early Mother's Day gift

Parenting is hard. Stating the obvious I know. I’ve got it coming at me from both sides. Juggling an infant and a preteen/tween/twerp.

Recently, it’s been the eldest one that’s giving me fits.

It just always seems to be something. The blasé attitude towards everything. Taking his grades for granted, almost causing a dive in his GPA. Having a girlfriend, which he NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT. Notifying me of Spring Band Concerts with only about 3 hrs notice.

And the largest infraction. Getting booted from safety patrol. His involvement in other extracurricular activities took away from his commitment, and the result was that he was ‘fired’. He didn’t get in trouble for that. Where he went wrong was that he didn’t notify me of this development for TWO WHOLE MONTHS.

I tell you what, it always seems to be something. We never seem to stay at an even keel for very long. Soon as he comes off restriction, he ends up back on it. It leaves me wanting to pull my hair out sometimes.

For all my moaning and groaning though, I know how lucky I am. If these are my biggest complaints, then I have it made..

And then there are days like yesterday. When everyone (except Hubby, who is traveling for work) is home for the day. I always ask him how his day was, if anything of note happened. Usually, I get a shrug, or a ‘Nothing’, from Mr. Noncommittal Preteen. Not today. That alone is a gift.

But I was given much more. Yesterday, a bunch of classmates were making fun of someone. Someone physically limited, not like them. Not only did my son decline to participate, he even SCOLDED his fellow classmates with regard to their behavior.

Since kindergarten, peer pressure was one of my son’s biggest weaknesses. The bane of my existence. And now one of my biggest victories as a mother.

stupid green beens

Being thrust back into to the world of diapers (after almost TEN years) was really no big deal. Just some minor re-acclimation.

Blowouts, however are a different story.

Tyler's most recent was of nuclear proportions. Every article of clothing went directly into the washer. Poo spreading faster than I could clean it up (silly baby and his flail-y grabby hands). Baby had to have a wipe bath before he could even have a real bath. The changing table was just a hair away from needing a firebombing. It was THAT BAD.

5 mos

I haz toof
I byte hard
NOM

wyoming

Another week, another business trip. I knew it was coming, but I still feel unprepared.

I rescheduled Marc's bday party because of the last one, and now this trip is wreaking havoc on the planning. Mostly the house prep. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the baby when Hubby is gone. And to pile everything else on top of that? No wonder I have such a hard time keeping my head above water.

The Players

Hubby - definition not required.

Marc - Eldest child from previous marriage. Recently turned 12.

Ty - The most recent addition to the family. About to turn 5 mos. old.

CuChi - Our ShihTzu. Now former baby of the family.

Sami - Our Lab Mix. Very CoDependent. Afraid of all men. The Husband has become an exception to the rule.

Chynna - Our Chinese Crested (hairless, sort of). Apparently the world exists without her permission.

Butthead - Exhusband. Defies definition. You'll just have to read it to beleive it.

Me - Grew up in a less than stellar childhood, thought to escape that environment through marriage. 'From the frying pan to the fire' is an all too apt description of that choice. After Marc was born, gradually began to stand up for myself and realized that raising my son in such an environment was NOT doing him any favors. As such, I struck out on my own ten years ago, focused on raising my son, and healing myself. I've come a long way baby.