Do you ever have one of those days where you feel like you have failed as a mother? Well today was that day. If you want a feel good warm & fuzzy post about motherhood go to Brittany & Brandon's (they're on the sidebar). She wrote the best post last week about how important it is to be a Mom.
This post is directed more to the Mom's who need a good laugh because they mess up, forget everything they read, and are just plain selfish sometimes. If you're reading this Mom, I promise I'll try harder tomorrow - they are your grandchildren after all.
The day started happy enough but got a little ugly on the way home from dropping off parts for a customer. Josh is 5 now and can unbuckle himself any time he desires, but poor Shelby is still too little to escape. So for about 1/2 hour Josh just "bugged" Shelby. I tried the regular threats - you'll have to take a nap, go to bed early, etc. Nothing seemed to work. Shelby's the screamer, Josh is the brother - it was a loud drive. So when we got home from taking Joaquin lunch I told the kids I was pretty tired and needed to rest for a little while. Thinking I was being nice I told them they could take the kittens up to Josh's room and play quietly while I slept on the couch for a little bit.
Being 7 months pregnant and the mother of 4 children allows me the pleasure of dropping off to sleep any time during the day and today was no exception. I woke up a full hour later to a completely quiet house. My little heart did a quick pitter patter as I thought joyfully, "Maybe they fell asleep." Then I laughed at myself and started to search for destruction.
I didn't have to look far as in Josh's room I found crackers, frosted mini wheats, cat food, & water in the carpet. Then I followed the giggling to Quinn & Jessi's room where these two adorable children had dumped every prized toy, jewelry box, lotion bottle, crayon, marker, school papers, blankets - everything into the middle of the floor. I'm not sure if they were jumping off the top bunk into this "fort" but do you know the first thing I thought (this shows how selfish I've become) "At least I got to take an hour nap!" Then instead of scolding my little ones I told them we better work hard to clean this up before the girls got home from school. I didn't want to get caught sleeping on the job!
I realize the better choice would have been to give them time out and a lecture - but then I knew I'd be stuck cleaning it all up by myself. They colored with crayons & markers on the wall, lost all of Quinn's earings, bent Jessi's prized Mickey Mouse ears she got from Disneyland, rubbed lotion on every backpack & in the carpet, used up all their stickers, played in their "make-up" - it was ugly.
As I began cleaning up I felt less guilty about the unsupervised destruction though when I found at least 2 dozen of my nice pencils & pens (these I use for my Napa work & they have their own), my paper cutter, scissors, stapler, & at least a ream of paper with scribbled "stuff" over them that I have been searching for for days.
Tuesday is our busy day with Quinn & Jessi's extra curricular piano, basketball, & gymnastics, but at least they hadn't had time to see their room yet. After dinner is when everything went to pot as Quinn walked into her room looking for her earrings. She & Jessi cried for over half an hour over the lost & ruined items, Josh & Shelby cried because of the tongue lashing they got from Dad after he heard about their mess from the girls (You notice I didn't tell him-I found half of my office supplies that I wouldn't have after all).
So the night ended with everyone crying loudly in their beds at 7:45pm. And now I have time to worry over child #5 who'll be joining our family. I hate the varicose veins running down my legs, the vivid dreams that make you feel like you haven't rested all night, and just feeling huge - but after today I'm grateful I have 2 more months before this little one makes her appearance. I am so not ready.
This post is directed more to the Mom's who need a good laugh because they mess up, forget everything they read, and are just plain selfish sometimes. If you're reading this Mom, I promise I'll try harder tomorrow - they are your grandchildren after all.
The day started happy enough but got a little ugly on the way home from dropping off parts for a customer. Josh is 5 now and can unbuckle himself any time he desires, but poor Shelby is still too little to escape. So for about 1/2 hour Josh just "bugged" Shelby. I tried the regular threats - you'll have to take a nap, go to bed early, etc. Nothing seemed to work. Shelby's the screamer, Josh is the brother - it was a loud drive. So when we got home from taking Joaquin lunch I told the kids I was pretty tired and needed to rest for a little while. Thinking I was being nice I told them they could take the kittens up to Josh's room and play quietly while I slept on the couch for a little bit.
Being 7 months pregnant and the mother of 4 children allows me the pleasure of dropping off to sleep any time during the day and today was no exception. I woke up a full hour later to a completely quiet house. My little heart did a quick pitter patter as I thought joyfully, "Maybe they fell asleep." Then I laughed at myself and started to search for destruction.
I didn't have to look far as in Josh's room I found crackers, frosted mini wheats, cat food, & water in the carpet. Then I followed the giggling to Quinn & Jessi's room where these two adorable children had dumped every prized toy, jewelry box, lotion bottle, crayon, marker, school papers, blankets - everything into the middle of the floor. I'm not sure if they were jumping off the top bunk into this "fort" but do you know the first thing I thought (this shows how selfish I've become) "At least I got to take an hour nap!" Then instead of scolding my little ones I told them we better work hard to clean this up before the girls got home from school. I didn't want to get caught sleeping on the job!
I realize the better choice would have been to give them time out and a lecture - but then I knew I'd be stuck cleaning it all up by myself. They colored with crayons & markers on the wall, lost all of Quinn's earings, bent Jessi's prized Mickey Mouse ears she got from Disneyland, rubbed lotion on every backpack & in the carpet, used up all their stickers, played in their "make-up" - it was ugly.
As I began cleaning up I felt less guilty about the unsupervised destruction though when I found at least 2 dozen of my nice pencils & pens (these I use for my Napa work & they have their own), my paper cutter, scissors, stapler, & at least a ream of paper with scribbled "stuff" over them that I have been searching for for days.
Tuesday is our busy day with Quinn & Jessi's extra curricular piano, basketball, & gymnastics, but at least they hadn't had time to see their room yet. After dinner is when everything went to pot as Quinn walked into her room looking for her earrings. She & Jessi cried for over half an hour over the lost & ruined items, Josh & Shelby cried because of the tongue lashing they got from Dad after he heard about their mess from the girls (You notice I didn't tell him-I found half of my office supplies that I wouldn't have after all).
So the night ended with everyone crying loudly in their beds at 7:45pm. And now I have time to worry over child #5 who'll be joining our family. I hate the varicose veins running down my legs, the vivid dreams that make you feel like you haven't rested all night, and just feeling huge - but after today I'm grateful I have 2 more months before this little one makes her appearance. I am so not ready.
7 comments:
I'm so sorry you had a bad day. If you want a story to make you feel better as a mother take a gander at my blog anytime! I've got hundreds of stories and only a fraction of the children. Hope tomorrow is better.
We have all had those days! You are not alone. I am not even prego and have fallen asleep and Baylee or Brooklyn have gotten in to something! At least they were in on peace when you woke up! Give yourself a break! Take care of yourself! Hope things get better!
I love the post, makes me feel like my life is more normal. Something like this sounds about right for my kids to do too. It is hard b/c you desperately want a nap and then everything goes to pot because of it. Good luck with it thanks for sharing and making me feel more normal today.
This is why kids don't remember much of what happened before around 8-10 years of age. Don't beat yourself up. You are a great mom! We love you and your kids do too.
This is definitely not a "failure as a mother" post--you got an hour nap and no one ended up in the ER (cough-Ally-cough). Great work!
Well said Gwendolyn dear!
Love this. As you know, I love to hear how I am not the only mother who has those days. I personally think you were a great mom for making them clean up the messes with you. I think that is the best punishment for making messes. Love you guys.
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