How Do You Know Your Children Are Growing Up?

When they stop taking naps.  Excuse me a moment while I weep. 


Bed time around here was getting to be no fun. Well, less fun than normal.  It was taking years hours for the kids to get to sleep. Numerous trips to the bathroom.  Hundreds of "Mommy!  My (insert random body parts) hurts". 

Nap time, it was the same story.  Taking too long to get to sleep, by the time the littles were asleep, it was too late in the afternoon, so I'd have to wake them.  

These days, we've been skipping the naps, and having "quiet time".  Watching a movie or reading quietly so mommy can get some much needed facebook  meditation time in.  

About 4 o'clock, you can start to see  we're all tired. Jeven falls asleep watching "The Ellen Degeneres Show"educational programming. Jarrett freaks out because he can't have ice cream 45 min. before dinner. And Josie...we'll just leave it at she probably still needs a nap every day.  


And then there's me. By 4 o'clock, my brain is so "full" of mothering-stuff, I can't think straight. Even though we're having "quiet time", I'm still required by law wanting to be a mother and be "involved" with the kids. 


No nap time has changed my life. I compare it to when my kids were FINALLY out of diapers.  It changed my life. No more poopy pants. No more spending oodles of money we don't have on diapers. 
But, on the other  hand, all that's being replaced with stopping at every restroom in every public place we've ever been. Sometimes more than once per visit. Teaching them to wipe their own tushies.  


No nap time means no more rearranging my schedule around when the kids have to take naps. We can now do errands ALL. DAY. If I chose too. Which, I am not insane (yet) so I have yet to make that choice. But, it does "free" me up. 
On the other hand, there's no time for myself. Unless I lock myself in my room and blog. Which I'm doing now. But, the pounding and whining "I'm hungry! I've only eaten everything in the house and I'm still hungry" is distracting. 


So. I will end with this:  I miss nap time. It's been part of my day to day life for 11 years. But, there is something to be said about curling up with a small child that is my own, on the couch and watching "How to Train Your Dragon" for the upteenth time this week.  


I'll take it.

Real Estate

Josie:  Mom, why do rich people have so much stuff?

Me:  Cause they can afford it. If we were rich, you'd want lots of stuff too.

Jeven:  It wouldn't fit in our house!

Me:  If we were rich, we'd get a bigger house!


Jeven: Why don't we have a bigger house?

Me:  Because we're NOT rich.


Josie:  Jeven, houses cost lots and lots of money. Like, ten thousand dollars.


Jeven:  Well, me and Jarrett could give mom our pennies from our banks.


Josie:  No, houses cost dollars, not pennies. Mom?  When you buy a house, do you get the change back?

Awwww...the innocence of children. 

Randomness

 I love the randomness that is my children.  When things are tough, they can pull me right back to where I belong--where the little things don't matter and the big picture is a donkey.


Picture it.  Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010.  9:37 a.m. Our house. 
There is approx. 8 min. until we need to be leaving to make it to church on time.

Judd is just now getting into the shower.

Jayce, showered and dressed, is spraying enough AXE body spray to choke any healthy person.

Jarrett is running around with only his socks on  (black, of course).

Jeven is doing his best to dress himself.  Jeven, being Jeven, is not so successful.

Josie spills her entire bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Whoever said "don't cry over spilled milk" obviously never had to clean it up. 

I'm doing my best to live up to my Sunday School teacher persona and not cuss at everyone.

Jeven walks up to me and announces:  "I wish I could hug a donkey."

So do I ,Jeven.  So do I.

Reasons Why I Haven't Been Blogging

• I have 4 children. 2 in public school, 2 home schooled.  We use an online program, therefore the computer is occupied during the day. 
• I also have a husband.  Who is going through a tough time right now.  So, when I'm not taking care of the bullet point above, I'm taking care of him. Which means no computer time in the evenings. 
• I have been ill. Massive headache for several days, possibly sinus infection. On a positive note, having taken such awesome care of my husband for the last hundred years few days, he is now taking care of me!
• I teach a preschool Sunday School class. Which means, every week, I write up a lesson, make an age appropriate craft and pray extra hard that Zane doesn't injure someone this week. Or tell me to F*#@ off.  
• I've been babysitting more lately.  Good for the pocket book, bad for the stress. 

I do have some posts written. In my mind. Hopefully, I'll be able to make them a reality soon.
Thanks for sticking with me! (31 followers, a new record for me!)

The One Where I Was Really Embarrassed.

Before I tell this story, if I know you in real life (IRL), you must never, ever bring this up.  So, like at Thanksgiving dinner, when we're all sitting around eating stuffing and pumpkin pie?  Don't even think about it.  You know who you are.  (In fact, if you don't think you'll be able to resist teasing me about it, just don't read this.)

My husband returned on Friday, after being gone for over a week.  After spending that many days with his 82 yr. old grandfather, hunting for deer, all he brought home was a tiny rock lizard and a desire to eat dinner at 4 in the afternoon. 

And a desire for other activities as well.  (wink wink)

Since I was in desperate need to get out of the house by myself  had a shopping list for Walmart all ready to go, my husband pulls me aside and says "Why don't you get some of that flavored stuff?" (wink wink) I said I was game and headed out the door.

I went to Walmart, put the few things in my cart--soap, light bulbs, bread and flavored "stuff". You know, all the essentials.  It was Friday afternoon, at Walmart. Do I need to go into detail about how long the lines to check out were?  Didn't think so.

I chose the express lane, where a (guessing here) 60ish yr.old lady was the cashier.  Where the man behind me didn't know the meaning of personal space and was in a bigger hurry than me.

Beep. There goes the light bulbs.
Beep. There goes the bread.
Beep. The soap.
Beep. There goes the....

"OH!!?? WHAT'S THIS STUFF?  STRAWBERRY?  LOOKS YUMMY.  WHAT IS THIS?  OH!! MY!!!"

And there's me.  Staring bug-eyed at this cashier lady.  Not only wasn't she aware they made such a thing as flavored lube, but she felt it was necessary to announce to everyone around that I was purchasing some. (and might I add, I am NOT the only one! It was the last one on the shelf!!)

To her credit, she quickly apologized  and threw it into the bag.  It was hard to say who was more embarrassed, her or me.

Probably me. Yes, at 35, even with 4 kids, I can be somewhat of a prude.  Although, not Friday night!!

(please, please, don't bring this up over the grand kids' next birthday party!) 

Hands

On this hand:  You want me to babysit your 3 1/2 yr. old over night?  This week? The week my husband is out of town?  Are you out of your freaking mind?  Do you have any idea how tired I am??

On the other hand:  Seriously, it's not a big deal.  Of course I will. He will have fun, he will play with the boys and I will probably have more free time because of it.  I'm honored you'd ask.

On this hand:  OH!?  The one night has turned into 2 nights and 3 whole days?  Talk about taking advantage!

On the other hand:  Really, all things said, one extra kid doesn't make that  much of a difference.  Like I said before, he plays well with the other boys, they keep each other occupied.  And, he's used to being here, I will have no problems. You guys go, have a good time. 

On this hand:  You aren't leaving any food for him?  I am keeping him for 3 days, I have a very limited budget for food for my own family and you are not even leaving a loaf of bread?  Milk?  NOTHING??  Not even an insincere offer?

On the other hand:  How much does a 3 1/2 yr. old eat anyways?  Not enough to really matter, in the big scheme of things. My husband is gone, there is no way your little boy will even come close to making up my husband's share of the food.  Don't worry about it!  It's not that big of a deal to make another PB&J.

  Do you ever say "Yes" to something only because you don't have a good reason to say no?  Then, you complain, to whoever will listen, that these people did "this" to you. But, you're the one that said yes.  Because it's not a big deal?  But, yet it IS a big deal? 
But, then you feel stupid for complaining because you really DO love your friends and the little boy is REALLY not a problem.  And, you WANT to be the one that everyone wants for a babysitter.  You really DO want your house to be THE house that all the kids want to go to.  Anything like this ever happen to you?  Yeah. Happens all the time here.

I Am a Single Mom

At least this week. 

My hubby left last Thursday (that's 5 days ago, if you're counting) and will be gone quite possibly until Sunday (that's 5 more days, you math nerds). 
I'm no genius, but that seems like an awful lot of days with no back up around here. 

Honestly, I'm used to doing this parenting thing pretty much on my own.  For the most part.  The day to day stuff.
My husband works full time doing a very physical ( and anytime you work with the public, it's mental too )job.  His days off vary, the hours he gets home varies. 

Lately, he's been so over worked and over stressed, even when he's home, he's not "engaged" in the family.  By the time he's unwound, the kids are in bed.

I am really hoping his time away will help him "unstress" and come home ready to be part of the gang again. 

I miss him.