Remembering what kind of MOM I want to be.

This is how Gabbie looks today.


She insists on trying to dressing like a princess every day. So today I coerced and convinced her to wear a cute skirt with a tank top bedazzled in the shape of a horse. Solid, right?

She put it on entirely by herself if I touched she'd scream "don't touch it" and start over. Once she was dressed she spotted another dress and insisted on putting it over top her outfit. She pulled, tucked and struggled until the dress was up, all the while I was saying no don't put the dress on. I was trying all sorts of convincing by telling her she's covering the pretty horse and reminding her that her pretty skirt twirls. Despite my negative comments she got it on. She then turns to look at me with her eyebrows arching up over her big beautiful eyes and asks "cute?".


Then proceeds to twirl in her awesome poise one arm up and the other at her hip.



Really what's a mom to do. I chuckle and confirm that she is the cutest and give her a hug and tell her I love her. She whispers back in her sweetest voice " I love you too" and plants one on my lips.

Isn't that what motherhood is about? Struggling to have enough patience to merely guide these little ones, instead of control their every action. As a result it allows them to figure things out for themselves and take pride in the things they accomplish. I spend so much of my day dictating what my kids need to be doing... Getting dressed, clearing the table, making their beds, eating their lunch, brushing their teeth, the list goes on. As life gets busier and we keep adding more kids to the mix this seems to get harder and harder.

I wrote this post because I need to remind myself to slow down and enjoy these amazing beautiful spirits that God has allowed into my home. I need to make sure the To Do's don't become my biggest priority. I only get one shot to raise Gabbie as an overly independent 2 year old. I'm sure I'm screwing it up, that's why this little number gives me peace.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A day in the life...

Start off with about 13 fits from this one, because he's going through a "stage" and pressing limits...(to think he use to be my easy one)




Hound like a crazy person to get this one to move faster than the dust accumulating on my base boards.




Finally drop off a reluctant little boy and a late little girl at their schools. Then I head for a big ole Wally World for the goods. First I have to persuade this gal to leave a hat on to combat 6 degree weather. I show her how pretty she looks.




While doing reverse front angle on my camera I got a glimpse of myself. Woah, I put make up on today.




I snap a quick pic to text my husband in Atlanta. I'm just sure he misses me that much.
I survive the Walmart. Then head back to pick up kiddos, lunch, then gabs naps peaceful and I ignore the dirty dishes and wrinkled laundry. I turn on a show for the older kids and retire to my room to read.




It's a really good book, promise not as cheesy as the title sounds. Picture this woman immigrant detective in 1901 out to solve another mystery. You'll just have to take my word for it.
I hear the Gabsters wake and find her naked. Again. Seriously can NOT keep clothes on this one.




And yes my 2 year old still has a binky. Don't judge me. She has not been the easiest child. Next get this one ready for dance and send her off. Thank goodness for carpool.




I witness a few moments in between doing day old dishes to find these two playing without hitting, biting or hair pulling. (Alright this wasn't taken today, although it would have looked much the same. Gabbie would have been in only a diaper though.)




Addi gets home and it's dinner of oatmeal and chicken nuggets. Shawn's out of town remember.




While making dinner Gabbie finds and old iPhone then hides behind the curtain so I won't take it away. Don't get me wrong, my kids play old iPhones WAY more than I'm willing to admit but she met her limit for the day and she knew no more phones.
Before I know it I'm giving in and letting kids eat left over birthday cake and they are hopped up on sugar just in time for bed.
3 books, 3 prayers, 3 songs, 3 tooth brushes and 3 sets of pj... (ok 2 I didn't even bother with gabs I knew I'd have to put them on again after she feel asleep so I skipped the first time) later I got kids tucked in by 7:30.












(Huh, no picture of my sleeping baby, here is a random one of when she got stuck in her horse)
NOW, it's my time. The tough question is do curl up in bed and I find out what's going on in 1901 New York to see what Molly Murphy is up to...
or do I do the responsible thing and fold forgotten laundry. That's a tough one.
P.s. As for rejuvenating my forgotten blog... I can't promise this is a true revival, but it is an attempt. I miss the journaling factor. It's fun to look back and remember what was going on. So we'll see how I do.

3 reasons....

...Why I love the smell of sunscreen.
1.


2.


3.


-Cass

13 on 13

So my friend did this 12 on 12 but I'm slow so mine is 13. What it is, is 13 pictures of my day on the 13th. Why I like it is, when I read my friends I got to see a day in the life. Blogs have all the big happenings, so this is breaking it down. Maybe the other reason why I took this route is because I've TRIED to post the big happening like birthdays and holidays and they get magically deleted or never post. The discouragement that follows thought-out posts being lost in cyberspace explains why I have clearly been MIA.
Anyhow enough babble, down to business. 13 pictures that piece together my yesterday...
1.Gabbie not so patiently waiting for breakfast, wearing her sisters slippers.

2. Breakfast... Whole wheat applesauce banana muffins

3. Addi at the breakfast table, she is ALWAYS the last one down from the table. She was still here when everyone else was dressed and playing

4. Thus begins the daily fight over unlocking Addi's jewelry music box

5. Landen lounging on the bean bag watching a show.

6. There was a lot of show watching since I was nursing my foot I broke the day before. I was using my good foot to keep the ice on and compression.


7. My niece Averie falling asleep during all that show watching. She was staying with us for a few days while her mon was getting a needed rest. She has a 3 week old brother at home.



8. Gabbie removing clothes mid stair climb.

9. Gabbie into MORE trouble

10. Me trying to minimize the appearance of an ugly walking boot by countering it with another black boot.

11. All kids locked and loaded on our way to Shawn's aunts house.

12. Enjoying brownies and ice cream for dessert at Aunt Kathy's

13. Ahhhh, seeing sweet baby Hudson again.

Patience

It's a virtue, right? I wish I had it. Let me tell you why.
I was 2/3rds of the way through bedtime battles and I was saying prayers and singing songs to landen as part of our nightly rituals. Some how in the 1 minute it takes to do that, the bear he choose to sleep with has fallen off the bed 3 times. We finish our song. I grab the teddy AGAIN to give back to him AGAIN.
That's when I wish I was hit with a heavy shot patience, just as adrenaline hits your veins when you engage in hand to hand combat with ninjas, I wish patience worked the same way. That way I could have picked up that bear, nuzzled it into his soft little neck and gave one more kiss. Instead I picked up chucked it at the bed and said "upidstay bear" as I walked about the door. Do I get points for using pig Latin instead of saying stupid in front of my 2 year old?

And that was probably the expression he had on his face as he fell asleep. Thinking mom is a little bit nasty sometimes, I agree buddy, I agree.
P.s. I have been writing posts but my darn app wouldn't publish them. So all sorts of awesome updates are lost forever, too lengthy to be rewritten. We'll just have to start with this.

Seriously who is your mother,

Who can't even put your pants on the right way. I don't know how I even got the snaps to line up. I'm awesome.


-Cass

Out smarted

Today Addi said to me, "mom, this may be kind of like confusing.... Sometimes I feel like I am older than you." when I asked why. She says "I think my mind is bigger than yours". Well that's not the first time she left me speechless. Ouch. I guess it explains why she out smarts me. I think I'm scared the most by the fact she's not even 5.


-Cass