For the past two months, our house has been torn apart. We were one of the unfortunate families who had damage due to Hurricane Irene. Because of flooding, the lower level of our house has been in shambles and we haven't been able to use it. But last week, my husband and I, and a few of our closest friends, have been working all day, everyday to get it back to functional.
We've torn up flooring, drywall, and studs. We've replaced walls, insulation, and painted. We worked through joint pain and sickness, and just when it seemed like it would never be finished, we succeeded. The last few nights we've been able to sit downstairs by the fire, watching TV and relaxing like we've wanted to for a long time. There's still a little work to be done, but at least we can enjoy all of our house again.
This might be the first time in a long time that I've been excited to do laundry or sweep the house. The rest of the house got completely neglected while we were working downstairs, and while I'm almost caught up, it's nice to know I can focus on what I usually do. Getting back into my routine is wonderful, and not having to worry about the fact that my house is torn up is a weight off my shoulders. We once again have "adult space" back.
Now it might be a stretch, but I feel like this can be an analogy for a life lesson. Becoming a parent can be a complete disruption in our lives. We go from thinking only of ourselves to suddenly having to worry about another living being over ourselves. We have to work through pain, sickness, sorrow, and fatigue to get things done. It seems at times like the work will never be done. But, there comes a turning point, and all of a sudden you're at the point where you can sit back and enjoy all the hard work you put into it. One of the most rewarding things is being able to see the fruits of your labor. And while your work isn't necessarily finished, you hit that defining moment, when you almost have to stop, look around you and enjoy all you have accomplished.
Me and My Boys!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Things I've Learned
This week, I've learned numerous things from my children. Here's a short list of the most important ones:
1) No matter how tired or sick you are, your children don't care.
2) Waking up to a child staring at you at 5:30 in the morning is not only infuriating, it's really creepy too.
3) The dumbest things can scare the crap out of your child. They can go all through Halloween without getting scared once, but a stink bug makes them scream bloody murder.
4) Baby gates are not made to keep a two year-old contained.
5) Children do not care what time it is. If they think it's time to wake up, it's time to wake up.
6) If a "timeout" is supposed to last four minutes, your child will behave for exactly three minutes and thirty seconds.
7) Boys think throwing sticks across the road at 7:30 in the morning is funny.
8) Coffee is no match for a child's energy at 6:30 AM.
9) Toilet paper can be a really fun toy, that is until Mommy finds you out.
10) No matter how good or bad your day has been, nothings compares to the calm and solace of knowing both of your children are asleep.
Remember parents, never stop learning.
1) No matter how tired or sick you are, your children don't care.
2) Waking up to a child staring at you at 5:30 in the morning is not only infuriating, it's really creepy too.
3) The dumbest things can scare the crap out of your child. They can go all through Halloween without getting scared once, but a stink bug makes them scream bloody murder.
4) Baby gates are not made to keep a two year-old contained.
5) Children do not care what time it is. If they think it's time to wake up, it's time to wake up.
6) If a "timeout" is supposed to last four minutes, your child will behave for exactly three minutes and thirty seconds.
7) Boys think throwing sticks across the road at 7:30 in the morning is funny.
8) Coffee is no match for a child's energy at 6:30 AM.
9) Toilet paper can be a really fun toy, that is until Mommy finds you out.
10) No matter how good or bad your day has been, nothings compares to the calm and solace of knowing both of your children are asleep.
Remember parents, never stop learning.
Monday, October 31, 2011
This Is Halloween
Originally, Halloween was "Samhain," a Celtic festival celebrating the end of the summer and taking stock of supplies needed for winter. It was also the time of year when they saw a surge in paranormal and spiritual activity. To ward off evil spirits, the Celts built large bonfires and conducted animal (and sometimes human) sacrifices.
Fast-forward to the 12th century. November 1st and 2nd are All Saints Day (All Hallows) and All Souls day, celebrated largely by much of the Christian world, and considered a fairly important holiday. This was a time of praying for the souls of the departed, who may have still been in purgatory. In what is now the United Kingdom, this involved "souling", where poor people would go door to door on November 1st and receive food in exchange for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day.
Between the Protestant Reformation, the founding of the United States, and perhaps just a change in times, what we celebrate now is Halloween. We bob for apples, carve and paint pumpkins, and decorate our houses. We dress our kids and ourselves in costumes that range from the creepy to the ridiculously silly. We parade through the towns drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest and apple cider. We still have parties and bonfires, and we still go door to door, except now we beg for candy instead of food. We watch scary movies and hours-long marathons of the Munsters, and listen to "Monster Mash."
Have we degraded what was once a sacred festival and holiday? Have we strayed so far from the point we no longer remember for what this day was intended? My answer is this- who cares? It's Halloween! Have fun trick-or-treating tonight!
Fast-forward to the 12th century. November 1st and 2nd are All Saints Day (All Hallows) and All Souls day, celebrated largely by much of the Christian world, and considered a fairly important holiday. This was a time of praying for the souls of the departed, who may have still been in purgatory. In what is now the United Kingdom, this involved "souling", where poor people would go door to door on November 1st and receive food in exchange for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day.
Between the Protestant Reformation, the founding of the United States, and perhaps just a change in times, what we celebrate now is Halloween. We bob for apples, carve and paint pumpkins, and decorate our houses. We dress our kids and ourselves in costumes that range from the creepy to the ridiculously silly. We parade through the towns drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest and apple cider. We still have parties and bonfires, and we still go door to door, except now we beg for candy instead of food. We watch scary movies and hours-long marathons of the Munsters, and listen to "Monster Mash."
Have we degraded what was once a sacred festival and holiday? Have we strayed so far from the point we no longer remember for what this day was intended? My answer is this- who cares? It's Halloween! Have fun trick-or-treating tonight!
Friday, October 28, 2011
With Eyes Like A Child
If I asked you to describe the world in one word, what would you say? Dull? Boring? Busy? That is because we see things on a grand scale. We see how one thing in the world can affect us all. We see how boring it is to do the same thing every day, and the futility of life. That is why my children never cease to amaze me.
They see a leaf fall from a tree and it's entertainment until it blows out of sight. They spot an airplane in the sky at night, and Caleb dreams of flying. A simple trip to the store can be an adventure. Every child sees every moment separately. When that leaf falls, they don't care that the wind is blowing. They just want to watch the leaf. They don't care that people are protesting, that Congress is fighting amongst themselves, that the lower half of our house is still torn apart because of flood damage. They live in this moment, and nothing matters except what they see and dream.
When a child dreams about something, they don't sit and think about why it will never work. They just dream about going to space, or driving a race car, or being a super hero. They can't see the thousand reasons why it will most likely never happen, and they don't want to. They just dream. There is a lot going on in our lives today. But we have the opportunity, if only for a little while, to see the world through a child's eyes. Dream about what you want to without caring about the details. Look at everything as though you had never seen it before. Allow your self to be amazed at something small. We may not be able to do it all the time, but perhaps, just for a few minutes, we can let ourselves view the world in a happier way.
They see a leaf fall from a tree and it's entertainment until it blows out of sight. They spot an airplane in the sky at night, and Caleb dreams of flying. A simple trip to the store can be an adventure. Every child sees every moment separately. When that leaf falls, they don't care that the wind is blowing. They just want to watch the leaf. They don't care that people are protesting, that Congress is fighting amongst themselves, that the lower half of our house is still torn apart because of flood damage. They live in this moment, and nothing matters except what they see and dream.
When a child dreams about something, they don't sit and think about why it will never work. They just dream about going to space, or driving a race car, or being a super hero. They can't see the thousand reasons why it will most likely never happen, and they don't want to. They just dream. There is a lot going on in our lives today. But we have the opportunity, if only for a little while, to see the world through a child's eyes. Dream about what you want to without caring about the details. Look at everything as though you had never seen it before. Allow your self to be amazed at something small. We may not be able to do it all the time, but perhaps, just for a few minutes, we can let ourselves view the world in a happier way.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Samhainophobia
There comes a certain time of year,
Leaving parents rapt with fear.
Into the depths and darkness we peer,
All Hallow's Eve is finally here.
The kids have all dressed up for the night,
The price tag being the most ghastly sight.
And though you can fight it with all your might,
It's the bill that will give you the biggest fright.
Picture-time being the next biggest thrill,
Good luck getting the kids to stand still.
All of the cuteness and all of the frill,
Is no match for a two year-old's stubborn will.
The sugar is now coursing through their veins,
Driving all the children a little insane.
Please, dear God, let the sugar high wane,
And remind my children they still have a brain.
And so it's no wonder we parents still fear,
This wonderfully cursed time of year,
Put the kids in their beds and hand me a beer,
'Cause All Hallow's Eve is finally here.
Leaving parents rapt with fear.
Into the depths and darkness we peer,
All Hallow's Eve is finally here.
The kids have all dressed up for the night,
The price tag being the most ghastly sight.
And though you can fight it with all your might,
It's the bill that will give you the biggest fright.
Picture-time being the next biggest thrill,
Good luck getting the kids to stand still.
All of the cuteness and all of the frill,
Is no match for a two year-old's stubborn will.
The sugar is now coursing through their veins,
Driving all the children a little insane.
Please, dear God, let the sugar high wane,
And remind my children they still have a brain.
And so it's no wonder we parents still fear,
This wonderfully cursed time of year,
Put the kids in their beds and hand me a beer,
'Cause All Hallow's Eve is finally here.
Monday, October 24, 2011
But I Don't Wanna!
I probably couldn't count on one hand how many times during the day one of my kids will tell me they don't want to do something. Brush your teeth, eat your dinner, go to bed- they usually are responded to the same way, "But I don't wanna!" Of course usually I say, "Get used to doing things you don't like to, 'cause that's life." They don't get it, but at least I've said it.
I was wondering, where did this come from? Did they just automatically understand they can whine about stuff? Did they magically come up with this phrase, and if so, how does every child come up with this phrase on their own? Then it occurred to me...
"Mommy, the sun's up. That means wake up." But I don't wanna!
"Hey babe, can you do some laundry?" But I don't wanna!
-Trash overflowing, no one here but me. But I don't wanna!
-Dishes piling up in the sink. But I don't wanna!
"Mommy, there's no juice packs left. Let's go to the store!" But I don't wanna!
Well I figured out where that came from...woops. At least the advice I gave him was sound.
I was wondering, where did this come from? Did they just automatically understand they can whine about stuff? Did they magically come up with this phrase, and if so, how does every child come up with this phrase on their own? Then it occurred to me...
"Mommy, the sun's up. That means wake up." But I don't wanna!
"Hey babe, can you do some laundry?" But I don't wanna!
-Trash overflowing, no one here but me. But I don't wanna!
-Dishes piling up in the sink. But I don't wanna!
"Mommy, there's no juice packs left. Let's go to the store!" But I don't wanna!
Well I figured out where that came from...woops. At least the advice I gave him was sound.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Because Manners Matter
Everyday, my son gets on the bus with the little girl from next door. They're in the same class and they ride the same bus, so they know each other pretty well. Well the weather the other day was expected to be rainy, so this little girl was carrying her Princess umbrella to school with her. The bus pulls up, we all say our goodbyes and give hugs and kisses, then Caleb did something I never expected him to do. He held this girls hand as they crossed the road, then held her umbrella for her while she got on the bus. It was the cutest thing and this girl's grandmother was beside herself. She was so beside herself that she texted the girl's mom to tell her what happened right then and there. They both thought it was the cutest thing ever.
Then it occured to me, there was a period of time when that wouldn't have been cute, it would have been expected. What has the world come to that when a young child has manners it's surprising? So I put together a list of manners that every child should know, and that every parent should make an effort to teach.
1). Please and Thank you. If they ask for anything from anyone, it should be accompanied with please. If anything from anyone is given to them, it should be acccompanied with thank you. These are also used in conjunction with "yes" and "no" to be polite. Such as "Yes, please." and "No thank you." These terms should be used with everyone from strangers to family members.
2) Opening and holding the door for someone else. Obviously this one is difficult to teach from a young age. It's not like you can tell your six month-old to go hold the door, but you can teach them by doing it yourself until they're old enough and strong enough.
3) Table manners. Parents can begin to teach children this as soon as they start getting real food. Use your fork and spoon, and use them properly. Don't talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed. Before leaving the table, ask permission to be excused.
4) Say "excuse me." This has multiple meanings. After passing gas, if you bump into someone, or if you need an adults attention.
5) No swearing. I can't think of something that bothers me more than hearing little kids swear like they're adults. I recently heard the saying, "If the child swears, slap the parent." Where do you think the child heard it in the first place? If you do swear in front of your child, apologize to them for it and tell them it was very impolite of you to say that. Which brings me to my final point...
All of these manners can be taught by being a good example to your child. Do you think your child will say please if you don't? Or thank you? Do you think they'll swear if you swear? Parents need to be careful of what we teach our children. This list I gave you is very condensed, and it certainly doesn't include everything. I found a "comprehensive" list online, to which I'll include the link, but I find even that one to be lacking a few.
Times have changed, but that doesn't mean that manners should.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/25-manners-every-kid-should-know-by-age-9-2480238
Then it occured to me, there was a period of time when that wouldn't have been cute, it would have been expected. What has the world come to that when a young child has manners it's surprising? So I put together a list of manners that every child should know, and that every parent should make an effort to teach.
1). Please and Thank you. If they ask for anything from anyone, it should be accompanied with please. If anything from anyone is given to them, it should be acccompanied with thank you. These are also used in conjunction with "yes" and "no" to be polite. Such as "Yes, please." and "No thank you." These terms should be used with everyone from strangers to family members.
2) Opening and holding the door for someone else. Obviously this one is difficult to teach from a young age. It's not like you can tell your six month-old to go hold the door, but you can teach them by doing it yourself until they're old enough and strong enough.
3) Table manners. Parents can begin to teach children this as soon as they start getting real food. Use your fork and spoon, and use them properly. Don't talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed. Before leaving the table, ask permission to be excused.
4) Say "excuse me." This has multiple meanings. After passing gas, if you bump into someone, or if you need an adults attention.
5) No swearing. I can't think of something that bothers me more than hearing little kids swear like they're adults. I recently heard the saying, "If the child swears, slap the parent." Where do you think the child heard it in the first place? If you do swear in front of your child, apologize to them for it and tell them it was very impolite of you to say that. Which brings me to my final point...
All of these manners can be taught by being a good example to your child. Do you think your child will say please if you don't? Or thank you? Do you think they'll swear if you swear? Parents need to be careful of what we teach our children. This list I gave you is very condensed, and it certainly doesn't include everything. I found a "comprehensive" list online, to which I'll include the link, but I find even that one to be lacking a few.
Times have changed, but that doesn't mean that manners should.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/25-manners-every-kid-should-know-by-age-9-2480238
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