maybe we just haven’t discovered the extent of it’s purpose yet.
Stay tuned, possible new talent or superpower to be discovered….
What would I rather do sometimes than parent a teen?
Give me your toddlers, I will potty train them all.
image from: practicingparents.com
I’ve been thinking about this couple…wondering how they are doing, and hoping they are still together and enjoying each other. I love their story…. a perfect memory for Valentine’s day. 🙂
I worked today, checking on some patients in the hospital.
There was a lady there, age 83, I had to see her before she could go home. It really could have been a 5 minute visit, I already had looked up her lab and imaging studies before knocking on her door. I knew she didn’t need anything from my group at the moment.
I walked out of that room an hour later, feeling a little lighter around my heart.
Her husband was in there, and although 86, he was still fit and handsome. My patient also looked much younger than her age. I watched how they interacted with each other as I asked her some basic questions. Teasing each other, winking at me as though I was in on the joke. They were so proud to bring up how they had been married almost 60 years.
I don’t know exactly how it happened, but somehow after talking about her medical issues, we just kept talking.
The husband had an iPad. I thought it was surprising and adorable. As we spoke about different things, where we all grew up, the job he retired from, the fact that the wife could barely walk anymore without help….. his fingers were skimming over images. He was so ready to share, I could tell he brought that thing with him everywhere.
He had retired over 20 years ago, he was an attorney. He had photos of newspaper clippings that he’d saved about trials he was involved in. I loved it. He’d met some celebrities, had some great stories to tell.
I asked him if he had a wedding picture on that iPad, from his own wedding.
He didn’t.
But as they told me “their” story, I got to see something even better.
They met, over 60 years ago, at the Jersey Shore. He was from Ohio, she was a Jersey native. They were both on vacation. She started telling me the story….”and can you believe it, this guy says he knows who he’s going to marry….the first DAY we meet! I thought he was crazy!” And he smiles as he takes over, “but look who was right and who was wrong, huh?”
So they had a few days together, getting to know each other before he went back to Ohio with his family.
And then HIS mom calls HER mom. I’m told because that’s how things were done back then. He was 26, she was 23. the moms plan together for her to come to Ohio to visit. She stays with the family. She comes again. Then he goes to Jersey.
He took her to a jewelry store to pick out a ring on her second visit.
She told me that she counted the actual days they spent together before getting married.
FIFTEEN.
15 days of face time before walking down the aisle.
Then she moved to Ohio. In with his family, his parents, his sister, him. “We had a grand time!” Then they moved out…..next door.
I heard about their three daughters, and now their grandkids. All daughters are married to good guys, thank God. I saw pictures of their Florida home, on a golf course…. I see his eyes look a little wistful when he talks about it and then asks “do you play golf?” He misses it.
They built a home in the city I live in now. I saw pictures of this too. I’ve driven past this house.
They had to sell it. They are moving into assisted living together, because she can’t be alone safely. He does not leave her side. And this is when they look at each other with so much love, and she jokes how this is payback for all the years she took care of him. And he tells me she is the best mother and best wife anyone could have. They invited me to come visit them. Because somehow we have become friends in this short time.
And then he took out the iPad one last time.
And showed me a picture, black and white. Three young people on a beach, sitting on a blanket and squinting at the camera.
It’s him and her, with a friend. The DAY they met. Because he knew……
And THAT is a beautiful story.
The 3 year old was standing with her shirt off, in the process of getting naked for bath time.
she looks down at her chest.
Looks back up at me.
“Hey mom, I have two nickels!”
“Nipples Jenna, those are nipples.”
And then I felt dirty, talking about nipples to the 3 year old.
courtesy of: Pinup Girls https://www.booster.com/girl-power
Yesterday, Jenna had a preschool interview.
This consisted of me bringing her to the school, taking her to the class, and leaving her for 25 minutes while I silently panicked and attempted grown-up conversation with the admissions lady.
First amazing thing…. she didn’t care if I left her in a classroom full of strange kids. Here I am hovering, and she doesn’t even look at me when I ask if I can leave her there for a little bit. She’s busy making fake cupcakes, and gives me a preoccupied “sure” as she concentrates on pink sprinkles.
Back in the office with admissions lady. Now, I know this lady, I’ve had Sammy in this school for 2 years. I should not be this nervous. But, as she sits across from me, smiling gently and so composed looking…. I just start spewing out all sorts of information because I feel the need to talk. To say SOMETHING to fill the silence, and take up time while I wait to hear Jenna’s screams as she realizes she is actually very attached to me.
After I bare my soul for a seemingly endless amount of time, we walk down to the classroom. I look through the glass, wondering if I will see any signs of distress.
Nope. Rolling clay with the teacher.
I watch another girl pick up the rolling pin that Jenna just put down. I hear Jenna yell “hey, that’s mine!” I watch the girl hand it back without a word.
We walk into the room, and I ask how did she do?
At this age, they don’t focus or really care about the fact that she is almost reading. They do focus on social skills. I am told that She “really knows what she wants”.
This is a nice way of telling me she really bossy.
We are driving home and I ask her how she liked playing with the kids?
“Mommy, I don’t like those 2 little girls.”
What little girls???
“The ones that tried to play with my oven.” They were behind me but I pushed her away with my back. Mommy, I don’t want to play with my oven with those girls.”
So, we need to work on sharing. But I’m kind of excited…. she is the first kid, the FIRST ONE that actually speaks out for herself at this age. I might be hated, SHE might be hated by other parents soon…. but I’m pretty sure she won’t be bullied. Now to make sure she’s not the bully….
courtesy of superhealthykids.com
This week, I had a plan.
Eat healthy, get back to working out every day.
I’m sabotaging myself, and not feeling guilty enough about it yet.
What do burger king onion rings, chocolate peanut butter brownies, skittles, Starbucks beverages, peppermint patties, and lots of chocolate ice cream have in common???
Equal contribution to my failure and gluttonous satisfaction.
And so, tomorrow…. probably…. I will do better.
courtesy of attunity.com
The 5 year old has been sick for…..6 days now. However, he seems to be feeling better and is again showing signs of life.
I came home from work today and sat next to him on the couch after the babysitter left.
He’s not happy.
Seems he keeps wanting to do things that the sitter doesn’t want him to do.
It happened a lot today.
This bothers him.
“Mom, it’s not like I’m trying to be bad. I mean, I know sometimes I am, but I can’t help it….I’m just trying to have fun with my life!”
With this serious look on his face.
I think it’s a reasonable expectation for him to have….
But out of curiosity…. I ask him what kind of things was he doing?
At first he doesn’t remember. Then he wants to show me. Walks over to one of our living room chairs, proceeds to summersault onto the chair, head down, legs up in the air…. and knocks over a picture from the table next to him.
He’s mortified.
I think we may have realized why she was saying no….. maybe.
Magical elixir… cures all sickness….unfortunately does nothing for wrinkles…..
We are sick over here. Of COURSE we are, because children live here…and children are germy little creatures.
It starts with Sammy usually, coughing, mucous, sneezing, fever, red nose, misery….. all the usual symptoms.
Last night we went to bed with Jenna feeling fine, and she woke up a few hours later barking like a seal.
Honestly, there is no point in trying to separate them when one gets sick…. you just have to wait for the inevitable to happen.
When the sickness hits, there are things we do. Routines we have. Requirements for the very survival of the sick person. These things include a liberal rubbing of Vicks onto the chest and back of the victim. Big vaporizer going full blast near the bed. Pillow to prop the head so there is less gurgly breathing as mucous pools during the night. Puke bucket always handy. Of course the necessary sick couch time, spent lounging in glassy-eyed misery, huddled under the special green blanket, cold rag on the head, watching movies on demand all day long.
Sprite, a.k.a. “Magical Elixer” is called for in mass quantities. Sick eggs and toast, without which, survival would be impossible.
So this is what we are having for breakfast today. Sick eggs, toast, sprite. Taking bites between blowing noses and discussing our percentage of feeling better. (Sammy reports 65 percent today….)
Sick eggs and toast. guaranteed to keep you alive another day.
momsranting 