Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Top 10 Annoying mommy moments

10. You tell your child to "Stop it" and they tell you what they were doing...I already knew what you were doing, that's why I said "STOP"!!!

9. "I forgot"--enough said.

8. "Do I have to eat all of this?"

7. "So and so's parents....let him/her...got him/her..." --yeah, so what?

6. "You gave him/her more than me!!"--yup, because we love him/her more than you.

5. 2 am, 3 am, 4 am, 5 am...get it?

4. When they think a rule has changed just because I didn't remind them of every rule that morning. (I guess we're supposed to read a list to them each day)

3. When you've entertained them all day and the minute you get home you hear "Can we...?" Give me a break!

2. Company while taking care of personal business...need I say more?

And now, I'm going to totally break all the rules my English teachers taught me. I'm going to go off track here and forget about parallelism... I'm going to replace the top "Most annoying Mommy Moment" with my Number One BEST Mommy moment. When you are sad or upset and they wrap their arms around you and they love you more than anyone else--------just because you are "MOMMY". Makes all the others pale in comparison, huh?

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter bunny??

I have a fundamental problem with the Easter bunny...ok, maybe I have several. My issues are not because of it not being the true meaning of Easter, that one is easy. I just tell my kids that the Easter bunny and candy are fun but are not the true meaning, etc...But, here are my problems:

1. Since when does a bunny lay eggs? (Shouldn't it be an easter CHICKEN??)
2. What's up with a huge bunny hopping all over (the world) and leaving baskets full of eggs w/ candy in them? (Do kids really believe this?? Or are they just afraid to rock the sugar-filled boat?)
3. How does said bunny get into the house? (Of all the things my children are deathly afraid of--shouldn't a huge bunny breaking and entering top the list?)
4. And why does it cost me so much money for the Easter bunny to visit our house?? (it's almost as much as Santa Claus--we'll talk about that one at Christmas time, that guy gets a lot of credit for money we spend too!)
5. Why does this stupid bunny leave this grass that you find until February of the next year? No matter how many times you vaccuum and sweep!? The Easter bunny is obviously MALE in gender!

Another thing...my brother brought up a good point. What does hiding eggs have to do with Jesus' resurrection? Did the people say "Here comes Jesus...quick! hide the eggs" LOL (P.S. I don't really want a history on why we hide eggs...this was just funny and made us think ;) )

This said, the kids love getting their baskets on Easter Sunday. So, I will continue to perpetuate this "fun" thing.

Then we head off to church where they hear all about the resurrection. :)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

If you give a Haley a minute....

If you give a Haley a minute she's going to get on the table. If she gets on the table then she'll realize there are markers up there. While you're taking the markers away and getting her down she will find a crayon on the floor. Then, while you're taking the crayon away and putting it up high high high, she will have found out that the school cabinet is open. Inside the school cabinet she will find many many treasures (scissors, school books, a whole box of colored pencils, a box of markers...) and will realize how many things she has been missing out on. While you're picking up said treasures off the floor and under the stove she will be on to the pantry--where she has found a box of cereal that is low enough for her to get and dump on the floor. And when she is done with that (before you can get to her to stop that disaster) she'll realize that dumping and crunching the cereals into smithereens has made her thirsty...so she will find a sippy cup that is NOT spill-proof and will proceed to pour it on the floor. Now, since the cereal is still on the floor, this will make a nice mush which you can clean up with paper towels...

While you are cleaning up the mush mess she will realize...that the table is not being watched and that she can get back up on it!!!!

And that, my dear friends, is what will happen in a Haley minute. Have I read a book like this??? ;)

Friday, March 14, 2008

5 Things

You know, I got tagged by a certain someone (Angie) who wants me to do one of those blogs where you list 5 things you do for yourself, for someone close to you, and for a complete stranger...I started trying to do it but lo and behold...I do very little for myself these days. I do even less for my husband and I didn't feel I could compress the list of things I do for the kids into 5. I then decided to make it sarcastic...that didn't even work for me. So, my goal? To find 5 things to DO for myself and my hubby! So, the exercise got me thinking...was it supposed to? :)

I really am blessed in my life (despite my griping). I remember a time when I longed for toys strewn about the house. I remember a time when I would see a woman with a toddler attached to her hip and I would just cry because I was sure it would never be me. I wanted to rock a baby through the night to calm his or her fears. I was even willing to clean up throw-up and messy diapers. I just wanted to be "mom" to someone. During the hubbub of daily life as the mom of 3 I forget just how precious each moment is. I find myself putting the kids off so that I can clean, play on the computer or just sit or whatever...I hear stories of a child who has died or is kidnapped and I think "What regrets would I have if that was my child?" and I know that those regrets would be those moments that I put them off, or snap at them for something little. Something that just belongs in the category of childish irresponsibility. I don't ever want to have those regrets. Of course I pray to God that I never have a cause to sit and tearfully count the times I messed up as a mom, but maybe if we all lived like that moment was tomorrow, today would be better. We'd enjoy the ride, not just aim for the destination.

Sometimes I see my children as a destination (getting them raised is the final "resting" place-when I get to rest that is) but the truth is they're only ours for a short time and they are meant to be enjoyed as much as possible. If we have our eyes focused on the "end" we'll miss the trip. And let me tell you, it's a trip!

So, the next time my 1 year old dumps the container of crayons again...or unfolds the laundry to use the basket it's in to play in or climbs up on the computer chair and "types" I want to remember how short the time is.


The next time my 7 year old asks (for the 15th time) if her hair looks pretty, leaves her shoes at the door, spills something AGAIN or forgets to tuck the shower curtain IN before showering I want to remember to ask my self "Will this matter in 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, 5 weeks? Most of the time the answer will be "no"


The next time my 5 year old wants to comb his hair into a mowhawk or wear camouflage everything-to church, or rides his scooter down the slide I want to remember how thankful I should be that I have a little boy and that he is healthy enough to do all this crazy stuff that little boys do.


I am mom to 3 beautiful children and my house is no longer mine, nor is my time...but I have something way better than a clean house, uninterrupted sleep and quiet time. I have those 3 kids that call me "mom" and I am needed!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Blessings and timing

Tonight I went to my Bible Study figuring if all I got out of it was a break (and a good snack) that'd be enough. Lo and behold I got more! The first half (discussion) I just sat there in a zombie sort of daze (really rough day) not participating at all. Then we watched the video and there were some things that the author (Beth Moore) said that just really were great.

She was telling the story of John the Baptists coming and how his parents were old and just never had had the blessing of having a child and how when his father (Zechariah) went to do his duty in the Holy of Holies (a great honor--once in a lifetime) he was met by the angel Gabriel who announced to him that he and his wife (Elizabeth) would have a baby...Well, Zechariah wasn't quite sure about this so he was struck dumb til after the baby's birth! Now, the author gave us quite the laugh at this point by saying how w/ no words to tell anyone what had happened people might have had some funny thoughts (when he came out of the tabernacle flapping his arms trying to say he saw an angel...and how Elizabeth must've thought he sure missed her ;) ) Anyways...I digress

Her point was to tell that when we feel like "How come everyone else has [fill in the blank--children, good marriage, great career] and I don't" It just might be that God has something great in mind for us. Rather than feeling picked on or left out we should think that just maybe we are so special that He has something SUPERnatural for us.

It reminded me of the cool timing of Lindsay's coming to us. I had spent years wanting a baby (4 1/2) and then lost the only one we had managed to conceive. I sure railed at God...truly thinking He must "hate" me to do that "to me"...After going through this anger at God (I never stopped believing in Him, just was sooo mad...) I finally surrendered to Him and I went to my pastor to talk to him about how I could get past this. This was on April 11, 1999. I made my peace with God and accepted the loss was part of my life and the pastor helped me to understand that I didn't have to like it but I had to accept it (light bulb moment there). In August I went to the dr (we were still doing fertility treatments) and found out I was pregnant again. Our due date?? April 11, 2000. ( Incidentally Jared was due April 11, 2002!!!!!!)

I often forget what a blessing my children are in the crazy and mundane life that is mine. I go through the motions every day and forget that this is an eternal work I'm doing. That I'm not just feeding and clothing these children. I'm part of the future with them!

Now, this was quite the heavy email (not my norm of joking and being silly or pics) but I just needed to share this-especially with a certain person (Angie) that reads my blog and is struggling with the empty arms that are caused by infertility...Remember Friend, God has a plan for you! Hang in there and don't give up!!!!!!

I'm sure my next post will be full of complaining again and I'll "forget" in the day to day that I am blessed--not stressed. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

My life as a hamster

I have so much sympathy for hamsters these days. Imagine, you are minding your business getting things done (you know, stuffing your pouches full of seeds and such, chewing on metal things to make the most horrendous grating sound and running in our little wheel at your own speed...it's a great life, right?) then the child that "owns" you gets this neat thing that is a clear ball w/ an opening in one end of it. He can twist this end open and place you in the ball! Sounds neat, huh? You are now allowed to "roam free" (free of your cage that is). But, in this ball, that at first seemed like such a treat, that same small child can shake you, roll you at HIS speed rather than your own and what if he forgets you are in there? Then you might roll down the stairs. And if you're not careful you'll end up with your own pee all over yourself.

Lately I feel like that ball is my world. There is not one, but 3 small children that kick the ball at their speed and roll it down the stairs often. I am inside running as FAST AS I CAN and yet I can't keep up. I'm longing to spend a little time in my cage stuffing my pouches and gnawing on that metal.

Seriously. I love my children-all 6, I mean 3 of them. They are the reason I get up in the morning and the reason I get up 10 times in the middle of the night too. But that's beside the point. I love my children. They are each so special in their own way. Lindsay, Jared and Haley...the best of Harold and of me. And also the most magnified version of our faults too. (God does have a sense of humor-as soon as you become a parent you find that out in spades)

So, if you've wondered why I never blog anymore--this is why...
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