children, happiness, humor, mommyhood

Bubbly


My boys love to play attack bubble. Up to this point I have been designated the official bubble maker and distributor of the family. These roles were demanding and draining. I received lots of ‘coaching’ from the boys on how I could increase my bubble production rate and my bubble creativity. I have to say, all the critiques were beginning to burst my bubble.

Then Mad Dog suggested I get an automatic bubble machine.

Life is good.

Let me know what invention or coping mechanism has been a life-saving tool for you. I would like to add fast-food drive thrus, portable DVD players, babysitters and my personal favorite, mango mojitos to my own list.

Long live the bubble machine!
gratitude, happiness, mommyhood

The Real ‘Secret’

If you have two ‘spirited’ children and you want to have a leisurely lunch, the kind of lunch where you sit outside, have an actual conversation with your in-laws, eat tons of salsa and chips and slowly sip a mango mojito here’s what you do:

Take your kids to the beach for three and a half hours, no more no less, before you go and you are golden and delicious. Just like your mojitos.

children, gratitude, happiness, mommyhood

Cute Kid

As little T.Puzzle is passionately fighting to be independent, he’s had some serious behavioral infractions and a series of time-outs and tantrums. These have all been meticulously documented by me on this very blog. I thought maybe I would share some good stuff so I don’t get stuck in a woe-is-me rut and T.Puzzle can only partially blame me for his possible future emotional dysfunction. And, I wanted to do it because sometimes this kid can be really, really cute.

The first picture is of him playing in the sand at a nearby park. My friend and her baby walked with us there. Little T.Puzzle tried to act as if my friend was his personal assistant. He immediately starts ordering her around and telling her where to put the water, the bucket, etc. He is very directive just like his brother and father before him. And you wonder why I have issues? Anyway, he had a blast and he was a lot of fun to watch as he attacked the sand with gusto. My friend was gracious and patient with him as always (thank you!).

This second picture shows that even though he craves independence, he doesn’t ever like to be left alone even if I’m only in the next room. On the days it’s the two of us, he follows me from room to room about 90% of our day. Here he is playing with his beloved Thomas the Train at my feet while I blog. He knows enough to leave Mommy alone when she’s typing but there are times he still manages to put his feet (yes, his feet not his hands) or his Thomas the Train on the keyboard just to make sure Mommy is paying attention.

This third one is to show how marvelous his dimples are! I mean with a smile like that, this kid could get away with just about anything.

I posted these pics to remind myself tantrums and/or aggressive behavior do not ultimately define my little T.Puzzle. They are just a small part of him and all the other parts like tenacity, creativity and zest for life are pretty spectacular.

Love you, little T.Puzzle!

children, happiness, mommyhood

Acceptance

This book I’m reading about ‘spirited kids’ has been eye-opening. I’m reading it slowly as there is a lot to process. I’m at a section now where it talks about letting go of your dream ‘phantom’ child and getting on board with your very different, incredibly awesome child/children you got instead.

I always imagined motherhood to be about quiet snuggling, long serene walks and hours of reading books together (much like my own childhood experiences). I still have not completely accepted that this will never ever happen. Even as I sat with the boys last night on the couch to watch a family show, they could not sit still even for a millisecond. There was so much movement happening I’m surprised we all didn’t topple over into a big heap.

So, I can either keep my impossible dream of quietude alive or not. Which do you suppose will yield a better outcome?

children, happiness, mommyhood

International Dinner

The boys’ school hosted an international dinner. I took Full Speed as my date because he is super-cute and when it’s just him, he is a lot of fun. We dined on Chinese, Brazilian, Jamaican and Italian food. Our last stop was American and he topped off his dinner with pretzels.

Overall, he was a good-sport and tried almost everything I gave him (except the Jamaican curry chicken). It was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time. Thanks, Full Speed.