Yall know I just try to keep it real around here. I never want to paint my life to be perfect and I especially never want others to feel like my life is better than theirs or feel that they have to strive to have what I have. Because as much as I love this life I've been handed, it is far from perfect and I am far from perfect.
I often find myself looking at social media, longing for what other people have. To look a certain way, for my children to behave like other people's children, to have a nicer house, to have girlfriends to go to the beach with. I don't want to be that person that people look at and wish they were. We are all created differently and are put here for our own specific purpose. I am coming to learn that I need to embrace what I have been given and be content with what I have. I've also learned that this parenbting thing is not all cupcakes and rainbows, and even people who paint it that way on Facebook have their own share of challenges.
Today I'm sharing a few parenting moments - some that made me a proud mom and some that made me want to hide under a rock!
Moment #1
One Saturday evening we decided to go to Rosie's for dinner. It turned out there was about a 45 minute wait. We totally could have picked somewhere else to eat, but once my heart is set on Mexican food (especially Rosie's), we're going to need to follow through. I had something in the car that I needed to return to Michael's, which is just across the street from Rosie's, so I decided to take the girls with me to make the return and left David at the restaurant with the pager.
I put Audrey in the cart and she immediately started crying. Oh and I should add - the thing I was returning was a large wall frame that broke as soon as I took it out of the packaging....and it wouldn't fit in their tiny carts with Audrey sitting in the seat. But if I didn't put her in the cart she would be trying to touch everything and I wouldn't be able to push the cart and keep up with her so I put her in the cart and attempted to carry this big frame that was falling apart at the corners.
She was fussing the entire time we were standing in line (which took about 15 minutes, but it seems like an eternity when you're child is acting out!) I can't even remember now what she was fussing about, but she wasn't happy. Everybody was staring at us. And I'm just like what am I supposed to do? I wanted to run out of that store, but we were already there and I was going to get this thing returned! The nice lady in front of me in line ended up letting us go ahead of her, while giving us the most sympathetic look.
This isn't the first time I've had a screaming child in a store. It has happened more times than I'd like to admit. But I've come to just try and ignore it. They're typically doing it to get something and I'm not about to give them something just to make them be quiet! They've got to learn that throwing fits like that doesn't get them what they want! They'll learn sooner or later.
Moment #2
I was ordering food at a restaurant and the girl taking our order had gauges in her ears. Raley kept asking me repeatedly (and loudly) "What's in her ears, Mommy? Why are her ears like that?" We had a talk about that later...
Moment #3
We were in church one Sunday, not too long ago, and Audrey had a poopy diaper and announced it very loudly (because she has ZERO volume control) to the entire section where we were sitting. As I was walking her out she was saying "You change my poo poo! It stink! Get it off my booty!" #smh
Moment #4
This one is a proud moment. Raley and I have made a habit of eating at a local Mexican restaurant on Tuesdays after dance class. There is a waiter there named Speedy and one day Raley had the idea of coloring a picture for him. She even asked me how to spell his name and wrote his name and her name on the picture. It made me a little uncomfortable to walk up to him like that (because I am just an introverted person who doesn't like to talk to random people) but Raley wanted to, so I let her. She walked right up to him and gave him the picture and said "I made this for you." He was so so excited and gave her a big hug! Now every time we come back he talks to her and tells her he still has his picture. I've come to learn that children will pull you out of your comfort zone. I've learned I have to be ok with that because it's important for them to do things like this. I have to step out of my comfort zone so that they can grow and learn things on their own. I love this age when they have no social anxiety and they are not worried about what people will think of them or if they will be rejected. I wish so badly that I could put on the confidence and the pure heart of a child.
Moment #5
I absolutely can't get enough of listening to my girls have a conversation with one another. It's hilarious and just so, so sweet! One that I recently heard in the car:
A - "I wuv Daddy. Do you wuv Daddy?"
R - "Yes, I love Daddy too."
A - "You wuv Daddy. I wuv Mommy?"
R - "No, we both love Daddy and both love Mommy. I love Mommy too."
A - "So do I."
R - "I love you too, Mommy!"
A - "I wuv you, Sisser."
R - "Aww! I love you too!"
Then my heart melted into a puddle on the floor!
Moment #6
About a month ago, we were in Kentucky, visiting family and all the cousins were playing at my Granny's house. Raley and her cousin Jaycie were playing with some of their chairs and Audrey wanted to sit in one. They told her she couldn't sit in the chairs, that they were using them for something. So Audrey hit Raley. I told her no, we do not hit. She immediately hit her again, so I smacked her hand and told her again not to hit. Then she hit Jaycie. Needless to say, she and Raley both ended up in time out - Audrey for hitting and Raley for refusing to share after I told her to share.
It was frustrating in the moment, but we ended up talking about it, they apologized to me and to each other, and all was fine and we moved on. Later that night when we were all laying down to go to sleep (we were all sleeping in the same room - David, Raley and I were in the big bed and Audrey was in a crib), we could hear Audrey talking to her self saying "I hit sisser. And I hit Jaycie." (#bedtimeconfessions) It had me and David cracking up. Both of my children tend to tell on themselves when they do something wrong, which I think is hilarious, but also a good thing!
We've all been there. We've all had moments that make us smile from ear to ear and we've all had moments that make us want to scream and pull our hair out. I'm here to tell you in solidarity - this parenting thing is hard, but you've got this!
Labels: children, family, Life Lately, motherhood, Our Little Family, parenting struggles
