Dawning

(On a recent trip to Cascade Springs - some of my crew +1)

I just recently realized the worst part about having a whole brood of children.

I am birthing these sweet babies, growing them into cute, precocious toddlers, teaching them to be kind, respectful kids, showing them how to be self-sufficient teenagers and then sending them off as responsible, contributing adults.

Once they leave home, they are armed with the skills needed to survive on their own: studying efficiently, budgeting money, doing laundry, cooking meals, and (hopefully) prioritizing time - among other things.

In short: I am raising my kids so they can leave me. I have taught them all that they need to know so that they do not need me anymore.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

I can not do this 9 more times. I can't. I can't. I can't!!!

*sigh*

But I will.

(Cascade Springs, August 2011)

Not So Super

You like reality T.V.? Here's reality for you: I am no supermom.

Many people believe in this illusion that I am some perfectly amazing mother. Well guess what? I'm human. No cape, no superpowers. And here is the proof:

-My smallest kids don't even get breakfast until 10 or 11 a.m. some days because I'm blogging or checking my email. Don't even get me started on the dishes and laundry.

-When my kids have to turn in their monthly reading calendars at school, I totally make up the minutes they read all month. I mean, I know they read. Probably more than most of the kids at the school all put together. I just don't have time to keep track of it every single day. Are you kidding me? Sometimes I even use two different colors of pen so it looks like I've been doing it all month long.

-Hubba (age 4) had been telling me that his "face hurts" for 2 weeks before I was smart enough to look inside his mouth. His molars are pretty much rotten because I let him brush his own teeth. The dentist was very gracious and said that his having a million ear infections in his first few years was a factor. I appreciate his trying to make me feel better, but the fact that poor Hubba has to be put under and have surgery to fix the problem makes me feel terrible. No more cookies for breakfast, I guess. (Just kidding. We only eat cookies for lunch.)

-If one of my kids wore something all day Friday, slept in it and then showed up at the table in the same clothes the next morning, you better believe I'm going to let them wear it again. It's Saturday! Who's gonna know?

-My husband is a big supporter of hot cereals for breakfast which to me = pasty nastiness in a bowl. So after I force all the kids to choke it down I put on a movie for the ones who don't go to school and have myself a bowl of cold cereal and a slice of cinnamon toast behind the door in the pantry.

-I totally chug milk out of the jug, right in front of my kids. It tastes better that way.

That's right, friends.

No supermom here.

Forget reality T.V. This is MY LIFE.

If You Are A Super Villain, Please Stop Reading

So, it turns out I am not invincible.

I discovered this on Thursday night as I tried to sprint across the street.

However, the verdict is still out on whether or not I can fly.




(I'll get back to you on that.)