Category: motherhood

children, family, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

Cupcake Parenting

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Unfortunately I have yet to master the art of successfully shopping with my boys (see ‘On Second Thought).  Even though I know this, sometimes we end up in stores anyway. 

After a lovely lunch ocean side this weekend, Mad Dog and I decided to spontaneously grocery shop with the boys on our way back home.  As we walked in the entrance of the store, the boys must have been confused and thought we were at a sports arena.  They started to race each other and I immediately began throwing penalty flags.  I grabbed each one by their face and threatened that they better get it together.  They squeaked a ‘yes, ma’am’ through their squished cheeks and we moved forward. 

I’m not sure, but somewhere near the frozen section, they started to lose it again.  Mad Dog reprimanded them and I did the only logical thing I could,…I headed straight to the bakery to find some cupcakes to help me cope.  I landed on a lovely set of vanilla dazzlers with a crown of glorious, whipped icing.  As I placed them lovingly in the cart, the boys came over and peered longingly at my selection.

“Are we going to get one for a treat?” they asked.

“I’m guessing by your behavior, probably not,”  I said (more for me!!).

Magically they transformed.  They became polite, thoughtful and dare I say it, even quiet.  Yes, that’s right folks, they became quiet.  I’ll give you a minute as the shock of this settles over you…

They acted as if they were the most normal and calm children in the world.

And all this time I’ve been trying to discipline them with structure, expectations and privilege dispensation.

Who knew all I needed were cupcakes?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

children, family, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

‘Big’ Brother

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The sibling relationship is a complicated wonder.  It is the first relationship where you learn that you are not the center of the universe.  You also learn that the behavior of others is out of your control.  Whenever I hear T.Puzzle repeating everything Full Speed says in an annoying, sing-songy way, I know Full Speed is learning about patience and self-control.  Meanwhile, T.Puzzle learns about self-preservation as Full Speed physically attacks him in retaliation.  Sibling relationships aren’t always pretty, but they challenge us to be more of who we are.

I often wonder how my boys view their relationship with each other.  Are they good friends?  Are they fierce competitors?  Or, more likely, are they a bit of both of these?

I think T.Puzzle’s recent drawing of him and his brother sums it up perfectly.  Yes, he is thankful for his brother, but note how T.Puzzle’s stick figure is on the right.  Interesting that he drew himself nearly twice the size of his older, taller brother Full Speed.  As a younger sister myself, I think T.Puzzle is a brilliantly talented artist.  Don’t you?

Full Speed and the giant T.Puzzle enjoying time together.
Full Speed and the giant T.Puzzle enjoying time together.
children, family, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

The Real Deal

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The day has finally arrived when Full Speed asked me point-blank about Santa Claus.  While he has had suspicions in the past, these were easily overcome by simple explanations.  Now, as the reasoning parts of his brain, along with those of his second grade class, are becoming more sophisticated, so are my explanations.  I didn’t mind dropping an occasional fib here and there about the ‘realness’ of Santa.  I’m started to become uncomfortable as my web of lies expands as Full Speed throws more and more complicated questions my way.

How long do I hold out before I have a sit-down with him and he knows the truth once and for all?  Unfortunately, this is feeling like sooner rather than later.  Right now, Full Speed is content to hold on a little longer even though physical evidence seems to indicate there isn’t a Santa.   In his words, “Maybe Santa is invisible.  Just because we can’t see him, doesn’t mean he isn’t real.”

Isn’t faith in anything believing even when it seems impossible and all evidence points to the contrary?

If this is the case, Santa is real.  He is very, very real.

Full Speed busts out is best Santa impersonation…
T.Puzzle’s soapy Santa version.
children, family, gratitude, humor, kids, motherhood

Thankfulness is the Game (Happy Thanksgiving!)

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I am thankful for each and every one of you that takes time to follow my little blog.  Whether you are inclined to so because we are related, because you are my friend or because we share a similar experience in life, motherhood or otherwise, I am thankful for you.  I am thankful for a husband who accepts me as I am, on good days and on bad ones, too.  I am thankful for my boys who continue to amaze me.  Sometimes this aforementioned amazement borders on mind-numbing frustration depending on the day you ask me.  Most days are awesome and some days are not and should never be mentioned again (blogging about them is the exception of course!).

I don’t know if this motherhood thing is going to get easier.  I have a sneaking suspicion that in some ways it will and in others, it will only increase in complexity.

I’m game if you are.

What do these guys have in store for me next?
motherhood

On Second Thought

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Had I’d known the impending insanity that was about to go down that evening in the department store, I may have reconsidered sharing my thoughts on motherhood.  I had run into a friend at the grocery store.  As we caught each other up on how the kids were doing, I made the mistake of saying that motherhood was ‘so much better’ now that the boys were older.  I rambled on about how I didn’t do well with the boys in their younger days but now, apparently, motherhood was as light and free as a cool fall breeze.

Naturally, when I took my boys to get T.Puzzle some new shoes after dinner (seriously?!? how do boys destroy sneakers in only two month’s time?), the boys were in full-on circus mode.  There was a lot, and I mean A LOT, of racing about to see if the new shoes made T.Puzzle fast, and for the record, they did.  Full Speed kept hiding behind stacks of shoes and then would jump out in an ambush stance aiming a pretend gun at me.  T.Puzzle carried it further by trying to dance with one of the mannequins in the women’s department, and no, So You Think You Can Dance will not be calling our house anytime soon.

By the time I reached check-out, I was pretty much done in.  The woman behind me empathized and tried to encourage me.  I told her it was my own fault that I had falsely created a reality in which I believed my boys to be calm, normal humans who could walk among society in a civilized fashion.

Maybe my next conversation about motherhood I need to share the opposite.  I will tell whoever asks me that my boys are like crazy, rogue ninjas that answer only to some unseen force that compels them to misbehave.

Somehow, I think this would only wind up as an accurate description of a typical day.

The boys enjoying pizza while their little minds formulate mayhem. So happy now, so sad when they went to bed early as a result of their unfortunate choices.