Little Boys...

Ok , so how do i start this? my son who is 4 is just my heart. i find so much joy in him because he's so lovable and just so sweet and stubborn as all get out. He was thought to be a girl when I was preggers with him. i had two girls and i'm one of three girls so it was just a given that i'd have three girls also. wrongo!! but i'm glad because i couldn't imagine what life would be like if he weren't a boy. 

Wow is he a stubborn little thing!! I wonder where she gets it from? I know from me and his father.  Once he makes up his mind there is no fighting with him.  It's like talking to a brick wall at times and that's not like me at all. There is rarely give and go with him and I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it. 

Let's take for instance his eating habits. Oh sweet Lord!! He used to eat everything!! Meats and vegetables. But some where after he turned 2 and a half he started to shun pretty much anything that wasn't a carb or a dinosaur shaped chicken nugget. Oy! Seriously!! Why?? I would eat steak, pork, and real chicken. With sauces or gravies or with nothing on it. Everyone ate the same thing and it was rare that I cooked something no one wanted to eat.  Now he eats toast w/o butter, tater tots and dino shaped chicken nuggets. I can't even fake him out with those. He likes cereal and sometimes he'll eat eggs. Rice has to have nori (seaweed) or he won't eat it. He eats baby food peas, but won't eat the real thing... I fear he's gonna be a diabetic by the time he's a teenager bc he eats carbs but if he won't eat anything, else at least he"ll eat that.  He will eat a few fruits. 

Aside from food let talk about he incessant need to play guns and all things violent. I'm trying to raise a well-rounded boy and I always kept the gun play out of the house but bc his father is a police officer it's his way of connecting with his son I guess. But there are other ways to do that that don't include violent play but oh well. He is into other things as well but a lot of it has to do with violence or some kind of fighting. I want to get him into sports but so far he's far from interested and I think he may be burnt out because he's been dragged all over God's green acres to watch his sisters play soccer or softball. I'm hoping once he's in Kindergarten he find an interest in it.  

I will say though that he is quite lovey.  He is my little lovebug and cuddles like my girls never did.  He gets to sleep with me in my big ole bed and he takes up the most room. I love hearing him breathe and feeling his little warm body snuggled up next to mine. I do not however enjoy the feet or head in my back, stomach or neck.  But I miss him when he's gone and cherish the little moments we do have. He has the sweetest face and when he's not a whiny butthead, hes the sweetest little boy ever. I just couldn't imagine what life would be like if he weren't a boy.

"My precious little baby
I have loved you from the start
You are a tiny miracle
Laying closely to my heart."

Funny things my kids say and do pt2

This is another part of the conversation I just had with my daughter.

I was trying to take a picture of her eating my food, well because I seem to be taking pictures of everything lately, and she was trying to avoid being in the picture. She asked why I was taking a picture and I said I'm just documenting why I rarely get to eat my food without sharing. And my daughter says, well it started with your milk... 

Funny things my kids say and do...

Oh the things my kids say and do. I will say it's never a dull moment when they are on a roll. And I wouldn't have it any other way. They can always turn my frown upside down. :)

So tonight dinner was a whatever kind of night. Everyone kind of had what they wanted no big deal because it was either quesadillas, tater tots and Dino chicken nuggets(my sons personal choice every night if he could).

I happened to wait to cook mine and eat after they finish just in case they want more or something else. I added guacamole and salsa to mine and turned into a huge taco. Needless to say my oldest asked me for a bite and she took a huge bite then asked me to make her one. I ended up giving it to her but she was making a mess, as usual. When she was done, instead of getting up to clean up she wipes her hand on her sock. I tell her not to put her messy socks on the couch. So she took off the sock and turned it inside out and put it back on... Oh boy this kid. It amazes me how quick her mind works!

Kid Conversations

Haha! Ok so I was in my bedroom when I heard my 8 yr old girl and 4 yr old boy playing in their room. I can hear the sound of coins being dropped into a piggy bank and on the floor. So this is the conversation I overheard and I swear I couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes or so. I almost pee'd. No joke.

G: give me some cents
B: I don't have any cents
G: yes you do, here.
B: I don't want your cents
G: I already have cents
B: no, you don't have any cents I want.

This is funny to me because they just don't know how out of context I took that. Oh they bring me such joy.... Never a dull moment with them. Love my babies.

Conversations w/ My Son

I was in the kitchen cooking some okai. It's a Japanese rice mush thing that I love to eat when I'm not feeling well. Was sick with the flu and finally wanted something to eat.

Anywho... I was at the stove and my son comes into the kitchen and he says, Hi Mommy.

I say, Hey My Boy, what's up?

He looks at me for a bit and then says, Nothing, but watch me.

I say, OK. He then starts to run around in circles and all crazy and I ask, What are you doing?

He doesn't stop but keeps running in circles and says, I'm chasing my butt. Can't you see me?

I laughed and said, You aren't a dog, so you don't have a tail.

He says, I know I'm not a dog I'm not chasing my tail. I'm chasing my but like a guinea pig.

OK. I said, Sure why not... I just love his imagination....

That was all in the space of 10 minutes but some of the funniest and most rewarding moments and the shortest and silliest moments.

A Conversation With My Kids.... Pt 1

I'm going to start a series of posts about my random conversations with my kids. I love when I can spend a few moments in a day and have a chat with any of them. And with three kids sometimes it's hard to have a one on one convo without someone interrupting at some point. I try to be able to have a moment with each of them but it depends on their moods and when they feel like talking that makes it's difficult sometimes. But I do what I can and as a single mom it's gonna have to be enough for now. I want them to look back and remember the times we spent talking and me listening to them. These are moments I cherish most when they aren't with me and I'm alone missing them.

Conversations With My Boy...
This little guy is always busy and when he not running around pretending to shoot someone he's a cuddlebug and will talk till the sun goes down. One day I was making dinner and he always likes to be around and if there is something he can help with I let him.

I was getting the apple sauce out for something and he asks me, 'Mommy, do you know the ingredients to make applesauce?'

I said to him, 'No, I don't. But I'd like to try to make it.'

He says,'Its easy.'

I was intrigued because I was wondering what was going on in his head at that point. And he said the word "ingredients". I said,'Really? It's easy?'

He says,'Yes. First you get the apples and you get the sauce, put it together in a pan. And then you have applesauce. See?'

I tried hard not to laugh but I had the biggest smile on my face. Wondering where he gets this stuff from... I said,'That sounds good.'

These are the moments I love and cherish the most. He's my heart and I just love that boy to death. :)

informally formal

yes, it's been a while and i'm going to dispense with the punctuation and fun things like that.  i'd like to make this seem like a conversation instead of some english class that i'm trying to get good grades in. 

just wondering what happened to the days when kids would address adults and authority figures by mr. so-and-so or mrs. so-and-so. or when the lack of respect or fear in adults started to happen. not that i'm so young or that old, but i still have a tendency to want to address adults by mr. or mrs. or ms. instead of remembering that i can actually use first names.  for instance at my daughters school i have recently started working there as a PE teacher and I still want to say mr or ms so-and-so to some that were my oldest daughters teachers.  or even new people i meet and they are a bit older than me, i still want to be formal.

my oldest daughter and her generation have a more 'relaxed' way of addressing each other and sometimes they are that familiar with the parents that it's not mr or mrs so-and-so. although not too familiar that some are addressed formally. thankfully teachers hold the honor of being in that category still. even i have fallen into the trap of being addressed by my first name only instead of ms or formally mrs...  when i teach PE i'm not mrs or ms i'm coach.  now the same goes for my younger children, they are on a first name basis with some adults but that's because we as the adults allow it. it's rare to hear me being addressed as anything other than my first name.

are we that relaxed of a society now or are we forgetting our manners? the times of ma'am and sir seem to be lost.  the formality of children being respectful and formal with adults have started to disappear and we're becoming too familiar with children.  is it better or worse? could it be that parents are younger these days and have dispensed with the 'old' ways of their childhood? is it the reason why kids are being raised by tv or by their peers because parents are not interested in preserving the 'old' ways? time will tell when this generation becomes adults and have children of their own. but for now we'll keep in informally formal.

Morning Ritual...

*hanging head in shame* I've been a bad blogger. I'd put myself in timeout but I know I'd enjoy the peace and quiet too much. :) So many things I've been wanting to blog about that my brain actually had some #failwhale action. (Shout out to my obsession, Twitter or just Social Media in general)

But for today I will wax poetic about my 3 beautiful children. They are the funniest little creatures I know. And the are the best and worst of me and their father. (I hesitated and almost said donor... Bad mommy.) The stubbornness, thoughtfulness, sarcasm (yes even from the 4 yr old. Oy!) wittiness, silliness and just loveliness that makes them who they are tickle me to no end.

As much as I enjoy them, they also frustrate me to no end!! Let's talk about our mornings before school. My middle girl, my MiniMe, is sooooooooo sllllooooooowwwwwww. With pretty much everything she does. Love that girl to death but seriously!!??! That is why she gets up first so she can eat breakfast and get ready for school. It could literally take her 20 minutes to drink a small glass of milk. No joke. So she has a timed breakfast and can't still be eating past 7:20 or what ever she doesn't eat will either be taken as lunch/snack for school or tossed. And it's simple food like toast with peanut butter, waffles, cereal w/o milk, (ugh, I know right?) some fruit or a combination of some of them. She gets her own breakfast unless she wants eggs or something she can't reach. And yet it takes her over 40 minutes to eat. Then it's the trial of brushing teeth, washing face, bushings hair, putting on lotion, making lunch and finally putting shoes on. Trust me, it's enough to make a Nun want to contemplate promiscuity. Wow, did I just say that? But it's true.

I didn't mention she has to be clothed before coming out of her room either. That's fun because she forgets to lay her clothes out the night before and then we have issues about her needing to change if what she's wearing is just too much for my eyes that early in the morning.

We live about 7 minutes away from the school she goes to so leaving at 8:00 isn't unreasonable. You'd think right? Wrong-o! I have to literally herd her and the 4 yr old out the door while hoping my oldest daughter got ready and will leave on time also. (Thankfully her school is down the street and around the corner)

I just realized this was to be about my children not just one child. Oh well I have the attention span of a gnat when I get on a roll. So next time it may be about another one of my lovely children.

Where was I? Oh yeah, our morning time ritual of sending me closer to the Shady Pines Sanitarium. I help her make her lunch but mostly it's on her. All of the lunch stuff is there she just needs to choose. Maybe that is the issue, too many choices. Doubtful but a thought. So now the choice is whether or not to eat a peanut butter sandwich(no jelly for her), cheese sandwich or a meat and cheese sandwich. (plain btw, bc she doesn't like mayo or mustard, the horror!) or a tortilla wrap... I didn't have these many options when I as her age!! Lunch made and ready to go and now we hope her 4 yr old brother finished eating also, brushed teeth and got dressed. Oh and me too. If I brush my hair it'd be a miracle if I remembered. Everyone ready? All set to go? Ok good.

This morning time ritual is a total of 65-80 minutes every morning just to get ready for school. Some days are better than others and some just make me want to run away with the gypsies. But I wouldn't feel right if it wasn't like this...

Single Mommy

So.... Yeah, I've been neglecting this for a while and I really have been busy. Who knew that even with being a single mom and now having to share my precious babies with their father I was still going to be busy. I honestly thought I'd spend my days as a hermit, cry my poor eyes out over missing my babies and not want to start living life as a single mom of three. What is the life of a single mom of three? Is there some kind of handbook for this? Well, if there is no one told me about it. Shame on them!! Just kidding! It's a bit scary trying to navigate this new path. I mean I didn't get married with the intention of getting divorced and I sure didn't think I'd be dealing with 3 kids, no job and learning about the adult version of me at this age. But discovering myself now is better late than never don't you think?

So, the first time my babies went to their dad's was a true test of my strength. I actually cried a lot the week leading up to them spending the night with their dad. It was the little things throughout the day that I realize I'd miss. My son, my Baby and his hugs that are just to sweet for words. He's so pig-headed but it's so fun sparring with him and watching him try to keep up and figure out how to get around me. My mini-me, she my Heart really. Just so beyond what I could ever imagine. She tests me like no one could, but she's just so sweet... As for my oldest Girl, she's so much like her father that we butt heads and maybe it's because she's a teenager, who knows. She so independent already that i miss the days when she was little and wanted me around.

Well, the first night I cried and I actually walked around the house and made their beds (I never do that) and cried my eyes out on My mini-me's bed. And ate junk food and didn't leave the house much. Luckily it was just for a few days and not the entire 4 days. I was just so happy to know they'd be home early that it didn't sink in entirely. It did this time though. I was sad the first day and night bc it's hard getting used to the silence and trying to find things to fill my days. But I had a lot of errands and since it was Spring break it a nice time alone to enjoy the weather.

Wow, I'm tired and not finished with this but it'll do for now bc my eyes are heavy and i need some sleep... Until next time and when i can keep my eyes open... Learn to Love you, so You can Love the one you're with...