The First Day of School, Knives Included

I'm no different than anyone else. I cannot believe that I have one child in Kindergarten now. Each day that I see her get on that bus I am surprised that we are already here. Then The Comedian says to me yesterday morning, "I have my knife in my purse. I'm ready for school, Momma!" Oh, Indeed. Preschool has begun. The knife stayed home. … [Read more...]

Overheards- Toddlers with Knives

Scene:  The dinner table.  TD, The Comedian, H and myself are seated and The Fifth Element is on the floor playing with toys while we eat.H:  "We don't hold knives over babies!"  He says to The Comedian who is swinging her table knife* over the top of The Fifth Element's head as she plays down below.  Especially not at the dinner table.  It's just bad manners.*All knives used in the making of this post were dull and void.  No babies were actually harmed in the making of this post.  … [Read more...]

What No One Tells You About Parenting

I don't know what I thought it would be when we decided to take TD to a psychiatrist. At first, I was just relieved that we would have someone to talk to about the tantrums and massive highs and lows.  Then, I became totally freaked out that they would say it was all about our horrific parenting (those free rangers man, you just can't let them breed!) and suddenly we would be watched constantly because why on earth else would these terrible tantrums be happening?!  Deep breaths. Breathe, Vicky.  Just breathe. Instead I found a tall thin, kind-faced man who spoke in a happy voice that reminded me a lot of TD's own pediatrician.  It eased my fears and enabled me to take those deep breaths and feel that while last week we might have been at the bottom of a mountain looking up, today we … [Read more...]

Taking Time Off Is Needed.

I cannot be the only one. When I think that I am my mother points out, "Everyone has different needs and limits and at least you recognize what those needs and limits are." Is she placating me? No, I don't think so, but it is true. I need and take more time than most to be on my own with friends, away from the kids, on date nights with H or just completely by myself. That last one being rare, but it is there. Coming off a weekend sans kids where H and I did nothing more than eat, sleep and fritter time away without a care in the world I find myself wondering why I do feel as if we are in the minority. Some of my friends simply need a few hours reprieve and they say, "Just to get away and clear my head. I don't need a whole weekend away." Need? What about want? Don't you want a weekend away … [Read more...]

Murphy’s Law

It's Murphy's Law that I go away for a weekend and get some much needed rest and re-connection with H only to come home sick with two sick kids.  It's Murphy's Law that I have a meeting today that would actually put money in my pocket and now I have to cancel because the only time the pediatrician could see a severely wheezing Comedian was during that said meeting.It's Murphy's Law that has me looking at mountains of work that needs to be done, the motivation to finally do that work and the energy, despite being sick, and the sitter decides to not even show up today or return my calls.  You know what though?  I don't care. I'll get over being mad at the sitter and losing some money.  I'll get the work done somehow too.  It's more important that I take care of … [Read more...]

We Vant to be Alone

Being woken up at 5:30 in the morning by a four year-old whining that she is hungry is maddening.  When that said four year-old is accompanied by a waving long-beamed flashlight that glows across your room making it feel like your being invaded by aliens?  Well, that is just a recipe for evil.  Throw in the four year-old then knocking on her sister's door while calling her name and you have two parents who can only dream of the fact that they are going away A-L-O-N-E this weekend while they grumble into their pillows and bemoan their early morning existence.That's right.  Bright and early Friday morning we are dropping TD and The Comedian off at their grandparents house for a weekend of spoiled, late bedtimes, chicken nugget, juice box … [Read more...]

The Eldest Child

"Mommy, I fed The Comedian some yogurt so you won't get sick." Relief spreads through my body as I express my gratitude towards my four year-old who has fed her sister breakfast without my even thinking of her doing so. This is something new. Before I can say thank you again, she adds, "And I wiped her face and hands with a napkin, so she is all set."Tears prick my eyes as I tell her how sweet and thoughtful she is and how thankful I am. I could have fed her and yet somewhere between putting a bootie on the dog so, she could go outside with her injured foot and cleaning up TD's breakfast dishes, she has fed her baby sister. I stand amazed. As she quietly slips back downstairs to play with her own toys in her own world, I think about the duties that the eldest child takes on. They acquire … [Read more...]

Taking a Break and Some Guilt

After riding behind someone driving a Nissan Xterra who put their hazard lights on to drive through slush, grocery shopping through the holiday melee and putting up a good sweat at the gym I felt a bit addled yesterday.  Wanting to beat someone for driving badly in slush is not on par for this time of year.  My black heart was still neatly intact.  I needed to squelch this irritable air. Fast.I unpacked the groceries, skipping over the black ice, fed the kids lunch and then put them down for naps.  Instead of running to my laptop to get work done, putting away laundry, toys or cleaning up other areas of the house and our life, I grabbed a copy of Elle and a cup of coffee.  Then I sat my butt down on the couch and read the rest of the magazine, which … [Read more...]

I Am Not Amused.

I saw a t-shirt the other day and I think it was supposed to be amusing. As in, "Ha, isn't it funny that I do this? Come on! You know you do it too." Except it just screamed, "Ha! I control everything! I can't let anyone do anything for themselves and I enjoy stunting my children for life." Well, that is what it screamed to me. Anyways...The t-shirt said, "Wink if you do your's kids homework." Oh you, cheeky t-shirt,you. I thought that we were supposed to be out of this helicopter "trend". … [Read more...]