Category: children

children, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self care (or lack thereof), self-discovery

Find ‘Me’

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When Mad Dog travels, like he did over this past week, my life with the boys becomes slightly more adventurous.  Thankfully, lately, I have been appreciating these adventures more.  I also managed to miraculously schedule two dinners with friends (one I invited to the house after the boys were asleep) and a lunch with my mother-in-law.

I haven’t had that much social activity since the early nineties when children were a twinkle in my eye and my hair was taller than a full-grown palm tree.

It was rather strange.  While I was physically stretched to the max maintaining the family routine and meeting my social obligations this week, my spirit felt completely full. 

I’m learning that as my children grow and need me less,  I need to embrace this (as much as I can because it hurts ever so) and find myself a little more each day. 

That’s what friends and a fabulous mother-in-law are for.

children, gratitude, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self-discovery, Taekwondo

The Sparring Truth

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Now that T.Puzzle is a camoflauge belt, he technically is allowed to spar.  This means I am technically allowed to be completely neurotic about it.

the good ol' days when T.Puzzle was still a non-sparring yellow belt.

Oh, my denial runs deep.  I keep wishing and hoping that his sparring days are far, far in the future.

In class as I grabbed a seat another Mom asked me, “Has T.Puzzle sparred, yet?”

I went into this long explanation about how he has not, how I’m not ready for it, he’s too young, too timid and maybe Mad Dog can take him to a sparring class because I don’t want to see it.

I think a simple ‘no, he has not’ would have sufficed.

Needless to say, as soon as I’m done with my crazy little speech, the instructor approaches me and asks if  T.Puzzle has his sparring gear.

Today is the day.

Yikes!!

The more I thought about it the more I realized my concerns about T.Puzzle sparring had nothing to do with him.

I am associating this with him being grown-up.

Newsflash— he is growing up.

Sometimes knowledge like this is worse than a flying high kick to the head.

After it was over, it was all relatively harmless, and T.Puzzle shouted, ‘that was the most awesomest!’, I paused and tried to be grateful for how well he handled it. 

Me? 

I still have a ways to go yet.

children, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Pinch Me

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More often than not, Mad Dog and I have these surreal moments, especially as a weekend draws to a close, where we look at each other in disbelief and say, ‘the boys were really well behaved, weren’t they?”  It’s almost like we need someone to pinch us or that we need to thumbprint our kids to make sure that they are really, truly ours.

When public outings for so long have been a battle ground, it’s refreshing when they simply become enjoyable.

I didn’t see that coming at all.

And, for those who read this blog regularly, I bet you didn’t either.

Fun at the Alligator Farm.
children, gratitude, health, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self care (or lack thereof)

Help Me!

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It’s not easy to ask for help, is it?

I’m trying to let go of control a little more and give my babysitter more responsibility.  I know this will get easier with time and my life might even feel more manageable.  Imagine that!

First up, I gave her a litany of instructions and let her pick up Full Speed from school.  This way I could go get my monthly allergy shots which are available at the most inconvenient times. 

She picked him up without a hitch and I survived my three shots of lord knows what and all was good.

Once I returned home, I picked her and Full Speed up and we headed to T.Puzzle’s school.  I added her to my child pick-up list and showed her the ropes.

Again, smooth sailing.  I was so proud of myself.  Look at me, everyone!  I’m letting someone help me.

It was liberating.

We get in the car and my boys were being, well…., boys.

They were chatty and loud.  They were fighting and hugging.  They were boisterous and sassy.

The babysitter looks at me.

“Well, now I know why you stopped at two,” she joked.

Smart girl.

children, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, tantrums

Soccer, Sunshine & the Stinky Face

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Disney Sports Soccer
Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday, the four of us hopped on our bikes and headed to the soccer fields.  The mail lady commented on how she wished she could join us in the sunshine as we whizzed by.

Full Speed rode his big boy bike.  No training wheels, no how.

We were golden.  We did some drills (all according to Mad Dog’s direction–my soccer knowledge consists of ‘kick the ball’ and ‘don’t use your hands’). 

The best part was when Mad Dog played ‘keep away’ from the me and the boys.  It took all three of us, intense concentration and sometimes we caught a break to occasionally knock the ball from Mad Dog’s skilled feet.  The boys loved this game. 

Then, Mad Dog tried to have Full Speed run a  ‘dribbling’ drill.  Apparently this means doing something with your feet and has nothing to do with the fine motor control of retaining saliva in your mouth.  Since Full Speed wasn’t good at controlling the ball in this manner; he pouted, cried and acted like a very spoiled two year old. 

The bike ride home was drama-filled and drawn out.  Full Speed refused to pedal (he’s not so great at riding without training wheels yet either).

At least the weather was lovely.

Eventually, Mad Dog had to coax Full Speed home on foot and I had to carry his bike while balancing mine with my free hand.  It was a long walk home.

I’m so thankful for second chances and new days.

So far so good.

I guess sometimes you need to go to the brink of bad behavior before you can return to the land of the well-behaved.
 

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