Ouch… Mommy… Hammer

My oldest boy is getting ready to start kindergarten.  Today, he climbed in my bed, and snuggled a few minutes before we all got up to get going for the day. Oh how I LOVED those few moments!  I looked deep into his chocolate brown eyes, and quickly realized, that he is growing so fast!  (As a mom, I also quickly took note, that he needs a haircut before school starts).  Another thing I noticed, was a teeny tiny scar right between his eyebrows.   Seeing that scar reminded me of this hilarious story about “mom-hood”.  I had to repost it, because, well, just as the scar will always be there, this story will too!  Enjoy! 

 

NOTE:  I am not an abusive mom.  I SWEAR.  I love my children, and try very hard to protect them, keep them safe, and teach them between good and bad.  I love them so much, and it kills me to see them hurt, even when it’s just a sliver, or a scraped knee.  Although sometimes the manner in which they got hurt was HILARIOUS, I still hate to see them in pain.  Please don’t make me have a meeting with CPS because of this blog post.  LOL. But seriously.

But, Hurricane is his nickname for a reason… right?  He gets into everything, and destruction is eminent.   It’s like he comes in on a beautiful sunny day, and the next thing you know, everything is knocked over, things thrown everywhere, and it looks like we got robbed, or hit by a hurricane.

Well, as you may know, I own my own craft business. A few weeks ago, (It’s now been 3+ years!) I was working on an adorable custom order for a great friend and customer. Baby Dirt was taking a nap, and I was outside building her item, and taking advantage of the beautiful weather we had been having.  I had been hammering, cutting, gluing, measuring for a while outside and my Hurricane was playing with his toy tools next to me, and being a great helper.

I was using the claw part of the hammer to remove a nail.  The next thing I know, the hammer slipped, and I nailed him (no pun intended) right in the middle of the forehead.  I had just hit my kid in the head with a hammer!

I ran inside the house with my screaming 2 year old, blood all over his face, and peed his pants (we had been trying to potty train, and he hadn’t had any accidents yet that day!) I was seriously expecting to have to rush him to the emergency room, and really get drilled by CPS…

Thankfully, I was able to wipe away his blood, cleaned his wound, and put a band aid on it.  Poor kid.   He had only a small bruise, and of course, a small cut.

For the next several days, and weeks (and still today!) We would get the question as to what happened to his forehead.  His answer?

“Ouch, Hammer. Mom” and points to his head.

Okay, now, let’s really call CPS…

He’s scarred for life, really.  My beautiful boy will have that scar on his forehead for the rest of his life… and his answer?  “My mom hit me in the head with a hammer”.

Let’s just hope I haven’t ruined potty training for life too… I don’t want my kid wearing diapers until he’s 25…  (I’m proud to announce, that he is fully potty trained at age 5, and when potty training his brother, it was much different than this experience!)

Crazy enough, the very next day, my sweet baby Dirt scratched himself in the forehead with his super sharp nails, in the exact same spot!  They looked like they were twins.  And NO, that’s not a cover story for hitting the baby too.  Geeze.

So there.

This is my crazy life. Every day!

I’m exactly the mom I said I never wanted to be

As I was getting myself and the kids ready for school today I realized that I am exactly the type of mom I always said I would never be.

I’ll be honest. I judged all moms before I became one.  I’ve had a lot of moms to look up to, and unfortunately judge.  Whether they be family, friends, or co-workers.. in the back of my mind, I took note of the little things they did, that I thought were something I wouldn’t do when I became a mom.

I remember talking to one of my sisters on the phone.  I was trying to speak with her about something. I can’t remember the details anymore, but I remember her kid was crying in the phone.  She kept moving her mouth away from the phone to either shush the crying baby, or say something, and sometimes yell, at her other child.

I also remember thinking… “I am NOT going to do that when I become a mom”.   I was a naive teenager and thought it was so annoying that my sister would call me, then spend most of the time on the phone dealing with her kids.

Now, 15 years later… I AM that mom.

I can’t even be on a phone for 30 seconds before my kids gang up on each other and World War III is on the verge, one needs medical attention, or the other needs their diaper changed due to a massive blowout.

I always thought that I would be the type of mom who didn’t yell at her kids, house was always clean, definitely didn’t stay up late cleaning the house, ate healthy whole meals, kids were always on time to school, children sat neatly in our row at church, and I didn’t bring my kids out in public in their pajamas because of “said on-time” aspect…  (I do however manage to shower every day, but that’s because I can’t fully wake up until I shower each day, and I tend to neglect my kids and let them watch TV for at least a little while each day. LOL!)

Okay, truth be told, I probably let them watch too much TV throughout the day, and I don’t always feed them the best and most healthy meals.  Dinner may not always served at the table, but my kids are happy, and we are growing, and learning together. Sometimes those lessons are quick and easy, others are hard, very hard, and my heart aches as a mom.

So today when I walked out the door in a baseball cap and leggings, 10 minutes behind schedule, and 1 kid still in jammies, I realized I AM exactly the mom I never wanted to be, and always said I would never be.   But, I am so happy that I am NOT the mom who I thought I would be.  My expectations of motherhood were unrealistic.  I judged other moms, including my family members, because I didn’t understand. I didn’t know what motherhood was all about.

I didn’t know that moms stay up to all hours of the night to clean to the house, because it’s the only time that the kids won’t destroy the freshly folded basket of clothing, or make a mess the second after they wake up.  I didn’t know that after moms finally go to bed that they wake up in the middle of the night to take care of a crying child who doesn’t feel well, fell out of the bed, or who just had a bad dream. I didn’t realize that the reason we were never on time places, was because mom was exhausted.  I didn’t know that the reason the house was never clean was because of ME as a kid. That while my mom was trying to make dinner, or even go to the bathroom alone for goodness sake, I was in the other room making a bigger mess.

Now that I am a mom, I’m exactly the mom I never wanted to be, but I am exactly the mom I was meant to be.  Heavenly Father has an interesting way of teaching us things in life. I’m so glad that my perspective has changed, and what a humbling experience it has been so far. I love my boys. They are the world to me, even while they make disasters on the living room floor or their bedroom, I love them.   I’m not a perfect mom whatsoever, I make my fair share of mistakes, my life is chaotic, and crazy.  But….  it’s MINE and I am so grateful for that!

-Lizzie

10 commandments of parenting

I’ve been working on this blog post since January! I finally finished it!  I’m sure some parents would have a different list then this, but whatever your commandments of parenting are, there are a few basic that will help on this awesome journey of parenthood.

10.  Thou shalt not let your child fall asleep after 4 pm.  Break this commandment, and your kid will be up all night long.  Literally. Do whatever it takes to keep them awake, including letting your oldest child shout at the top of his lungs in the car and make crazy faces. That 10 minute nap will result in bedtime 2 hours later, and a lot of hair pulling.

9.  Thou shalt not lick your fingers.  No matter how clean they are, or even if you know what you just ate.  TRUST ME on this one. Read: That’s not cheese

8.  Thou shalt exhaust all efforts in the search for the missing sippy cup or bottle. Need I say more? If you don’t find it by the end of the day, expect for the whole cup to be thrown in the garbage when it is found.  I’d rather buy a new one than smell that stench, and avoid gagging, while cleaning it out.

7.  Thou shalt not smell the laundry.  Unsure if its clean or dirty? Just assume its dirty.  Don’t try to sniff it to see if its dirty. Just wash and fold again.  Save yourself.  Soon enough there will be NO DOUBT on the dirtiness of their clothes (deodorant and BO!). Invest in Oxiclean, spray n’ wash, and extra hot water.

6. Thou shalt take everything in stride.  Parenting is not glamorous.  Some days it’s not even fun. Sometimes, we just have to take it in strides.  Family photos scheduled, and the 2-year-old just colored with permanent marker all over his body? Be thankful for Photoshop?? Leaving for vacation, and the baby gets sick? Be thankful for doctors and medicine.   I vividly remember getting barfed on repeatedly one night, and I just embraced the fact that I could easily clean my clothes, throw away the cheap rug in the bedroom, and my husband could call in sick.  Whatever parenthood throws at you, embrace it, take it in stride, and keep moving along!

5.  Thou shalt be prepared.  Going to the beach in July on a hot sunny day? Bring a sweatshirt. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a parent;  it to always be prepared.  One of your kids is going to get sick, or cold, because they got dumped into the ocean, bit by a crab, or some other outrageous thing happens.  Because, IT WILL HAPPEN.  I always have diapers and wipes in my purse, and the van, and the diaper bag, an extra set of clothes, pajamas, and other essentials (small in size), because I’ve always ended up needing something when we go out on an adventure.  AND the ONE TIME you don’t, you’ll end up with a naked baby at church, or shoe-less kids while shopping.  I will almost Guarantee it.

4. Thou shalt not compare. The struggle is real with this commandment.  Comparing yourself, your child, and even your parenting style to others is one of the worst things to do to yourself.  I personally feel that comparing only brings grief.  God gave your situation to YOU not someone else. God made YOU the parent of your child for a reason.  We are not all going to be the same type of parent.  Find your role, and own it.  Don’t try to be like someone else. Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to actually do.

3. Thou shalt not underestimate the power of silence.  This is serious.   Silence is wonderful when you have kids running around your house all the time.  There is great power in being able to think in silence for a few minutes.  There is also great power in the crayon that is being used oh so quietly on the wall in the other room.   Once It got really while I was doing dishes, I discovered my kids had locked themselves in my bedroom closet and were pulling clothes off the hangers. (Seriously! I can’t make this stuff up, I’m not that creative). Save the silence for when they are sleeping… until one falls out of the bed, and the other needs a drink, and the baby needs a diaper change… OK silence doesn’t really exist while kids are growing up. But the day we stop appreciating the noises and craziness and get used to the silence, is the day they will all be out of the house!

2. Thou shalt not expect the same for tomorrow. Kids are amazingly good at changing their minds.  What was once considered their favorite today, will in turn be their least favorite thing within a matter of days (sometimes minutes!). My oldest loves cheese, to the point that he would eat the whole Costco sized block of cheddar if I would let him, but the other day, he said “I don’t like cheese” on his breakfast sandwich I was making him… I give up.

1. Thou shalt LOVE THEM.  It will too soon be over.  They will grow up, and find loves of their own.  I never believed it when people said it went by so fast.  I understand now, and the boys are only 4 and younger.  I know it will go by fast and before I realize it they will be headed to college.

THIS is my crazy life! Its crazy, but it’s MINE and I am so grateful for that!

I {don’t} Cherish Every Moment

As a parent, other parents tell you all the time to “cherish every moment”.   I get it. TIME FLIES.   Your children are born one day, and the next day they are all grown up.   They grow so quickly.

I love being a mom! I love my children and I love watching my boys grow up.  Of course, I love them when they are babies- all cute and snuggly- but they are a lot more fun to play with when they can sit, and crawl, and recognize that you are actually playing with them. I love those moments.

But still, as a mom, I don’t cherish every moment.  Sometimes, being a parent just plain sucks, and can be really hard.

For example:

– Not sleeping- I love my sleep.  I am a happier person when I get more sleep.  I am a happier mom, and a nicer mom when everyone gets more sleep.  I don’t cherish the unending days of getting my hair pulled through the night, when the kids are up sick, or the 3am conversations with myself because I can’t sleep.   As a parent some days are so emotionally and physically exhausting, that the only thing that you can think of that will help is just to go to sleep.  Therefore, I don’t cherish not getting sleep. Right now, I cherish every single minute I do get sleep!

– Changing diapers- seriously, who actually enjoys this? When my kids are grown, I am not going to look back and say “I wish I would have gotten to change more diapers”. Potty trained children are much more fun to play with than one that poops their pants.  (just sayin’)

– Sickness-  Kids are always sick.  From fevers, to throw ups, skinned knees to growing pains, and teething… seeing your little ones sick or hurt is very hard for a parent.  I don’t cherish those moments when I’ve been puked on for the 3rd time in a row.  I just don’t.  I cherish the moments when my children are happy and healthy.  Granted, I’ve never had a seriously ill child, but I think, even if I did, I would cherish the moments when they aren’t in pain and we are together.

– Disciplining- no body likes to get in trouble.  No body really likes being the warden of the jail either.  Yeah the job might pay well, but you still have to deal with the bad guys.  I don’t enjoy disciplining my kids.  It devastates me to see them cry because they are in trouble. But its just something that’s gotta happen when they break the rules.  I’m trying to raise them to be respectful and decent men.  (Thankfully 2 minute time outs, and no chocolate milk are easy punishments, for moms and kids.)

I don’t cherish every moment of being a mom.  I just try to enjoy the moments I can, and embrace the others.  I love my boys with all my heart and soul.  I would do anything for them.  But I feel like in order for me to be the type of mother they need, I simply cannot cherish every moment, because I have to be present at every moment.  Does that make sense?  I try to embrace the good and the bad moments. Sometimes the moments are NOT glamorous whatsoever. Sometimes the moment you are in is full of rage or tears and you just have to endure those moments.  But I am thankful they are MY moments.  I’m eternally grateful that Heavenly Father is there to guide me through those moments, and has given me the charge to be a mother.

Parenting sucks sometimes, but sometimes that’s just the season you are in.  Parenting is what you are every single day.  I’m the youngest of 9 kids, and my parents still ‘parent’ us even though we are all grown with families of our own.  You don’t ever stop being a parent.  That in itself is a daunting task…but it’s worth it.

The moments I cherish, are the ones that sit with my heart so deeply.  Sometimes those moments are funny, sometimes, it’s as simple as seeing your oldest son give your youngest son a kiss goodnight. THOSE are the moments I cherish. I choose to cherish them because they are special, and important to me.  My heart does not have room to cherish every moment where I am picking boogies out of my kid’s nose, or cleaning their fingernails.

I know one day my boys will be grown men with families of their own. I won’t have a mine field of cars and blocks to avoid on my way down the hall.  I won’t have to tell them to get off each others heads or no baseball in the living room.  I know I will miss some of those moments, but I will be grateful I was there to share in their joy and their tears, that I embraced the moments of motherhood.

Happy Mother’s Day!

This is my crazy life, every day! But I am SO thankful its mine.

Popcorn popping

There’s a song the children sing at church called “Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree”.  It’s a fun song, and the beautiful spring weather and blossoms outside are exactly what the song sings about…

“I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!
Spring has brought us such a nice surprise, blossoms popping right before our eyes.
I can take an armful and make a treat, a popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.
It wasn’t really so, but it seemed to be, popcorn popping on the apricot tree!”

The little kids are so cute when they sing the song, and I first introduced the song to my kids about a year ago.

I saw some blossoms on some trees right on the corner of the street when we were driving home from church.  I pulled over to show Hurricane.  I said, ” Look! Popcorn popping on that tree!”  Oh how he was excited! Then he started throwing a huge fit, because he didn’t understand why we couldn’t get some popcorn off the tree.  He wanted a snack!  I literally had to get out of the car, carry him to the tree and show him that it wasn’t actual popcorn, just a silly little song we sing about the blossoms on the trees.  The whole way home he cried about how I tricked him, and how he wanted popcorn!  Needless to say, we made popcorn when we got home.

(on another note.. I don’t get to sing the song often anyways, because Dirt HATES it when I sing… That’s a blog post for another time!)

The beautiful spring blossoms are a constant reminder that there is hope for tomorrow!  Happy Spring!

THIS is my crazy life, but I am sooooo thankful it’s MINE

Cook the Baby

On this beautiful spring morning, while I make breakfast, I am reminded of a blog post from an old blog site I did a couple of years ago.  This is pretty much still the same in our house, but you can replace Hurricane’s name with Dirt’s name instead.  Here’s the original post….

Since we have a new baby around the house, everything to Hurricane is a “baby” or belongs to the baby. Babies’ food, babies blanket, his baby, mom’s baby, dad’s baby, baby chicken, etc.  And if something is small, it is also a “baby”.

Here’s an example:
Now that Spring is in the air, our chickens have been laying eggs again.  The other day, we gathered the eggs, and we teased when we saw that one of the four eggs was significantly smaller than the rest, that a Robin came in and laid an egg with the chickens. It was seriously so small!

I fried that baby egg up for Hurricane’s breakfast yesterday.  He loved it, and it was the perfect size for him to eat.  So today when I went to make eggs for breakfast he wanted the “baby” egg again.  Nope, no more baby eggs.  So he called the other eggs “baby”.

H:  “me, egg, ninner” (all meals are “dinner” to him)
Me:  “yep, I will make you an egg for breakfast”
H:  “baby” (showing me the egg he was holding so proudly)
Me:   “Yep, here, hand me the baby egg”
H:  “No. mine. Baby.”
Me:  Here, hand me the baby, so I can cook the baby.

I DID just say that.  Whoops!   I chuckled, and fried up another “baby” for myself.

To this day we still talk about cooking babies when I make fried eggs.

THIS is my crazy life everyday! But I am SO thankful it’s mine, and I LOVE the memories I have with my kids.

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

Lately, I’ve been caught up in thinking about the things I don’t have.  I don’t have the big house that I want, I don’t have the slim fit body I once had before kids, I don’t have time to do whatever I want, I’m not a successful blogger like the ones I read, my business isn’t booming like others similar to it.

I don’t have this, I don’t have that….

I’ve talked with a few of my friends who have been going through some unimaginable trials. One friend lost her child, while another was part of the reason why.  Another friend’s husband was in a horrible logging accident on their property, while another has been struggling with a recent divorce.

These are trials that I don’t have.  And I am grateful I don’t.  I don’t know how I would respond to life if I were given these trials.  I want to say that I would try and be optimistic.  But lets face it, life can be hard sometimes. Only Heavenly Father knows why these women were chosen to face these specific trials.  I can tell you this though, these women are blooming from these trials.   They have faced their fears and made good from their deepest trials.

Two of the friends have started a charity supporting those families that are going through their similar struggles with the loss of a child.  Raise for Rowyn has just barely started up and they are already making waves.  I am so proud of these two women for making the most of a horrible situation.  I honestly don’t know them very well, but their ability to forgive and grow from this tragedy makes me want to be a better person and to forgive those who have hurt me, or done wrong.

My other friend who is struggling with her recent divorce has grown from that trial as well. I have seen her take the bull by the horns and run with it!  She has been able to support herself, go back to school, and raise her children full time.  Every time I talk to her, she is just so happy.  Her faith in God and his plan has kept her afloat during this time where she could easily sink.  I am so proud of her for not letting this trial hold her back, and how brave she is for being able to do it on her own.

And my friend who’s husband was hurt, she still is laughing and making others smile throughout this trial.  Friends and family have rallied around them, and are supporting them and helping them as much as possible.  It’s a long road to recovery, but she is finding joy in the ability that she has to be able to take care of him, and assist with his recovery.  She is thankful that she still has him.   As he could have easily not survived the accident.  She is grateful for their jobs and the flexibility they have with their schedules. I am so proud of how she is taking one day at a time, one step at a time (literally) while she is helping her husband heal, and not worrying about the little things in life that don’t mean as much.

These amazing women have suffered through and will continue to suffer through some pretty difficult and unimaginable things.  How horrible of a person am I because I am thinking about the things I don’t have, but want?

photo source

It is so incredibly easy to get caught up in the daily things, that you forget to look at the big picture. Its easy to forget how blessed I am sometimes.  But I’ve forgotten about the things I DO have.  I have a wonderful husband who loves me.  I have 3 adorable little boys that bring joy and variety into my every day.  I have a warm home, with a back yard my kids can enjoy, I have the ability to go to the gym and work out, I have a supportive family, a business that keeps me busy that I can grow with hard work.  And I have my faith.

My knowledge of Heavenly Father and his plan brings me joy.  It brings me peace.

I know that my life will not always be full of “unicorns, bubbles, glitter and butterflies” (as I like to refer to happiness as sometimes). I know that I will have to overcome my own trials, though they may be very different than others.  Maybe one of my trials is jealousy of others? Maybe one of my trials is seeking good without reward?  Maybe one of my trials is feeling unfulfilled? I don’t know? But I do know that my Heavenly Father will help me through them.  I know that I am grateful for an eternal family.  I am blessed with those around me who are willing to help.  And I am blessed with the ability to help others too.

   Photo Source

So today, I am not going to think about the things I don’t have.  I am just going to be Thankful.  I am going to be Grateful.  And I am going to remember that I am blessed.

THIS is my life, and I am so grateful it’s MINE!

(To find out more about my faith and what I believe, go here)

Please Don’t

I really try not to tell my kids “no” all the time.  But I know I can’t 100% be a “yes” mom, because, well, there are some things that deserve the answer “no” or “don’t”. Here’s a few examples of things I’ve said “no” about ….

• Please don’t stick the crayon up your nose
• don’t eat the dirt! (Ironically to Dirt)
• DO NOT eat the dried up worm!!!
• No drinking the puddles! (I said this too often to Hurricane)
• yucky! Dirt, don’t eat the dog food – please don’t eat the grass
• PLEASE stop licking the salt shaker! (I also said this too often, Hurricane went through this phase….)
• Don’t eat the dogs hair!
• Don’t eat the cord to the vacuum

(Do you see a trend here? I PROMISE I feed my kids! )

• do not throw the baseball at the TV!!!!
• please don’t hit your brother with the baseball bat (a small plastic one, but still)

This is my crazy life. Every single day.

(I’m not crazy for saying these things to my kids am I? )

Daddy’s Hair

At our house, we play with Play-dough frequently. It is such a great toy for a couple of hyperactive kids.  They get mesmerized with the stuff, and even us adults enjoy play with it.

About a year ago, while we were watching some of our friend’s kids, we were playing with the Play-doh.  Like normal “kids” we were being silly while we played. We ended up making fake mustaches, snotty noses, unibrows, etc.  Well one thing led to another, and we started making hair for my husband (who is bald).

I asked Hurricane, “what happened to daddy’s hair?”
His reply, “its gone, the bear took it”
ME: “The bear took it?”
Hurricane: “Yeah, the bear. He took daddy’s big hair. Now he just haves little hair left. Right here.. (pointing to my husbands bald head, and in a really high pitched voice).”
ME: “Can you go find the bear and get daddy’s hair?”
Hurricane: “Yeah! It’s lost. I go find daddy’s hair from the bear”.

He then proceeded to try and get his friends to follow him around the house looking for the Bear that stole his daddy’s hair.  Now that I am typing this, the whole conversation seems much funnier to experience then to type and read. But seriously?  How’s that for an explanation for male pattern baldness?  A bear took it?  Kids have quite the imagination.

To this day, he still believes that a bear took dad’s hair.  Whenever he sees a picture of a bear on tv or the computer, he says “that’s the bear that took dad’s hair!”.  Hil.ar.i.ous.

A game changer

Having a 3rd kid is a complete game changer.

Although the baby is soooo perfect– sleeps well, eats well, doesn’t cry often, enjoys being held, but likes to also be laid down and left alone, and doesn’t mind the constant noise– having 3 kids is hard.

1. You no longer have enough hands by yourself.

2. There are more of them than there are of you!

3. It’s sort of like going from man-to-man defense, to Zone defense.  (Explanation found here)

4.  You feel like you’re constantly neglecting someone.

5. Did I mention its hard?  Because of reasons like this…

– Attempting to get a cute photo of them in their matching jammies…

or doing laundry:

 

BUT it’s worth it.  Because THIS makes me happy. THIS is my world, and my everything.