Adventures Of A Wannabe Supermom!

Today has been an interesting one to say the least.  It has "sitcom" smeared all over it!

First, I got up at 5:00 this morning with Kaitlyn and made a pot of coffee.  After pouring coffee into my mug I grabbed the creamer out of the refrigerator and poured some in my coffee.  I wasn't paying attention when I shoved the creamer back into the fridge against the jug with the spout that we keep tea in.  I later discovered that the creamer had pressed on the spout handle and tea had leaked all over the bottom shelf of the fridge.

I cleaned it up.

Later, I was in the living room and saw a huge spider on the wall.  It wasn't poisonous, but a spider is a spider. I do NOT like them (creepy, crawly little nasties!) I grabbed one of my flip flops and started to smash it.  I don't know about you, but when I'm doing things like this my heart is racing and if the spider moves I squeal like a spoiled little girl.
The spider moved.
I squealed.
Logan giggled.

I went in the garage and grabbed Jacob's huge container of bug spray with the spray handle and started spraying the spider with it.  It has great aim so the spray mostly covered him and only a little hit the wall.  I was spraying when suddenly, of course, the handle broke.  I figured that was enough and the spider was stunned enough that I could now smash it without it lunging at me.

So, I smashed it.
Then I set the bug spray in the kitchen and went to clean up my mess.  I forgot about the bug spray.  About 30 minutes later I went back into the kitchen to find that the bug spray had a hole in it and had leaked all over the kitchen floor.  Yuck!  I cleaned up that mess and thought about how funny this day has been.

You will never hear me say, "I'm bored."  At least not anytime soon, anyway. ;)

Hey Mom!!

I walked into the living room this morning (after my husband let me sleep in) and my sons yelled, "Mom!" and Logan said, "Mom's up!"  Kaitlyn got excited when she saw me and started wiggling.  Yup, that really made me feel special. Logan later came up to me, hugged me, and said, "You know how I know you're the best mom ever?"  I said, "How?"  He said, "Because you're Kaitlyn's favorite person.  She's just a baby so it means you're a good mom since she likes you so much!"

The weekend has been all about me--which I have to admit, I like.  Jacob started by giving me an early mother's day gift and then yesterday we had a full day of spending time together as a family and going to eat lunch in honor of Mother's Day. This morning I got to sleep in, I awoke to a nice big cup of coffee just waiting for me, and received more gifts, including a beautiful rose from my husband.  I usually make breakfast for my family on the weekends but this morning we ran to McDonalds for breakfast so I wouldn't have to cook and then clean up a big mess afterward.  (I don't mind the cooking part but could do without the cleaning part, so this idea was fine with me!)

A wise person once told me that anyone can be a mom, but it takes a special woman to be a GREAT mom.  I know a lot of great moms. Being a mom isn't easy. We spend so much time putting others before ourselves and making sure our families have everything they need.  It is nice to have a day where my family makes sure I feel special.  So, to all of you great moms out there, I hope you are having a very special day and being treated as wonderful as you are!

Happy Mother's Day!

These are some pictures that illustrate why I love being a mom!

This was right before Alex's surgery in early January.  As you can see I was so tired and Alex wasn't phased in the least.  He is just an awesome kid!

Logan as Bumblebee--he was walking around shooting darts.  They eventually played outside and lost a dart on the roof.

Kaitlyn bouncing--look at that ornery expression. She is so funny!

These 3 are my life and I consider myself blessed to be able to call myself THEIR mother!!

Find a Happy Place

Being a stay-at-home mother is full of adventures.  I mean, really--between the house work and the three little people running around I rarely get a minute to myself, much less a minute to be bored. Alex's schedule of occupational therapy, speech therapy, meetings, and doctors appointments on top of school and homework keep my calendar full.

There are days when Kaitlyn cries because she's tired but is stubborn and refuses to take an afternoon nap.  Logan yells, "Uh Oh, mom!  The toilet is throwing up water all over the floor."  Alex is sitting in the recliner with his arms crossed crying because his Wii controller isn't working. "I don't know what's wrong with it!  It's just doing things on it's own and won't let me control my people," as tears stream down his cheeks.  I say, "Are you tired?"  His schedule makes me tired so I KNOW he has to be tired.  He snaps, "NO! I told you, my controller isn't working." A few minutes later he comes, hugs me, and apologizes for "being mean."  I put a spoonful of baby pears in Kaitlyn's mouth at lunch and she sneezes and shoots baby food all over me which she thinks is the funniest thing ever. I pull a load of laundry out of the dryer and as I'm folding clothes I smell something and realize that I have spit up on my shirt.

It is actually a GREAT day when I have more than 2 minutes to shower and actually get to wash my hair. Getting 5 hours of sleep is considered a good night in my book, which is probably why I'm so tired by Friday.  There are nights I cook dinner with Kaitlyn attached to me using the Baby K'Tan--she is screaming and suddenly the smoke alarm will go off.

It is crazy around here. I rarely get a minute to myself. It's busy.  It's loud.  It's messy. And there are days when I want to lock myself in the bathroom to just get 5 minutes to myself.  Then, I remember that some day it will just be Jacob and me.  One day these little people who need so much help and attention right now will no longer need me like they do right now.  This stage in their lives will pass and I know I'll miss it. So, I stop and I notice Kaitlyn's toothless smile or her chuckle when you give her kisses.  I hear the boys tell me time and time again, "You're the best mom ever," and I know I'm doing something right. When life gets stressful people will tell you to find a happy place.  I can honestly say that I have found my happy place. It's in the middle of three great kids--and there is no other place I'd rather be!

Mardi Gras Red Beans & Rice Tortilla Casserole

Whew! What a title for a dish!  Thank you, Rachael Ray, and every other chef who has shared numerous recipes with the world.  This is what we had for dinner tonight! (Oh, and in case you didn't catch it, it's a Rachael Ray recipe.)  :)

I love to try new recipes.  I was looking through recipes on Pinterest and saw this one.  This time last year Jacob and I had just gotten back from New Orleans.  While there we tried a lot of new foods--sea food pizza, po' boys (yes, sadly, we had never tried them), and numerous other dishes, all of which were delicious! While we were there I purchased a Cajun cook book and pull it out every so often to use. I love spicy food--and because of that I became a big fan of Cajun food.

To make a long story short, I saw this recipe and HAD to try it. I followed the recipe exactly as Rachael Ray said to and let me just say it is very good! My kids won't eat it because there is rice in it and they just refuse to eat rice, but the adults should enjoy it well enough. :) Jacob and I both added generous amounts of hot sauce to our portions, but it's good with out it--as I said earlier, I just like spicy food!

Check out her website for this recipe and many others!
rachaelray.com

Happy cooking (and eating!)  ;)

Making Yourself Crazy

Things have been just a little crazy in my world lately. Between Alex's appointments, bills, Kaitlyn's appointments, and everything else going on I feel like the woman in this picture. Things have been so busy that I even forgot to pay our utility bill.  I remembered 2 days after it was due and was so tired by that point that I just shrugged my shoulders and told Jacob I'd pay it tomorrow (which was today).  I have paid that bill on the same day every month for years and for some reason with everything we have going on it completely slipped my mind--which irritates me to no end.

Yesterday Kaitlyn was crying and the boys were both wanting things.  You know the story--the phone is ringing, the baby is crying, and you hear, "Mom. mom. MOM?"  over and over and over again.  I finally turned to the boys and, through clenched teeth stated, "There are three of you and only one of me.  Please give me a minute."

Jacob's grandfather fell a couple of weeks ago and shattered his hip.  He had to have surgery and we were all concerned about how things would go.  I have been with Jacob for 12 years and I remember the first time I met his grandfather.  He was funny and sweet and I liked him from the moment I met him.  I was very relieved when everything turned out okay.

Then this past week my grandmother fell and cracked her skull and had to have surgery.  I am very happy to report that she seems to be doing well.  I haven't been able to go to the hospital as often as I would like because of my kids' schedules, Alex's especially. It has been crazy.  Alex missed therapies he really doesn't need to be missing. We have been meeting with Alex's teachers and therapists to try and figure out what is best for him for next year--it has NOT been easy and we still don't know what the right thing to do is (I hate when that happens).

To top it all off for some reason people have chosen to criticize me this week.  Even complete strangers asked me questions about my parenting or offered unwanted advice. I went from feeling okay about my extra weight since Kaitlyn to REALLY not liking myself.  I started to question whether or not I was a good mom because of all the comments I had received throughout the week.  My poor husband probably got tired of reassuring me that I AM a good mother and that I don't look like a nasty, grotesque, hideous creature since having Kaitlyn. I try to stay positive, but when people are constantly making comments and criticizing it starts to wear on you after awhile and you start wondering if they are right. There is this little voice in your head that tells you that no one will love you if you're not beautiful.  No one will love you if you're not perfect.  The thing that struck me this afternoon is . . . WHO is the authority on what is beautiful?  And since no one is perfect why do we make ourselves crazy worrying about how we look, what size pants we wear, what we eat.  An even better question is why do people go out of their way to make other people feel bad?

Here's to treating each other with kindness and respect and NOT letting the world (or people) around us make us crazy.

Special Boy With Special Needs

Life as a parent is never easy.  You have to make decisions day after day regarding your children.  As a parent, you only want what is best for your children.  We have three children and our oldest, Alex, is a special needs child.  It took me a while to accept those two words . . . "special needs."  Doctors used them.  Therapists used them.  Eventually, I watched Alex with his younger brother and realized that every one was right and I was just being hard-headed.  Alex was . . . and is . . . a special needs child.  

And, quite frankly, all that really means to me now is that he is just extra special.  

Logan is one day shy of being 16 months younger than Alex.  They have always been close, which we now know has been really good for Alex. Logan will interpret for Alex when we can't understand what he needs/wants. Logan will take up for Alex if they are at a playground or some other place and children are bothering Alex.  Having Logan has been great for Alex . . . and I'm pretty sure having Alex has been great for Logan, too.  :)  

Making decisions about Logan seem easier these days.  They always seem black or white--we know what he needs and we can make a decision to do it.  Things with Alex aren't so easy, though . Nothing ever seems black and white--everything just seems gray.  Decisions don't come easy.  Every decision comes with a lot of discussion, covering every possible angle and "what if," worrying, stressing, praying, second guessing ourselves and sleepless nights. We just want what is best for Alex.  He has to work twice as hard as other children his age and still struggles.  He has so many therapies and things going on--there are times when he just seems done with it and doesn't care to mess with it anymore. I can't say that I blame him. 

Jacob and I are currently struggling over a decision regarding Alex that has occupied a lot of our time and thoughts. Those of you who know Alex know what an amazing little guy he is.  I know that as his mother I'm partial, but I know of many of you who would agree with me.  We want to do what is best for Alex.  We also want him to know how amazing and smart he is.  We want him to know how rich our lives are just because he is in it (and his siblings, too).  Having Alex has really opened our eyes about a lot of things and it has taught me that children can be some of the most determined people out there.  I am proud of this little guy--proud of everything he has overcome, proud of all that he has accomplished, proud that he never just gives up, and more than anything I'm proud that I get to say he is mine!!  He IS a very special little guy and I am so glad he puts up with us!! ;)  

The Perfect Mom

Is there such a thing as a perfect mother/wife?

I take Alex to therapy twice a week after school.  On Mondays there is this mom there with some of her children who always makes me think of June Cleaver. She always has perfect hair, high heels, cute and stylish clothes and jewelry, and her lip stick is not only ALWAYS on, but it's always straight and perfect.  She home schools her children and she and her husband have a few foster children living with them as well as their own children.  She is one of those women that other women glare at because that little thing known as jealousy tends to rear it's ugly head from time to time.  The only thing is, this woman is sweet and friendly and not rude or snobbish at all.  And let me tell you, she has every right to be rude and snobbish. LOL  I have days where I do well to wear more than jeans and a T-shirt to get the boys to school on time.  I would be sitting in the waiting room waiting on Alex and she would be talking to me and going on and on about how adorable Kaitlyn is and I would be thinking, "How on earth do you do it?"  Yesterday a bunch of the moms were reading The Hunger Games and we were all talking about it.  She smiled and said, "It is on my list of books to read.  Hopefully I'll get to it soon."  She went on to talk about how she is lucky to get any amount of sleep at night and she doesn't have time to clean her house or do the things that other house wives do so she has some one come in twice a week to clean and do laundry.

My mom will be the first to tell you that I am not a girly girl.  I don't like heels and if I don't have time to put on my make up then it just doesn't go on.  I mean it IS the face God gave me and if it is THAT scary it must be for a reason.  We all strive to be the best mom we can be for our children and the best wives we can be for our husbands.  No family is alike--my children are different from other children.  Alex has his issues while other families have a child with different issues. We all do the best we can for our families and you know what . . . none of us are perfect.  The perfect mom doesn't exist.

This doesn't mean we can't all be GREAT moms, though.  Heels, tennis shoes, make up or no make up--in the end none of it matters.  What matters is being the best mom you can be to your children--and THAT puts us one step closer to being the perfect mom!