Category: gratitude

children, eyesight, gratitude, humor, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

A Lesson in Swimming

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We finished soccer just in the nick of time to start swim lessons.  Apparently there is no rest for the weary in our household.

I wasn’t sure how these lessons would go.  Full Speed is old enough and adapts well so I figured he would be okay.  I was more worried about T.Puzzle especially once the instructor confirmed the boys would not be allowed to wear their glasses in the pool.  This did not sit well with me.  I know it is necessary and I’m all about deferring to the instructor.  She has been doing this for years and I have to help her establish that what she says is the law.

Everything went smoothly with Full Speed except that he was a freezing, chattering mess by the end.  T.Puzzle was a different story.  He melted down early and often.  It was hard to sit and watch.  I had to resist the urge to jump fully clothed into the pool and rescue him.  Eventually, the instructor got him calm and he slowly began to overcome his fear.  By the end of the lesson he was determined to do whatever she asked of him and do it better than his brother had.  Sibling rivalry in this instance was a beautiful thing.

Full Speed looks on as T.Puzzle practices how to get safely out of the pool.

By watching T.Puzzle work through his fear I realized something.  If T.Puzzle can conquer a pool without glasses, he is going to be ready for anything life throws at him.

Except maybe his overprotective Mom hurtling herself towards him if he ever goes anywhere near the deep end of the pool.

Being brave is tiring
gratitude, kids, kindergarten, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self-discovery

It’s Time

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Full Speed on kindergarten screening day. Where did the time go?

We all have the ability to stop what we are doing and allow ourselves to be awakened to the present moment.  For me, it happens in the most random situations.  I was helping Full Speed’s home room Mom decorate his teacher’s door for teacher appreciation week.  Then it hit me.  Full Speed is almost done with kindergarten.  I let this thought settle over me.  It made me feel a pit of resistance in my stomach.  This year has gone by too fast.  He is getting older.  Every day he needs me a little bit less.  Every day I want to hold on to him tighter.  Instead, I have to let him go more freely.

I snapped out if it.  I returned to the task at hand.  The door was appropriately decorated and it was time to go.  Still some sadness over watching my boy grow up clung to me.

Full Speed had not felt well over the weekend.  He was tucked into bed early that evening to help combat whatever virus he was fighting.  After he was resting, Mad Dog and I heard an indistinguishable yelp from his room.  Mad Dog ran to investigate.  There was blood and Full Speed was visibly shaken.  Mom was called in for back-up.  The initial thought was Full Speed’s virus was now becoming more serious causing him to spew blood. 

Nope.  It was only a loose tooth that needed to come out.

I was so relieved.  And then I wasn’t.

The loss of a first tooth means baby teeth are making way for the grown up ones. 

I don’t like it.  I don’t like it at all.

Thankfully the tooth fairy is better adjusted to the growth of children than I am and left Full Speed a generous gift of money. 

Too bad she can’t give us back the gift of time while she’s at it.

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

Equal Rights

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There’s a certain balance that has to be maintained when raising children.  You have to be keenly aware of keeping things ‘equal’.  If you fall short a chorus of injustice will rise up from the ranks.

T.Puzzle was feeling slighted.  He was well aware that Full Speed had been on multiple dates with Mom while he had only been on one.

I hopped into action and scheduled a one on one outing with him. 

As you can tell from the photo, he was filled with much delight during our dining experience.

Equal rights for all!

children, gratitude, happiness, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self-discovery

Compare and Contrast

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When you have more than one child it is inevitable that you are going to compare them.  In fact, everyone will compare them.  This can be helpful when assessing your children’s developmental markers, predicting when their tantrum stage may end (0r not) and when trying to understand what makes each one tick.

It gets tricky when we get so caught up in labels that we sometimes forget to see what is right in front of us.

T.Puzzle has always appeared to be more timid and shy when compared to the robust nature of his older brother.  I’m not so sure anymore.

Watching him lead the Tiny Tiger oath during his graduation ceremony has led me to believe I may be  underestimating this kid.  His punches and kicks are not as intense as Full Speed’s at this age (see, there I go again with the comparing) and he tends to move at a slightly more calm pace (ever so slightly).  This doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own leadership qualities hidden underneath his rascally dimples.

Parenting should be less about labels and trying to figure out who our kids are going to be.  It’s more about letting who they are unfold naturally and all the glorious discoveries we will make about them as individuals along the way.

children, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Role Models

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Lately I’ve noticed that T.Puzzle has taken a genuine interest in learning to read.  He is also attempting to write letters and numbers.  He is highly motivated because he wants to do everything his big brother is doing. 

As long as he seems happy to learn these skills, I’m happy to help teach them to him.  In this instance having Full Speed as a role model for reading and writing success is a positive influence on T.Puzzle.

On the opposite end of siblings-as-role-models spectrum brings to mind a story my Mom told me many years ago.  My older sister simply refused to learn how to tie her shoes (for the record, she has since learned and is quite successful at it).  When my Mom asked her how she planned on getting them tied she replied she would wait until I was a little older and I could tie them for her.

Lucky me.

As you can see, there are pluses and minuses to having an older sibling.