You know what my children had for breakfast this morning? Snickerdoodle cookies with leftover Halloween candy baked inside.. In my defense, they'll actually get something nutritious for breakfast at school, so this was more like an appetizer, or maybe the much needed "kick start" they needed at 6 AM. Regardless, they ate every bit of those semi-burnt cookies with hidden Snickers and Milky Way bites..
One of my children wore a pink sock and a white sock to school today. She giggled as she put them on and said, "daddy picked out silly socks for me." When in all reality, they were the two socks I couldn't find a match for so I deemed them appropriate Thursday attire.
One of my teenagers had a dentist appointment yesterday, however, there was an issue with the insurance so the appointment didn't happen. It was early in the day and she should have checked back into school but instead we opted for Mexican for lunch and talked about politics and high school drama until the kids came piling off the bus.
Every other week I beg my parents to take my three youngest children to their house just so I can sleep in past seven o'clock and lay in bed and watch Live! with Kelly and the Racheal Ray show.
Last night my six year old would only take three bites of his supper but I still let him get dessert.
A few weeks ago one of my twelve year olds begged to watch a scary movie with my husband and I. There was so much fake blood, bad language every now and then, and I had pre-warned him that I would smother him with a pillow if they showed ANY skin past the shoulder. Luckily, the lady was classy and kept dressed the entire movie.
I could go on and on about all of the questionable things I do as a parent, but, let's be honest, I don't have enough time and you don't have enough patience.
I didn't know "parent shaming" was a thing until I had children of my own. It's funny how after some people birth a child they all of a sudden are on stage accepting the Noble prize for being the world's award winning child psychiatrist, pediatrician, teacher, child development PT/OT therapist, etc. It's like God himself sent them onto this world to warn every mother who gives their child Kool-Aid or every father that allows their son to ride his bike without a helmet.
Halloween night I was in line at Zaxby's to order ninety-nine cent meals for all of our children (which, by the way I fibbed and said my two older boys were within the "under 10" limitation) and there were two mothers in front of me talking about what they were going to do with all of their children's Halloween candy. One lady said she would leave it on her porch tonight and the "Halloween fairy" would come and replace it with a Barbie doll that her daughter had been wanting. The other lady said she would be donating the candy to a local food kitchen in Birmingham. I thought both of those ideas were really awesome. One of the ladies asked me what I planned on doing with our children's candy and I told her.... I was going to let them eat it. You would have thought I was punching one of my kids in the face while kicking the other one across the road. They were appalled. One of them even asked me if I realized how unhealthy the candy was, which to my reply was, "Oh, your kids got candy? Mine got small bottles of liquor.. Here's to Halloween!" And away I walked with my nine children's kid's meals while their stairs burnt a hole in my sweater.
I am a parent. I do things wrong probably 75% of the time. I throw away my kid's artwork. Sometimes our "nightly reading" is me reading the back of the shampoo bottle while washing four little people's hair. I let my six year old dress himself and sometimes that means he wears a camouflage shirt with checkered shorts. I've been known to do the "sniff test" before letting a child wear a pair of suspicious panties. I have never attended at PTO meeting. I save the bad chores (like scrubbing the pot with nine day old spaghetti) for my kids to do.
In all honesty, I am biggest critic. My husband says I worry about stuff too much and over analyze everything. A couple weeks ago it was "Drug Free" week, therefore the kids had themed dress up days. I just knew the teacher would judge me for not sending one of my kids in camouflage. I had debated on going to Walmart just to buy her a shirt, but then it dawned on me how extremely stupid would that be?
Why, as parents, do we worry about what everyone else thinks? Why do we struggle with a complete stranger's thought on something we control when, in all reality, it's not even their business?
Did my five year old suffer because she didn't wear camo to school? No. You know my six year old thinks he is a "big boy" like his older brothers because he gets to pick out his own outfits. His sense of accomplishment beats any "..do you see what that boy has on," comment.
I didn't breast feed, but I know momma's that do and they do a kick ass job at it.
My kid's have televisions in their bedrooms. I make them spend at least an hour outside, weather permitting, but they typically get to fall asleep with the TV on.
My kids have really nice Nike shoes that I got from the thrift store.
Some stranger at Walmart took one look at my family and said there was "no way I could love them all" and that I needed to stop trying to "save the world".
She's right. I can't "save them all". We, actually, had a child removed from our home a month ago because her emotional and mental needs were far more great than anything I could give her. It was a hard decision, as she was very upset and questioned why "no one wanted her". It broke my heart, and it's not something I've talked freely about, because I felt like I was failing her. As bad as I wish I could have "saved her", I couldn't and my decision to get her the help she needed was tough, but it was one I made with pure love and I hope she realizes that one day. She may not be in my home, however, I think and pray for her dail.
Here I was in line at Walmart with yesterday's makeup on and my hair in a "not cute messy bun". I probably looked like I didn't have life together, but she has no idea of how much we do have together.
My five year old who missed a substantial amount of schooling before coming to our home, is at the top of her reading list at school. She surprises me daily with how much she has learned in the past few months. She went from having daily accidents to having them few and far between. She grows into a more beautiful little girl every day.
My six year old, who used to shy away at any stranger, is now opening up to more kids in his classroom than before. He is making friends and enjoying school so much that he sometimes gets a conduct mark for "being silly" which could be a bad thing, but to this momma who knew how shy and self conscious he was, "being silly" is a huge accomplishment. His academic performance has improved, though he still struggles from time to time, there is improvement and for that I am thankful.
One of my kids is active in the band and he is flourishing more and more each day. He is very excited about his Christmas concert coming up.
Taytum and Kenzie are doing things that doctors told us were impossible. We were given diagnosis' that neither one would accomplishment much, but I am proud to say that Kenzie has come so, so far and has literally been a "miracle" in some doctors journals. Taytum has hit milestones left and right and shows little to no concerns given her dramatic entrance into this world. I look at both of those girls and tears come to my eyes as I know God's work for them has just begun.
Our home is never quiet. There is always laughing, talking, song singing, giggling, sometimes shouting and maybe even some crying, but this home is MY home and it's also the home to many happy and loved children.
