That Kind of Mom

Do you remember what your view of parenting/motherhood was before you had kids? Or if you haven't been blessed yet, you probably have some preconceived notions about how parenting goes.

I remember some of my "Before I had kids parenting philosophy." My children will be perfect. They will mind their manners, eat all their food whether they like it or not, and not yell in public. I just knew that my future children would never be the crying child or have an incessantly irritating noisy toy during a long airplane flight. Neither would they be the ones who keep climbing out of the grocery cart or running down the aisles of the grocery store.

So, in my journey through motherhood, I vowed that I would not be that kind of mom. I would not be on the receiving end of those dirty looks or rolling eyeball from strangers. Did you ever think that way?

Well, my blog reading peeps, I have become that kind of mom. I have been the one who has had the deli guy come out of the counter to give my kids a piece of cheese so they'd finally stop making the irritating squeaky noise with the cart. The cart, of course, is the ginormous green monster that is darn near impossible to turn down the aisles. They love to ride in it, for about 10 minutes. Argh!

I have the kid who puts sand in babies' hair and pushes him down a little tube. Never mind the baby is almost as big as my daughter.

I'm the mom who drags around a bike, a tricycle, and a scooter to the track while my children run around like maniacs.

I'm the mom who boils the water, preps the tea cup, and maybe or maybe actually gets to pour the water in the cup, let alone drink it.

I'm the mom whose son throws a 30 minute tantrum because he won't sit still for 5 second dose of eye drops. Or who screams glass crackingly loud at the dentist or while getting a shot at the doctor.

I'm the mom who constantly struggles with patience every day.

But, I am also the mom who tries to love her children unconditionally, like God loves us. I want to be the kind of mom who teaches them God loves them no matter what and that God is the God of second chances (and third and fourth…). I wanna be the mom who fervently prays and intercedes for her children to be a man and a woman of God whom he uses to do incredible things. My son is smart and likes creating things. Maybe he'll grow up to the one who God uses to cure a disease. My daughter has no fear and is bold. Maybe she'll become an athlete and have the world as her audience to preach the gospel.

So, yeah, I'm that kind of mom.

The Most Handsome Kindergartener

It's official.  Isaac is in kindergarten.  He is really enjoying it and has a really great teacher, Mrs. G.  I think part of the reason he likes it is there are three pets in the classrom- Snickers the guinea pig which is by far his favorite; Tucker the tortoise; and Rosie, the tarantula.  Yes, a tarantula.  Maybe these pets will satisfy Isaac's desire for a family pet. 

I took a few first day of school photos and hope you enjoy them.  Can you guess which one is my favorite?

Why Some Animals Eat Their Young

Have you ever watched those animals shows on Animal Planet or when I was growing up it was Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom?  You see these wild beasts with big teeth and maybe red eyes and they look angry.  Then, all of a sudden, the mother or father opens their big jaws and starts eating their young?  You probably felt sickened and questioned how could any parent eat their own kind?  I could never!

Well, folks, Rick and I now know why some animals do that. 

Last week, the kids were playing in the kitchen sink while I was making a special dinner celebrating Isaac's first day of school (which was breakfast for dinner- pancakes, eggs, and biscuits & gravy).  I needed the sink and Isaac just had to put his Playmobil bouys in the water.  I told him put them in the bathroom sink.  (Warning bells should've gone off in my head at this point.)  I went on making the dinner wanting the gravy to be as good as my mom's.  Then, a few minutes later, Isaac comes crying in the kitchen.  He said he slipped in the bathroom and hit his head.  I asked him how he slipped to which he responded, "Isabella left the water running in the sink!"  And sure enough, the water was flowing out and out and over and over and down and down.  So much so that there was standing water all over the new floor, in the new vanity, in the closet, and on the carpet in front of the bathroom.  Yes, the new bathroom Rick just finished about a month earlier.  We used nearly every towel in the house.  Then Rick got this look on his face and raced downstairs.  The water had soaked thru and stained two ceiling tiles in the downstairs bathroom.  Lovely.  Seriously, what does this girl have against bathrooms??


Here are some recent pictures of Isabella.


She was "helping" me make a cake for Isaac.  At first she said she didn't like licking the cake batter spatula before she even tasted it.  Then, I gave her a litle bit on my finger and she quickly changed her mind.  Those are new pajamas that she got earlier in the day and just had to wear them as soon as she got home.

She also likes to "play make-up" with me while I get ready.  And if I am too involved with trying to make myself look decent, this is what happens. Mascara around the eyes and eyeshadow around the lips.  Oh, and that red line on her forehead happened when she fell down the stairs a few days ago. 

Isabella- You are full of energy and life! I pray that God will use you to do bold things for him!