Finally, after years of procrastination, I am blogging. It took a virtual 'stranger' to get me to do it. I digress.
I am the mom who probably seems so on top of it, if you don't know me well. I am fairly easy going, liberal, lighthearted, fun, energetic, etc. But, I must admit, I find it very hard to pull off the super mother in actual practice. I live by the phrase "Boring Women Have Immaculate Homes" and plan on tidying up when my kids have fully immersed themselves in playdates, sleepovers and other, "It's OK Mom, I'll call you if I need you" activities.
I try to dust and vacuum at reasonable intervals, with bits and bytes of bathtub and sink cleaning, baseboard once over's and uggh, the inevitable floor washings, here and there. Laundry, I have no problem with. I LIKE doing Laundry. It makes me feel like I am on top of things, even if it's a self delusional farce. But there is something to be said for an empty hamper and a bed full of fresh smelling, folded clothes just waiting to be put away neatly!
Admittedly, I have seen myself turn into den mother, many a time and yes, surprised myself. I can be fiercely protective as it turns out. I wonder if anyone else has been shocked sometimes, at their own possibly over-the-top, gut reaction to a teacher's comment, an administrators oversight, a counsellor's immaturity?
I am always interested in hearing how other parents manage the simple discrepancies that happen with daycares and schools, that for some reason turn molehills into mountains? Do you have a child who maybe needs a LITTLE bit more attention than their peers and find it challenging to ensure they get this attention, without becoming a pest?
OK, enough seriousness... Let's talk about my kids the way they want to be spoken of, as the bright, intelligent, amusing, witty and engaging children they are!
I have two, and I am stopping there.
The first is a boy, now 6 1/2. EI is sweet, bright, a GREAT lateral thinker, artistic with a talent for drawing, dancing and if he would just apply his god given vocal chords and great ear - singing. He used to want to sing like the young Charlotte Church, to sing choral music. Now, he won't even join the primary choir. It's not "his kind of music." He only likes Michael Jackson. He has spent up to 2 hours a day in recent months, studying Michael's every move on every video on YouTube there is. His dancing, his singing, his home movies, his This is It Trailer, his childhood appearances, his Jackson 5 appearances. We also listen to Thriller 25th anniversary CD and Off The Wall on a regular basis. I have to admit, his dancing has seriously improved since watching such a master of performance.
The second child, MA is a wonderful girl who is nearly 4. She is a joker and started cracking 1 liners at 14 months. That is when she started speaking 3 words at time in little sentences and got kicked out of the infant room. There was a ball loose and she yelled "I got it!" They figured, you walk, you talk, you're outta here. So off the toddler room she went.
She is a very "I got it" type of gal. If she is hungry, she finds food. If she needs to cut a label off, she finds the scissors. She recently wanted something on the front porch. She ran downstairs, threw on a parka, some poots and got it, without saying a word to anyone. It might not seem like a big deal, but I think it's wonderful to see such a go-to-it attitude sometimes. There are other times, of course, that I want to disown her.
She can be very whiny, dramatic and recently, downright hysterical about nothing. She can easily be the child who greets me at daycare pick up with wonderful smile and run right to me, seemingly thrilled to see me, but without any kiss, only digs in my pockets long before my hug and screams, "Where's my treat?!" I forgot, I did mention that she's a very go to it girl, right?
She is currently leaning towards psychotic in the area of 'losing one's teeth.' I don't know why, but she was screaming the other night, in a state of complete exhaustion, that she didn't want to lose her teeth and "NO TOOTH FAIRY." I really don't know where this came from? She loves the Charlie and Lola book about the Wobbly Tooth.. go figure?
I suspect it's because she is also on a 'I don't want to die - and I don't want anyone I love to die. I want to live forever!' kick also. She cries about this at bedtime, for real. Maybe losing your teeth is a shortcut to a certain death in her mind. She does have trouble with the concept of time.
Perhaps I should blame my son and his fixation on MJ? But truth be told, I cried the same way, just not until I was about eight. I would cry at my own sleepover birthday parties and utter the exact same words. Nurture, nah. Nature, absolutely!
I just feel bad that kids are growing up so quickly these days. I had no ideas about death until I was at least 6 and no tears until at least 8.
More happy thoughts to come... this is just the beginning of a long delayed mommy blog!
