Getting Things into Perspective...and other funny tales

So, the past weekend was one of the best that I've had in a while. Not sure why, really. We did nothing special, but I was so appreciative of it. Sure, it was nice to get away from work, but I really was able to have a moment or two to sit back and recognize how blessed we are. Beautiful children. Happy children. Healthy children. Happy family. Yes, I am battling with my issues of wanting to stay home, but....Oh. My. Goodness. We seem to be surrounded by people, events, and situations that are far more heart wrenching than a mother's want to stay home. My heart breaks each time I see a facebook update of children, who are suffering from illness...fighting a battle that no child should ever fight. So, this weekend, I had a little slap of reality....moments that put things into perspective.  Lord, please be with those courageous children and their precious families.

On to happier notes...

Yes. This weekend was nice. We were able to do a little shopping and spend time with my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews. It was great. The weather was nice. The kids were WONDERFUL. They are really growing up. At a restaurant, I had someone come up to us and say, "They are so GOOD and ADORABLE!" Yep. I have to say they are BOTH! :) My stories of their mischief may indicate otherwise, but they ARE really great kids. For the most part, they follow directions, and my heart smiles each time I hear them say, "Thank you," or "My lub you momma."  Mallory has gotten on a kick of saying the latter at least FIFTY times a day. It never gets old. EVER. EVER.

I do have a few funny stories from the weekend (which again may indicate something OTHER than SWEET CHILDREN!):

Story One: Makin' Deals

Not sure where all of this talk of making deals has come from. All of the kids are VERY much into making deals. Cameron woke up Saturday morning, saw the sun, and said, "Get up daddy. The sun is out. Dat already the deal!" Later that day, Faith claimed from the back seat, "Ok. We listen to music a little bit, then we watch a movie. That's the deal."

Story Two: Toilet Paper Tail

Faith is too busy. Although she is the girl, who was supposed to be easier to potty train than Cameron, she is the one, who still has accidents. She simply doesn't have time to go. She always comes back with, "It's just a wittle bit!" She knows that just a "wittle bit" doesn't really matter to me, and she knows that I am not a happy momma when these "accidents" happen. I was at the stove on Sunday evening. I hear Faith calling Cam's name. Hmmmm. I turn around to see Faith standing in the living room half naked with a toilet paper tail...yes...coming from her hiney. She is ecstatic claiming, "I have a tail, Cam." I knew something was up...as if THAT wasn't a clue. So, there I go chasing her into the bathroom to find an "accident" that she was trying to clean up herself. GREAT. I was busy telling her, "You need a diaper. I am going to get you one!" She was all upset....especially when we found Mallory hurriedly grabbing diapers and placing them in Faith's panty drawer. BOY DID THAT DO IT....Faith was FURIOUS. All I could do was laugh!  Mallory learns from the best....which leads into story three.

Story Three: "My not wear panties...my wear boxa briefs!!!"

Anyone, who knows Cam, knows that he likes to tease. He loves to tell his Poppy that he wears diapers or panties. Of course, in return, my dad torments him about HIS wearing panties. I must get SOME pesty habits from my dad because I decided to do some teasing myself this weekend. As I was folding Faith's princess panties, I told Cam that I would put them in HIS underwear drawer. He laughed it off. Soon, I found a pair of HIS underwear in MY drawer. That little sneak. I can't get ANYTHING on him!!!

Yes. I have crazy kids. I have funny kids. I. AM. BLESSED. :)

Looks ARE Deceiving

I am not one to judge working mothers. As a whole, we are working as hard as we can to do the best that we can in so many different realms. I do, however, often think, "How does she do it?! Four kids, work, ballgames, etc?! That chick has it together!" I am sure that others may think that I have it together, too. I am one of those....that everything looks pretty decent on the outside.  My house is considerably clean, my classroom is cute and organized, I post happy smiling pictures on facebook. However, you have not seen my closets, drawers, purse, and under the beds. You have never seen me post the pictures of the times that I really want to pull my hair out! The mess in my closet and drawers is probably the best depiction of my life....from the inside at least.  My mind is all over the place. My heart is torn between home and work. I keep a jumbled, nervous stomach most of the time. So. Yes. Looks are deceiving.

Let me tell you a not-so-pretty story. I pulled in the driveway yesterday. Johnny Appleseed activity in my hand (I was pretty pumped about that), I hear Cameron screaming bloody murder. I get closer to the door and hear screams of, "I want my daddy!!!" Ok. So I am NOT the person that Cam was wanting to see. Boo. It might sound silly, but I was just so saddened by it...and a little infuriated (not at Cam...but just the situation). The only thing that made it better was that when I DID get in arms reach, Cameron DID want me, and I held him close. However, my mind was simply whirling, and I heatedly told Cody later in the evening, "THAT is what happens when DADDY takes them to school. THAT is what happens when DADDY picks them up. THAT is what happens when momma is NEVER there!" THAT is what happens when DADDY has to give them a bath at night because I was literally so exhausted and achy from whatever this is that I have that I couldn't move...not to mention the depression of it had set in. You can call me silly, sensitive, unappreciative, crazy, or whatever it is that you want after reading this, but, boy, is this feeling better getting it all out. I can't usually verbalize it because I get in such an emotional state! Writing is better. So. No, I don't have it all together. No. My ducks are not ALL in a row (just some of them).

Getting back to the initial paragraph: I NEVER judge working mothers. EVER. We are fighting the same battles every day and some of us are fighting battles that we don't begin to know about. I don't even judge mothers, who WANT to work, and the thought of staying at home makes the cringe. Whatever floats your boat. It's not me, though. It's not me at ALL. I give my heart and soul into my work with the children of others. I love them like they are mine. The problem is that I have given so much, that I feel that my work at home is inadequate. That is NOT OK. Since I can not really do anything about it at this point, I pray that I can come to peace with my performance at work and home. I don't think that I have ever found a balance between the two although I desperately need to.

Surprises, Surprises

Kids are just full of surprises. I don't just mean the "turn around and find them standing on the counter" kind of surprises, either (although, my kids are FULL of those). I'm talking about the surprises that make you so very proud (although it IS impressive that Cam can climb handles of the kitchen cabinets).

This week, I am SO surprised and proud of my little ones. Cameron, has totally impressed me with his being the "tough guy." Never, ever, ever did I think that he would take going to school so well. I ALWAYS said, "Cam needs Faith." Well, he has yet to cry at school, and it is quite the opposite. Faith needs Cam.  Faith is really stepping it up this week, though. She didn't cry today...after only three days! WOOHOO! Mallory, who I so feared of leaving home by herself, is actually soaking it up! I think that she is enjoying the solo time. She has her own book bag and does her own thing while Faith and Cam are away. She has yet to cry about being alone. So...yes...my kids have surprised me this week, and they have made me so, so proud.

Faith and Cam really seem to like school. They are quick to tell me of the kids that have "moved apples" or done something inappropriate, which makes me fearful of what THEY are doing. Haha. I would really love to be a fly on the wall in there. I'm a bit disappointed in that when I finally get home, they have tired of talking about school. I want details!!! They look at me like, "Mom. We are so over talking about school." HAHA!

On another note, the sitter is out this week. My family is so wonderful. We have grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunts pitching in. How great is that?! I think that the kids are liking the change-up although they miss their Granny B.  I am having to take on more at home with more washing and tidying up (Granny B normally handles much of this). Call me crazy, but I am enjoying it (ask me on Friday and the story may be different). I often tire of relying on other people to do things that I feel like I should be doing (don't judge...I can be a control freak). So, for now, I am liking taking on these extra duties. FOR. NOW.

Here is a pic that Cody sent me this morning. I make him send me one most mornings. The kids think they have to take one every day, as well. They actually mentioned taking a picture to Cody first. LOL!

I will post a pic of Mallory tomorrow. Right now, she is soaking it up by spending the night with Pat and YaYa...a special treat since she does not get to go to school. She is loving it, and I am sure that I will have a cute pic to come!

Here We GO!

So, I thought that I was the tough one. I laughed about Cody not being able to take the first day of school with the kiddos. BIG. MISTAKE.

The kids met the teacher last Thursday. I happily took them. I was fine. On the drive over, however, I began to get this sense of panic...a tummy full of butterflies, a bit of a rapid heartbeat, and a lump in my throat...yep....felt like it was MY first day of school (and it was JUST open house!). I really didn't think much of it, though It was just the stress of getting them ready and the worry of leaving Mallory unhappily behind...right? Well...wrong. When we went through the door of the church, I got this overwhelming need to cry. I felt the tears coming up in the corners of my eyes, and I fought. HARD. For the first few minutes, I couldn't really look at the teachers, I just looked at the kids and occupied myself with them....that was the ONLY way I was going to get through it. I did...they did. They were SUPER excited before going, but they became extremely shy when arriving. There were no tears(from them) and not that much clinging. So I was pleased. They seemed excited to return! YAY!

Right before Open House

The big day was today. I was not looking forward to it...although I know that my kids will LOVE it and I WANT them to go. IT'S. SO. SAD. Faith and Cameron were easy to wake up and get going...half of the battle! They were super excited to head out. They even bounded out of the car, posing for pictures. Then, we entered the church. Long story short, Cam became very quiet and we left Faith screaming. I can not count the number of times that I  have cried today....leaving the school, talking to others about the experience, and the list goes on.

They were so excited!

Cameron being silly...Faith looks sad, but she wasn't at this point...just an itchy eye! ;)

Getting a little scared!

 



Good news is....THEY LOVED IT. Faith did not cry for long (so I am told), they were full of details from their day, and they are ready to go back (we shall see tomorrow)!!! YAY!!! I asked Cameron if he talked to his teachers. His reply? "Yeah. I said my can tee-tee all [by] myself." Ha. Ha. He also said that his favorite part was the "paygound."  Faith was a bit quiet about her day, but she did say that she had fun.

I can't wait to see what happens day by day!!! If I could stop this insane crying, I think we will be good to go! OMIGOODNESS!

Go Away Cold!

I sure hope that we are getting all of the sickness out of our system NOW so that the kids will be ready for school to start! This week has been tough for my little ones. Mallory had a cold a couple of weeks ago. She must be one tough cookie, because she fought it off and bounced back quickly. Faith and Cameron, on the other hand, have really struggled this week. They were so pitiful. We battled fever, runny noses, and coughs. They were taking naps and they were not up to their usual mischief! Poor things! Monday, I got home to find that Faith's eye was pink and a little puffy. My immediate thought was, "pink eye," but I hoped that it was simply cold. After I panicked and worried about what to do (I HATED to take off work), I simply called the doctor and they called something in to the pharmacy...WHEW. Of course, Cameron's eyes became "pink," as well.

I DO have one funny story....

I guess that I was telling a lie above...the whole thing about them not being up to mischief. For most of the week, they have napped and watched television. HOWEVER, on Wednesday, they began to perk up a bit. Of course, I was unaware that they were feeling so much better, and I was so stressed about being at work while they were sick and the decision of whether to take them to the doctor or not. So, I was calling every couple of hours to see if they had any fever and to make a decision of, "Do I leave work or do I not?" That's when I learned that Cameron had taken a fall. From what I can understand, he was jumping from a chair. When I talked to the sitter, I found that Cameron was refusing to walk. He said that it didn't hurt, but he refused to walk. I got him on the phone to make sense of it all, and he told me, "I teasin' B." That's what they call the sitter. Well, I tried to reason with him that if it doesn't hurt and if he is JUST teasing, he should walk. Still, he refused. Having said that, Granny B was carrying him wherever he wanted to go. Still, I was concerned. OMG...I mean, if he had ANOTHER broken foot, DFACS would definitely be calling me. Seriously. I called Cody up, and he went on home to inspect the foot. As soon as he saw Cody, he jumped up and said, "I can walk, Daddy," and he took off. The sitter thought it was funny, and I laughed it off. However, I was beyond irritated, and we had a little heart to heart. :)

Soooo.....it seems that everyone is on the mend and we have no broken bones. I consider that to be a fairly successful week, right?

I sure hated that my babies felt bad...but they loved to snuggle and I took FULL advantage.

Going out on a Limb

It was back to school week! AHHHH! I am definitely getting used to getting up at the crack of dawn every morning! Overall, I think that I have done very well with the leaving the kids part. I have had a couple of good cries...in private....but I am holding it together fairly well. There have been certain times during my first days back that I have had to just walk away. All of these little bitty babies keep reminding me of my own! I was trying so hard to comfort a preschooler the other day that I had to finally rub his little face, pat his little head, say that it would be ok, and walk away. I almost lost it. Really. No kidding. Ahhh...but I battled with that ALL YEAR last year. So, I am not so sure I will overcome that one. 

The kids are adjusting VERY well to my being gone. It's like there's no change at all. Cameron has said that he doesn't want me to go to work, and Faith usually asks each night who will be there in the morning (which breaks my heart). Other than that, though, they are doing GREAT....and loving having their way with the sitter...lol!

 I know that most mothers work these days, and I am extremely blessed to have a summer and holidays with my children. So, I am going to hold on to those positives for now. However, I am also convinced that God doesn't intend for us to feel "stuck" or accepting of an existence full of what ifs and regrets...and I think that as a society that's what we do. We go to jobs that we are unhappy in. We sit back and think that's the way that it should be. We convince ourselves that there's nothing else that we can do, and we worry about what people may think or say if we go out on a limb. I believe that I think with my head a little too much....and with my heart not enough. After all of this rambling, I must clarify that I don't HATE my job...or the profession. There are some changes that I would like to make, however. I am vowing to follow my heart these days and see just where that takes me. Praying for blessings and a peace like no other.

Speaking of going out on a limb, and taking chances, our family is about to do just that. As most know, we did so about a year ago. Cody partnered with a friend and opened up a business, Down South Diesel. We could only hope and pray. Opening a business these days is scarier than ever...A BIG RISK. So, I am so happy and proud to announce that we are expanding!!! WOOHOO!!! Cody has outgrown his current building and is moving right up the road to a bigger shop (as long as all details work out). I say "we" are expanding....like I have something to do with it...lol! Through much stress and hard work, Cody is making it happen. Can we say very proud?!  I do believe that I typed this last year, and, so, I will say it again. Things may get harder before they get better. We know that there is a risk. We are asking for continued prayers and support. We are following our hearts...enough said!

Now to the funny part of my blog (sorry this is SO long, but I have not written in a while)! I think that Cameron and Faith are ready for their school to start. As I go to and from school, I think that they are a little confused. They asked, "When are we going to school?"  I am working hard on getting them "school ready." I don't mean teaching them their ABCs and 123s or anything of that nature. I am talking about coaching them on "how not to embarrass me." As I have mentioned, they love words such as, "poop," "poop head," "booger," etc. We constantly talk about how those words are inappropriate and not what we say anywhere......ESPECIALLY SCHOOL....ESPECIALLY A CHURCH PRESCHOOL. So, during one of these conversations, Faith says, "...but that's how we talk, Momma." Bless her heart. She was SO serious.  Cameron was quietly listening in on this conversation, and says, "Well, can my shake my booty?"  I can see him breaking it down right in the sanctuary.  Cameron is also more interested in DOING bodily functions at school. He is SO proud of his poop in the potty. He told me that he was gonna' "drop a big bolda (boulder)" at school. OMG...thanks for the terminology, CODY PATRICK!!! 

I love my kids...I really, really do. I act like they embarrass me, but their funny little personalities keep me going. I'm so glad that they are not boring...lol! Who wants a kid that never says or does anything completely off the wall?

Ran across this on my computer. It's an old one but good one (I've probably posted it before).

Adventures at PCPS

I think that I mentioned that I have a one-track mind. So, I have this thing looming ahead of me and driving me crazy....it's called "school is starting in less than a week and I have to get my room ready....NOW!" We have very few preplanning days, and, although I have gone over a couple of times this summer, I want my room completely finished before the first day of preplanning. Then, I can actually PLAN...makes sense, right?  Therefore, going to school was a MUST today....even if it meant taking the kids with me. That's right. You heard me. It was all very eventful, but I must say that they were TROOPERS.

So, first of all, I was completely shocked that two staff members asked me, "Are they all yours!?" I get that question all the time from strangers, but most people at school know of my litter...and that's what most people remember if they don't know anything else. REALLY. Lots of times, people do not introduce me as the spectacularly amazing teacher that I am (just kidding), but as the mommy of three children three years and under. Oh. Well. I like to be known as the mommy of these incredible babies. So....anyway....it was funny to find someone, who didn't even begin to know our story.

I really didn't have that much to do in my classroom, but I wanted to hang some things and move things around. I also scheduled a meeting with a new teacher, who I will be collaborating with. Overall, the kids were super good...just busy. They liked to climb on my ladder. Their hands went straight towards the scissors. They loved the sink. They were probably the least behaved when I met with the teacher....of course. My attention was diverted a bit, so they took full advantage. During our little adventure, these are some of the things that occurred:

~the ladder was climbed multiple times during my nice meeting, although I asked that to be stopped multiple times
~the ladder was climbed with scissors in hand, even
~during their interest in cleanliness and washing their hands, the sink faucet was somehow turned to run all over the counter and onto the floor
~Cameron couldn't make up his mind if or when he had to do his business...so I imagine that we went to the restroom at least ten times...no exaggeration.
~We finally had a little accident so we had to do a change.
~During my meeting, in which I was really trying to make a good impression, Faith somehow pulls up YouTube, and finds an inappropriate song...I think that it had the word "hell" in it...OMG!!!
~During my meeting, Faith had YouTube going and Mallory and Cameron had Laurie Berkner from Nick Jr blasting....very distracting
~When helping the nice teacher out to her car with files, Faith held the door. She also allowed it to shut...which locked us out of the building. So, we had to make a nice, heated walk around the school.
~During our walk, Mallory had a little leak, and I was covered with urine. Yay.

I think that sums it up. LOL! I know the list makes it sound as if it were a horrible day....but it wasn't so bad. We were there for five hours, and they were actually really good. I think that I pooped them out, too....they were so irritable AND exhausted the remainder of the evening.

Love these babies!