Dear Kids, smell the roses, eat ice cream, be grateful

I've always been a stop and smell the roses kind of girl.  And while each of my lovely children is like a beautiful meadow of sweet-smelling flowers covered in rainbows and sunshine, I fear that I spend far too much time running frantically through a rain storm with my head down, huddling under an umbrella with four children in tow, insisting that they “HURRY UP!” because “WE’RE LATE!” (We are always late.)

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The other day, after dinner, my kids and I decided to walk over to their grandmother’s house to see if she had any dessert for us. (Of course she did. It’s part of what makes her grand.) As we walked through the woods on our very own love-carved path, with the pretty summer sunset glistening through the trees, I thought about how lucky my kids are that they can literally walk over our driveway and through the woods, to grandmother’s house they go, for Grandma’s homemade peach cobbler. It was enchanting.

I took the opportunity to remind them (and myself) how very fortunate they (we) are. Their summer has been filled with art camps and cooking camps, swimming in our own backyard and every swimming hole in the county, frolicking with the neighborhood kids in our beautiful little neighborhood, chasing down the ice cream truck as it drives right down our street, eating ice cream every day (sometimes twice a day), playing with their cousins who come from as far as Russia to gather here on their grandfather’s beautiful apple farm, quad riding through the orchards and fishing in the ponds, eating fresh delicious strawberries, peaches, watermelon, and corn on the cob straight from Grandpa’s farm stand, visits to Grandma’s house just steps away, through the woods, whenever they need that one-of-a-kind grandma love (and dessert), and much, much more. What more could a kid ask for?

I have often described my own childhood as magical. But it took me a good 15 years of hindsight and reflection to truly appreciate its magic. When I started taking my kids to visit my late mother’s grave, in my very tiny hometown, I would always feel like my entire childhood passes before my eyes. In my nostalgia, I would take my children on a tour of my childhood. We stop at my favorite ice cream stand, drive by my old house, through my old neighborhood, stop at my old elementary school (which is a closed down, little red school house, the last of its kind), and play on its very run down playground.  

Our favorite summer spot quickly became "the bridge".  It was a sweet little swimming hole complete with rope swings and a very old little bridge, just the right height to throw my fearless babies off of just as i used to throw myself.   They had a blast and it made me so happy to see them breathe some young life back into my old memories. It made me feel like I was the luckiest kid in the world. But I’m sure that even in all of those magical moments of my childhood, there were still plenty of those typical childish and ungrateful fits of “hey, that’s not fair” and “I’m bored” and endless amounts of “I want … I want … I want” no matter how much I already had. I’m sure that I took it all for granted, and I don’t want any of us to make the same mistake with my children’s childhood because it so very hectic.

Summertime can be very busy and stressful. Whomever coined the term “lazy days of summer” obviously didn’t have kids. And particularly when you are trying to ensure that your children have an unforgettable, magical, enchanting childhood, it can be downright exhausting. I am always so consumed with what I “have” to do, and so used to sacrificing what I want to do, that I forget to stop and relish in what I AM DOING. I am so hopeful that they will enjoy their childhood and not be in a hurry to grow up, and yet I spend so much time hustling them along and eagerly anticipating bedtime, that some if it is probably just a passing blur. I must remember to slow down and bask in the glorious glow of my children. I must encourage them to keep shining and lighting the way. I want them to pause because they are fascinated by a rock or a cloud, and I want to have the patience to follow their lead. What I want for my children, and myself, is for all of us to remember to stop and smell the roses, and taste the ice cream, and let it melt all over us.

As I reminded my children how lucky they are, and pleaded with them to appreciate the little things, my 8-year-old said, quite sincerely, that she is very thankful, while my 5-year-old confessed, quite honestly, that he will be more thankful when he gets a little older. I also promised myself that it wouldn’t take another 15 years of hindsight to appreciate the magic of their childhood and my motherhood.

post baby body to be edited

The last time my girlfriends and I got together, we sat around talking (whining, with lots of wine) about our post-baby bodies. “This never used to jiggle, and these never used to sag, and those stretch marks were never here before, and where did these go, and will I ever be able to squeeze this into a size 6 again? And why are my feet still a whole size bigger two years after my last child?” I feel like a deflated balloon … in clown shoes.

Has your child ever pointed to your stretch marks and asked “what happened?” or grabbed your post-baby fat roll like it’s a handle used to be used get your undivided (and horrified) attention? Have you ever spent years doing sit-ups only to learn that that final layer of pudge covering anything resembling your long lost abs will NEVER go away, no matter what you do? Or maybe you have racked up thousands of miles jogging, chasing the memory of a smaller waist line, only to realize that your child-bearing hips will forever be “curvier” now? How many times have you tried on your skinniest skinny jeans from many years and a few children ago, only to prove to yourself, once again, that your thighs will NEVER be the same.

Sometimes I think that my children have kidnapped my 25-year-old body and are holding it for ransom. But what more could they possibly want from me? I have given them everything I’ve got, and then some: my heart, my undying and unconditional love, my patience, my sanity, my personal space, every fiber of my being. I just want my body back. They can have the rest of me, forever.

One would think that waiting on, I mean, caring for, four kids every waking moment of my life, without a moment to sit down and rarely a moment to eat, would melt the pounds away. And it only seems fair that my selfless acts of preparing delicious treats for my family, while torturously denying myself the indulgence would earn me my old thighs back.

I realize that parenthood is all about sacrifice. And I’m cool with that. I don’t really miss my social life, my alone time, my personal space, adult conversations, peace and quiet, going to the bathroom alone, hearing myself think, sitting down during meals, sitting down … ever, eating a hot meal, having enough room in my own bed, hearing someone call me anything other than mommy. Okay, I miss all of this. But I thrive on the dream of one day reclaiming all of these things … someday … a long, long time from now, when I have to re-fill my empty nest. But I have not yet come to grips with the fact that I will NEVER have my pre-baby body back.

I fear I may never stop yearning for her. Those pre-baby jeans will forever sit in my closet on my “maybe some day” shelf. And I will continue to confront and negotiate with my scale every day, hoping for a more comforting and recognizable number. After all, “You look great” just isn’t quite as flattering when followed by “for having four kids.”

Part of me is proud of my pregnancy/childbirth blemishes. Part of me wants nothing more than to embrace all of the changes in my body (since they are here to stay and all.) Part of me wishes to read my scars as road map of the journey I took while growing these children inside of me and enduring pains straight from the deepest depths hell just to finally meet them. And while a part of me knows I should cherish my newest imperfections as badges of maternal love, and hail my post-baby body as a sacred temple of motherhood, there is another part of me that would be happy having only the searing memory of the worst, most unforgettable pain and gut wrenching agony of natural childbirth to mark that beautiful journey.

I just want my body back.

How do you feel about your post-baby body? Go ahead, let it out! It will burn a few calories.

Mid Summer break...

We are already halfway through summer vacation. Or: we are ONLY halfway through summer vacation, depending on your perspective. I’m usually a “glass half full” kind of girl, but, it’s going to be a long five weeks.

I didn’t need a calendar to tell me that I am in the thick of it. I can tell by my “Mommy?” overdose. I am being strangled by that one little word and suffocated by all of its demands. OK, that’s dramatic, but I am a bit overwhelmed, and it shows. Like when one of my children has pelted me with the 500,000th “Mommy” of the day, and I say, “WHAT?!” and it just keeps getting louder and louder until I gag and choke on my own frustrated screams. I swear, sometimes, they don’t even need anything. It’s like they’re just making sure I’m on standby. Or when they finally make me snap because they have been driving me CRAZY for days and then they look at me like I’m … CRAZY!
Also indicative of the mid-summer break meltdown (BREAK? ha ha ha ha ha!), are all of the great blog posts from moms, confessing that they are … STRESSED. I really enjoy them. When I read a story about a mom who can’t leave her house with her children because disaster will inevitably ensue, or a mom who thinks she may have found a technique to make a child stop asking “why,” or a mom who feels like she lives in complete chaos all the time, I feel a lot better about myself. I breath a sigh of relief, and I chuckle because, I understand. I’ve been there. I feel for you. And I really appreciate your confession of not having it all under control, or your advice on how to control the chaos, or the whys. I thank you. And I would never judge you. I do however, judge those suspiciously perfect parents.

I recently posted on Facebook that I REALLY need September to get here. I need teachers to listen to my children’s NON-STOP chatter for a few hours and to answer their endless questions. I need a bus driver to take my children away from me for a bit. I need a schedule that justifies my putting our children to bed just as their father is getting a chance to enjoy them. I need to wake up to an alarm clock rather than waking up to “so, what fun thing are we doing today, Mommy?” because they know that my mental well-being depends on getting us out of this house to do something “fun.” (Which means hauling around four kids and a few large bags of necessities, buckling them in and out of car seats multiple times, ignoring pleas to stop at every fast food restaurant we pass, someone pooping in their diaper just seconds after we leave the house, one kid wanting the air conditioner on in the car and another one wanting the windows open, while my just-cleaned car is being trashed by beach sand and filthy children … FUN!)

But, it is very hard to get any sympathy from non-moms (not to mention the teachers who were cursing me for even saying “September.”) Non-mothers can’t imagine what it is that could make it THAT stressful. How do you explain the stress of being utterly selfless every waking moment of your life to a single man or woman with no kids? How can you whine about never having a moment to yourself or not even being able to hear yourself think most of time when you both know how blessed and fortunate you are to have these precious, space-invading, children? And it’s hard to explain because a “good mother” would never confess that she just needs her child to stop talking for a while or to just … go away … for a few minutes. It just sounds too horrible to say out loud no matter how much you might think it.

I’ve got the very best of intentions for motherhood. But it’s really hard not to doubt myself when I find myself so burned out in the middle of summer “vacation.” (I can’t even type that word with a straight face). And I know that there are women who homeschool their children and spend every single day with them. And I have seen all those other mothers getting teary-eyed and wondering “where has the time gone” when they speak of sending their precious babies off to kindergarten while I’m eagerly watching the seconds tick by on the countdown clock and anticipating tears of joy when that bus comes! And I have even heard another mother sound sincerely crushed that her children’s new school starts in August instead of September. They must love their children more than I love mine. No, they don’t. Maybe they don’t have four kids? Maybe they won’t still have a 1- and a 2-year-old at home when school starts, so they are worried that they will be lonely in September? I can imagine that when all four of my kids are in school, I will miss them terribly and feel a little lonely. But I am REALLY looking forward to missing them and feeling a little lonely once in a while.

So thank you, stressed mothers, for sharing your confessions of imperfect mothering. Thank you for being open and honest, and human. Thank you for reminding me that this motherhood thing is hard and all of my shortcomings are understandable. Thank you for reminding me that my children are perfectly normal crazy children, and I am their understandably crazy mother. You are the life support that is getting me through five more weeks.

What's the C-word?

My 8-year-old has a crush on a boy band. Watching her get a little twinkle in her eye over everything One Direction makes me want to break out my New Kids on the Block cassette and stare at their full-size cardboard cutout. (Don’t judge me.) I totally get it. It’s so dreamy to pretend that these cute boys are as charming as they sound in their songs and that they would be the best boyfriend ever! Jordan Knight was my very first imaginary knight in shining armor, once upon a time.

But, the other day, she came home and presented me with this question:

“Mommy, one of my friends told me that one of the boys from One Direction swore at a group of his fans. He called them the c-word. What does that mean?”

At that moment, the mother in me was eager to ground that young boy and forbid him from being a pop star ever again. The proud, self-respecting, furious, speechless women in me wanted to throw something at him. And it wasn’t just that he has it coming for being so unacceptably rude and vulgar to a group of young, starry-eyed, adoring, and impressionable girls, but it was more so because my daughter asked me a question whose answer was too despicable to utter. Thanks a lot, you little [bleep].

I refused to answer the question. (I couldn’t have, even if I wanted to.) I told her that because she is a sweet, kind, young girl, she didn’t deserve to know that word. All she needs to know is that this boy is NOT cool (that’s as nicely as I could put it.)

She wasn’t happy that I was knocking one her boys off of his pedestal. But I wasn’t about to cut this kid any slack. I’m not one of those moms who is ultra-sensitive to the trampy attire of Miley Cyrus and the like. And I’m willing to face the tough Demi Lovato inspired “What is rehab?” question. I think these are some teachable moments for my daughter to learn about self respect and self control, and about being who are are, and not trying to be who someone else is. I think she gets it. (I pray she gets it.)

But I have no tolerance for THAT word. It’s a word that people use when they want to be as vile and disrespectful to a women as they can possibly be. It’s a word that they know is going to sting on a whole other level. It’s despicable and unacceptable. So while I won’t fill in the blanks for her, I will happily explain to her that when she does learn THAT word, she too, should not tolerate it. I will tell her that this boy doesn’t deserve her admiration, or the admiration of those fans whom he insulted (to say the least.) 

She seems a little disappointed in the boy. But she tells me that he apologized (I’m sure he did, they always do), and looks at me like she would like to forgive him, but needs my approval. All I can do is imagine this conversation happening in seven or eight years, only this time we are talking about her actual boyfriend instead of her imaginary boyfriend.

It feels like a pivotal moment. I want to teach forgiveness, and I want her to NOT tolerate THAT word. I suggest that while she may still enjoy the music, that boy doesn’t deserve the bubble, the pedestal, an ounce of her admiration, or a moment of her time. Take him for what he’s worth; a catchy tune.  But peg him for what he is, a little (bleep)!

Kindergarten

And I don't feel feel bad about it, either

It’s back to school time! Not a moment too soon (and about three weeks too late.) And while so many of you are wondering “where has the summer gone?” I can tell you that it over-stayed its welcome at our house. But I survived summer vacation, and as a reward, I get to send another child off to kindergarten. That’s two down, and two to go. But who’s counting? (I am.)

While I feel somewhat obligated to pretend that I am sad and weepy to be sending another of my babies off on their own into the great big, unknown world of kindergarten, I am not. I have had mild bouts of guilt over it (very mild), induced by so many other sweet mothers who are heartbroken and find it “so hard” to send their child off to school and who will miss them terribly, or who can’t figure out where the time has gone or how their baby got so big. But after spending the summer completely smothered by my four lovely children, with a very few-and-far-between moment of peace and quiet or even a chance to sit down, that bus couldn’t get here fast enough. And it took everything I had not to allow my 2-year-old to follow his brother onto that bus as he insisted he was going to school too.

After sending the kids off this morning, with still not so much as a lump in my throat, I asked their father why I don’t feel the way those other moms feel when they send their babies to kindergarten. He said they feel that way because, “it’s obviously either their first kid, their last kid, or their only kid.” I think he’s right. I was chatting with one of these sad kindergarten moms who had sent her firstborn off this morning. Our other children were napping and she was saying that it was too quiet and she was feeling lonely during nap time. I was not lonely during nap time. I was blissful.

I often worry that I take some of this mothering stuff for granted because I am blessed with four children and the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom, with them, every day, all day. I have been in the baby and diaper phase for so long now that I haven’t even had a chance to wonder where my baby has gone. I was pregnant so much that by the time I hit my fourth pregnancy, the process had gone from a beautiful, miraculous, enjoyable blessing to a serious pain in the ass! I have been a stay-at-home mom for so long that I just can’t help jumping for joy when a few kids start school and won’t be staying at home with me every day. And I spend so much time (every waking moment) trying to fulfill all of their needs and plenty of their wants that I cannot imagine ever shedding a single tear at the idea of them not needing me anymore. (I’m sure that will change some day.)

And this morning, as I stood at the bus stop with my little boy, I wasn’t scared or nervous for him. I was excited for his new adventure. I wasn’t worrying about how he would possibly get through this big day without me. I was confident because I know he is ready, and he is going to be awesome. I wasn’t sad because he insisted that I could NOT go to school with him. I gave myself a pat on the back for raising such an independent boy. I wasn’t wondering where my little boy went. I was eager to see where this new adventure will take him. And as I gave him one last gentle nudge to stop sucking his thumb before he got on that bus, his dad gave me a gentle nudge to back off. He’s (still) just our little boy, no matter how big he gets.

I adore my kids. I live and breath for them and I would do anything and everything for them (and I do.) But it doesn’t break my heart to watch them grow up and be able to fend for themselves. It flatters me. I am not disappointed when they grow capable and independent. I’m proud. And the silence of nap time is not lonesome. It is soothing.

I am really enjoying the opportunity to get to know my two youngest loves a little better with some rare one-on-one time. And I have had some fascinating conversations with myself now that I can hear myself think from time to time. And I confess, I miss my kids. But I really, really, appreciate the opportunity to miss them, rather than having to lock myself in the bathroom just to get away from them for five minutes. I can’t wait to hear all about their day, and then send them off to do it all again tomorrow! Back to school is my new favorite time of year.

Have Kids. Trust me.

Whenever I hear someone say that they don’t think they want to have kids, my heart breaks for them a little bit. I feel sad for them. It’s hard to convey to someone who is on the fence about it, that while it is the hardest, most challenging, selfless, sacrificing, and under-appreciated thing you could do with your life, there is nothing better. Nothing.

My 8-year-old daughter often tells me that she doesn’t think she wants to have kids. She is the oldest of my four beauties and is obviously aware that being “Mommy” is A LOT of work. We have had negotiations that go something like this:

Me: “I think I deserve some grandchildren after all my hard work, don’t you?”
Daughter: “OK, maybe one kid.”
Me: “How about four kids?”
Daughter: “NO WAY! DO I LOOK CRAZY TO YOU?! I WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUR KIDS! THAT’S JUST CRAZY! NEVER!”

And there have been many long days when, after she has observed my tireless efforts and watched me collapse in exhaustion or heard me growl at the child who has just slapped me with the 3,274th juice request of the day, she gently reminds me that “It’s your fault for having four kids”, to which I muster up enough energy to emphatically respond; “What do mean ‘my fault’? I’m the luckiest mommy in the world! There is NOTHING else I would ever dream of doing. Nothing! This is the best!” I have told her many times, that each of their four natural childbirths were the most painful and torturous and wonderfully miraculous days of my life and I would do them all over again a hundred times just to have my children. I don’t know if she is convinced that I love my job, but I know that she knows that I love her.

I think that a lot of men, in particular, have a harder time convincing themselves that they are “ready” for fatherhood. Maybe it’s because they don’t have a uterus pulling on their heart strings in anticipation. I recall one night early in our relationship when the future father of my children and I were out with another couple and one of them asked us if we wanted to have kids. I responded quickly (just to be clear) “yes.” He responded, hesitantly (just to be unclear), “yeah … probably … I think.” He was, obviously, still in the process of convincing himself. The other night (nearly ten years and four kids later), I watched him watch as our two sons played together on the floor. He was in awe. And when he snapped out of it, he said, “I can't imagine what I ever thought i was going to do that would be better than this."  Four kids and a beautiful life later, he is convinced.

It is certainly a daunting task, and I can understand those who worry about screwing it up. After all, we have all screwed up, a lot. We are only human, and it is inevitable that we will make mistakes as parents, and screw up our own innocent and helpless offspring who never even asked to be here. The other day, I was talking to a young women who isn’t sure she wants kids. She said she worries about being the kind of parent her father has been. She told me a story about how her father taught her how to break a priest’s nose if one were to ever attempt to touch her inappropriately, and then he would force her to go to confession and sit across from her priest, alone and terrified and plotting her attempts to bust his nose if he got out of line. As a child, she was scared and rightfully resentful that her father would leave her alone with a potentially dangerous man, and as an adult she is understandably faithless and uncertain about the parenting skills she runs the risk of inheriting. And her well-intentioned father was simply trying to cleanse his daughters soul and protect her innocence.
The question is, how badly will we damage our children? Will our undying good intentions win out over our innate human imperfections? Will the obvious fact that I love and adore my children and that my world happily revolves around them, win out over the equally obvious fact that I am only human and sometimes, I get a bit tired and impatient and overwhelmed with trying to be the best mom that I can be? There are no guarantees, and it is scary.

But parenthood is extraordinary. Quite literally, there is nothing like it. You can’t even begin to understand how miraculous, challenging and life-changing it is until you have done it. You cannot prepare yourself for it and you could spend a lifetime waiting to be “ready” to do it.
If you want to know what to expect, expect the unexpected. If you need to feel more prepared first, prepare to be knocked off your feet. It is the hardest job you will ever love.

Life Lessons from Little House on the Prairie

I often find myself longing for the days of “Little House on the Prairie.” I realize that would mean that a common cold could result in a near death experience, but it might just be worth it to hear my children respond to my every request with a polite “Yes, ma’am.” And I think I would be OK with getting up at the crack of dawn to milk the cows and gather eggs rather than having to pack up four kids and drive to the store just for those two must-have items.

I have been trying, for years, to get any of my four children to watch and appreciate this epic saga as I did. So far, just the other night, my oldest daughter came out of her room in tears telling me that she finally watched some “Little House” and “a sweet puppy died and it was really, really sad” and demanded to know WHY I would make her watch something so sad!

While I feel bad that her first viewing experience was a bit heartbreaking, I believe it would serve my children well to discover a time when children had nothing but the clothes on their back and the love of their Ma and Pa, and felt like the luckiest kids in the world. I would love for them to see Laura Ingall’s face light up at the sight of a only single shiny penny in her Christmas stocking.

I want them to see kids who worked hard, really hard, for the greater good of the whole family, and they never complained. I want them to admire kids who never thought of themselves, who asked for nothing, and who felt genuine remorse if they NEEDED a pair of shoes or a new pencil because they knew and appreciated how very hard their Pa worked for his money.

I would love for my children to witness how much these children enjoyed life without television and cell phones and computers and how they could blissfully entertain themselves for hours and make up hundreds of games with a ball or a stick and a buddy or two.

I want them to take note of the fact that their chores thus far consist of feeding their pets, folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher, and if they are not careful, they could be out plowing fields, (or something equally laborious.)

I need them to appreciate the fact that while I am chauffeuring four kids all over town, to various activities, children used to walk three miles just to go fishing with their pal.

I want them to count their blessings that they have never been punished with a belt.

I think that they could learn a lot about how to turn the other cheek to a persistent bully, and how to push her down a hill in a wheelchair when she crosses the line and has it coming.

I want them to see and learn that money does not buy happiness or good manners.

I want them to have faith, even when life is full of struggles and sacrifice.

I want them to believe in “love at first sight” and “’til death do us part,” even when things are not always so “happily ever after.”

I want them to be more thankful for their beautiful life, but to know that life is full of hard knocks: pets die, young girls go blind, little sisters fall down an abandoned well, crops get destroyed, kids get trapped in snow storms while walking three miles home from school. And I want them to remember all of this when they are whining about their “annoying brothers” barging into their room all the time, or because I didn’t get the “sparkly” pencil case for back-to-school, or how I make them take the bus to school instead of driving them.

And perhaps most importantly, I want them to appreciate the values of a society that genuinely cared about its own. I want them to observe and believe in a “love thy neighbor/help thy neighbor/do unto others” kind of world. The kind where people actually live that way, rather than just preaching about it, and demanding that everyone else live that way, and constantly arguing over exactly which way is actually “the Lord’s way.”

We could all learn a lot from the Ingalls family and the residents of Walnut Grove. They were not easy times, but they were simpler, more compassionate times when nothing was taken for granted. In the wise words of Charles “Pa” Ingalls, “How can you ever know true happiness if you never feel real sorrow?”

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