Sunday, May 22, 2011

Your Children Might Be Rednecks If.....





I know that at some point I should make them wear shoes, make them keep their clothes on, and insist that they stop peeing outside, but.....

I've been watching my children run wild outdoors a lot in the last week or so. The weather has been nice, which means they almost never want to come inside. It has done wonderful things for my soul to see my 3 little people sit together on the porch swing, I listen to them pretend, all manner of different things. They pretend they're on a train to somewhere. They speak in British accents, usually one of them is the parent, and so on. I feel as though I'm a fortunate eavesdropper, who is listening in on their childhood. As I listen in, I become saddened by the fact that they're getting older by the second, and pretty soon they wont be quite so easily entertained, by the simple pleasures, of lots of space, and sibling camaraderie.

I can't stop time, but I can stop and smell the roses now and then. I can watch, listen, engage, and enjoy these sweet spring days. The imaginations of my energetic tribe are blooming way better than my very neglected Lilac Bushes along my back fence. I never was much of a green thumb with regard to plants. I seem to be better a growing happy children.

Hopefully they'll continue mature, the way they should, but even more importantly, I pray I remember to let them be KIDS, even if that means they never want to wear shoes.....




Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Desperately in search of the magic potion!


I have every hope of finishing strong, but little to no energy, to ensure that it happens.
I've been wondering lately how school teachers do it? How do they manage to steer, teach, direct 25-30 children, 5 days a week, 9 months out of the year? Perhaps I should hunt down a teacher and ask him/her.

As a Home Schooling Mommy, with one student, I'm fresh out of get up and go. We have 76 hours left to complete the required time allotment for second grade. It might as well be 1000 hours, because 5 more seconds seems like more than I can bear at this exact moment.

This year has been amazing. I've loved nearly every moment of it. We've had Viking Funerals, colored murals of the Battle of Hastings, we've sprouted seeds, dissected flowers, made costumes of empresses, counted endlessly, written dates, worked with manipulatives, read fascinating biographies, and the list goes on.

This school year, I've learned as much as my second grader. Perhaps I shouldn't admit that. The most important thing for me as a teacher, at this point is to instill in her a love of learning. I want her to be curious about everything. I want her to learn how to think, and reason. Most of all at the end of my time as her teacher I want to look back and be able to say that my pupil is intelligent, wise, kind, compassionate and discerning.

Maybe all I needed after all, was to re-visit my goals. Seeing them may have given me enough energy to get through this day and possibly, the next 75 hours as well. However a little magic potion couldn't hurt either...

If you know where I could get some???

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

When was the last time...


you had a perfect day?

We spent lazy, spring, afternoon moments, lying on our backs, shielding the sun with our forearms. We talked about why people's faces turn red when they laugh? Why jets make white streaks across the sky? And what was the name of that movie, about a boy and a cave?

When he'd finished with his questions, I asked a few of my own. Who loves you the most? Who do you love? All the while, knowing that my name would be near or at the top of the list.

Eventually, he grew restless as little boys often do. I managed to keep him with me a little while longer by stroking the inside of his arm with my fingers. He loves it when I do that, it puts him in a near trance.

Before long he was off in search of backyard adventure, and a snack. My mommy allure can hardly compete with his constant appetite for food, and fun.

Watching him walk away it struck me that, I am ABSOLUTELY in love with my 4 year old son.
It also struck me that I need to chronicle perfect days like today. I need to put down on paper the bright blue of the sky, the fluffy whiteness of the clouds, the smell of new, spring green grass, the gentle whisper of the breeze and the buzzing of flies just waking up from a long winter nap. But even more than all of that, I need to memorize, catalog and drink in the amazing sense, that in this moment, EVERYTHING is perfect!!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Pity Pot, not my favorite seat!


I've been feeling funky the last few days. If you must know I had a horrid Mother's Day. I've decided to put the blame where it should really lie. Marketers and distributors do their utmost to convince you, that there is a day in which it IS all about you. If you're a mom who is occasionally weary, you sink your teeth into the notion that on May 8th or whatever day in May Mother's Day happens to fall on, that on that day you will truly be able to wallow around in the notion that the world is stopping to pay homage to your sacrifice. If on that day you realize that the world couldn't care less it's a bit disillusioning, and you reel from the disappointment of unmet expectations, even if you're not sure what you expected.

It's not true. The problem is that as a mother, it's never all about you. The question can be raised about whether or not it even should be. Motherhood in and of itself is about sacrifice. Going from sacrifice to complete indulgence is a pretty big paradigm shift, even if it is just for one day.

I haven't decided exactly how to reconcile all of my mixed emotions about expectations, and disappointments. What I have concluded is that sitting, stewing, and feeling sorry for myself is an ugly practice that does no good, not for me or for those around me.

Here's to pulling up the boot straps, being thankful for my blessings, most specifically my children, and recognizing that life and everyday is what you make it.


Monday, May 2, 2011

No Such Thing....

Quality time is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as quality time. There is only quantity time. Sometimes the quantity time you spend with your child will be of good quality and sometimes it will be of lousy, painstaking, and truly annoying quality.

~Betty Londergan

I love Betty. She's hilarious, irreverent, brutally honest about parenthood and well worth reading, if you have a sense of humor. I found this particular quote insightful, and alarmingly accurate. In our quest to make ourselves feel better about the time we take away from our children, we prefer to consider the time we give them "quality" since it's not quantity. The unholy truth is that YOU can't decide if it's going to be a quality or not. A child or life with children is unpredictable. Those carved out moments that you have set aside for quality time, may be the same moments your kids have their knickers in a twist about something, and no matter how hard you try, they will not be forced into having MEANINGFUL engagement with you. Such is life.

I'm slowly learning to roll with it, and want to encourage you to also. Take the moments you've been given whether they are many or few and make the most of them. Try not to treat your agenda like it's sacrosanct, and just be with and love on your treasures, even if they may be acting less than jewel like at any given moment. The more you endeavor to enjoy your children and their funny quirks and idiosyncrasies, the more pleasure you'll get out of the bumpy, extraordinary ride of parenthood.

Whether you work outside the home or work in it.... Time is time and it is precious, don't waste it.