Timeout!

Mommy is on timeout.

Kitty Peace

This day started out badly and has continued on a bad streak.  My oldest informed me that the minor changes I had made to our schedule were unacceptable.  Then the conversation turned into all the reasons she is unhappy and why she wants to move and how the neighbor kids are mean.  Phew.

I want to fix it for her.  I want her to be well liked and popular and generous.  All the things I wasn't as a child.  My mom tried telling me that I had to be less bossy and more outgoing or else I'd never have any friends.  I'm tempted to say that same thing but I know that those words left me feeling alone and unlikeable.  So, I try to listen and offer gentle guiding words. It feels pointless.  Kids don't give much positive feedback.  I think you just throw kind words in their direction as often as possible and hope that some of them hit the mark.

I'm on timeout to remind myself that I'm not a failure, that it's okay if we don't go on an adventure each day.  It's okay to be frustrated by the petty arguments of children.  It's okay to eat when hungry and not worry about my waistline.  It's definitely okay to take a timeout before losing my temper.

Thinking calm thoughts....

Summer cooking, junior style

Middle of the week. I skipped my workout this morning to sleep in. I was awakened at 6:30 to Anna unloading the dishwasher, cleaning her room and doing other chores.  Huh?  Thank God for my schedule!

Anna prepares something yummy.

I asked her to be a little quieter (I'm a light sleeper in the morning) and I went back to sleep.

At 8 AM she came into our room, proclaiming that breakfast is ready.  Huh?

Matt and I went into the kitchen to find homemade crepes.  Matt makes crepes on a regular basis and Anna has been wanting to make some "changes" to the recipe.  So, she put every different kind of sprinkle and candy possible right in the batter.  But, she has learned something after living with her two non-candy eating parents.  There were 2 plain crepes for us to enjoy.

Truly, the crepes were good.  They were a little dense.  She made 5 crepes out of the recipe, whereas it is supposed to make 15.

I'm working on seeing all the cooking lately from our 10 year old as a huge blessing.  And I'm totally signing her up for cooking school asap!

Mommy, the child whisperer?

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I struggle with being a bit cynical and pessimistic when I write.  I like to complain and vent.  A lot.  And most of it is better unheard.  So, the silence on the blog means that I am adjusting to summer.  The kids are home and they are struggling with change of schedule and habits.  And I am too.

Katherine, the chicken whisperer

Some days are bad and some days are worse.  And then there are little pockets of peace, calm and niceness.  But, for now they are just pockets, snippets of time.

I remind myself that I adore my kids, that I have sacrificed and changed my entire lifestyle since they were born.  I had them by choice and I even spent most of my younger years hoping to be a Mom.

As a friend said, "You can't send them back, right?"  Nope and truly I wouldn't want to.  But, these transitions are hard.  I should be the calm in the storm but too often I am the storm itself.

As I implement my new schedule, I hope for the peace of planning and the smooth sailing of structure. Hopefully we can attain this before school starts up again.