Rainbows and Unicorns

Why is it that when I sit down to write a blog I am mad.. or upset.. or both?? I mean really... I read ALOT of blogs. TONS. And most of them are all happy/snappy, easy/peasy, yin/yang, rainbows and freaking unicorns. Mine? Nope.. always pissed/upset/crying off about something.  Well, today I have decided to get them all off my chest at one time.
First off... at what point in my oldest child's life did I teach him that school is not important?  If he were struggling because he wasn't smart enough to do the work, then it would be different. But no.. he is struggling because he is lazy. Fact. Doesn't turn homework in, or writes it out SO illegibly that he gets a bad grade because he doesn't try.  I talk until I feel like I am going to explode.. beg, plead, threaten. Ugh! And is it just going to get worse, or will something eventually click? I'm not positive that I will survive that long.

Next... 4 year old decides that she will scribble on the kitchen table with a pencil, of all things. Pencil makes an indentation that NO magic eraser will remove. And when I catch her doing it and ask her WTH, she smiles at me. Well, I LOST it. Put her in the corner for maybe the 5th time in all her 4 years (which might be why she is so rotten) and literally hold her into the corner. LITERALLY, yes, kicking and screaming.  Then when I finally let her out of the corner, and send her to eat at said damaged table, I collapse in the middle of the floor bawling. Seriously, how can I expect her to fear me if I am crying like a baby?

Then I take the poor girl child to gymnastics. Where I have, on a weekly basis, asked her to please stay in line so that she doesn't get skipped and gets as much practice as everyone else. So she is finally trying to stand her ground, so one little brat decides to start a new line. When the teacher asks them to "form just one line please", the other child acts as if her line is the right one.  Now that child knows DAMN well that she is not being truthful, but makes my little girl and another kid fall in line behind her.  What the hell is that kid's parent doing that she doesn't notice her daughter is being a brat?  I would, and have, pulled my little girl away from the rest  of the students to ask that she please "stay in line.. pay attention... do the "tasks" in order.. etc" so that she will be the least disruptive that she can be.. and for those that know my daughter, you know this is no easy feat.

So, I am just trying to survive my day, and get the promised treat that is her reward for not being a brat in gymnastics, and someone is tailgating me for going the damn speed limit in a residential neighborhood. It took absolutely every ounce of will power I have not to slam my car into park, get out, and ask that MOM DRIVING A MINIVAN if she minds if I drive the speed limit so as not to take a chance running over someone else's kid, dog, car, whatever.

So I warn you... today is NOT the day.

RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS!!!!!

Just because I am a girl....

...Doesn't mean I know how to do girl stuff.

I had 2 boys first. And boys are SO EASY.  Slap on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and some tennis shoes, and you're good for virtually anything. If the hair is getting out of control, put on a hat... good to go.

 Then I had a girl. And everything is different.  Even if I dress her in jeans, I have to be sure that her hair-ties match her shirt, and that she has a pair of shoes for every situation.  I find it exhausting.  On top of that, she has CURLY HAIR!  If you know me, then you know my hair isn't just straight.  It is the kind of straight people pay good money for at the salon. I can laugh at myself now because I care less about those sorts of things.  Anyway, I digress.  She has curly hair, and there is not a cheap product on the market that helps me take care of said hair.  AND, I have tried just about every expensive product on the market with limited success.  So when I'm out with her, and people compliment her hair, I just smile and say thank you. I don't bore them with the details of just how long she sits in the bath with her hair slathered in conditioner.  Or the 20-30 minutes I spend trying to comb out her hair while bribing her with TV and DS. Never mind the intense fear that I should just go and get my cosmetology license because in the end, her hair is going to cost us ALOT of money.  No, I just smile and nod.

That said, having a girl means there is never a dull moment. Not even one.  And watching her grow and learn things that girls should know is amazing.  Some lessons are easier taught than others. :) She made Double Chocolate Banana Bread with me this morning, and she reminded me so much of myself.... Asking for a taste of the batter, wanting to eat straight sugar... a girl after my own heart. I try to treasure every minute.. even the sucky ones, because I know they pass all too quickly, and then she will be a teenager that hates me and thinks I am stupid.  (I remember exactly when that switched for me, and I also remember when it switched back and I knew just how smart my mother was)

Now if she could just learn to tie her own shoes... LOL

It's The Little Things

First time they sleep through the night

First time they smile at you

First time they roll over

When they take their first steps...

Life is full of milestones. As parents, we keep track of these things... At first, it is to make sure they are eating, sleeping, and pooping on schedule.  Then it is to make sure they are not falling behind little Susie down the street.  (We all do it, so don't judge me lol) 

But I think that some of the more important "milestones" are the little things. First time they tell you NO! First time you feel safe letting them take a bath without you hovering. And today - first time my six year old tied his shoes COMPLETELY unassisted. Seriously, it is GLORIOUS! And the look on his face was priceless. Of course the first thing he said was "Wait til Dad sees how fast I do that" ...the man has only been gone one day. Geez! ;)

When I think about how many "firsts" I still have to experience, I get a little lightheaded. Here are just a few I am looking very forward to:

• First time my oldest "understands"... Oh how I cannot wait for that! 
• First time my youngest goes one day without screaming... (you aren't here.. you don't know) 
• First time the hubby and I can go out for the night without calling in Grandma, or hiring an overpriced babysitter. lol
• First college acceptance letter coming in the mail. :)

On the other hand, there are many firsts that I am not looking forward to happening:

• First child learning how to drive
• First dates
• First child to move out
• First college rejection letter coming in the mail. :(

Now the "Facts of Life" theme song is stuck in my head.  But there is some truth to those words. We do have to take the good, take the bad, take them both and then you'll have...well, you get my point. ;)

For now, I will just bask in the glow of J's first time tying his shoes completely on his own. I wonder how long that'll last. :)

Can I have wine with that?

I am annoyed today... seriously annoyed. There were many contributing factors, but at this point - kids in bed, wine in hand - I have decided to write it all down.  


I am not one of those moms. You know the ones I mean - and don't get me wrong, I am friends with some and love them and their parenting - but you know.. the ones that for them, everything is perfect. Even if they are walking around with spaghetti in their hair (haha...like they ever have a hair out of place), they still think their little darlings are perfect, motherhood is perfect, life is PERFECT.  


That is soooo not me. Today sucked. It started out ok.. Oldest got out of bed without a second light flickering. Little 2 woke themselves up. No one was running behind - it was a really good start to the day. I even went to the gym.  And that's when it all started to go downhill.  Dinner was being debated (at no point did I let them think we live in a democracy) Normally complacent middle child was pulled into a vote (again..not a democracy). No one listened when we got home, bath time was a mess. I yelled at everyone ..everyone! Finally get them all in bed, turn on American Idol, only to have the smallest one get up an hour after her bedtime to tell me she has to pee, and "can I come hold her on the potty cuz she doesn't need the potty seat anymore". Then I must've scared her because she forgot pink bunny downstairs and she came back in tears because she can't walk 2 feet without him.


So all I can think at that point is... "Can I have wine NOW?"


update:
I came back from a wine run in the kitchen to almost sit down on a tinkerbell DS stylus and think to myself... aww...