The Dreaded White Smear!

Disclosing the child's identity would not be prudent and I want to avoid mocking the child...just the behavior. haha

While waiting for one child to join the others for our nightly story time, I heard incredible screams reverberating through my house, "MOM!!! Hurry, come quick! It's an EMERGENCY!" I feared the worst aka "Is there poop all over?" Rapidly I was met with "NOOOO MOM IT'S WORSE!" Oh you know I bolted up those stairs.

As I rounded the corner I came face to bum with a child standing on the bathroom sink, cupping their hands around their calves. White melted goo had run the length of, not only this child's legs, but their entire body . I glance over and see a new tube of Desitin three-quarters of the way empty. The rest... was on... the child.

The smeary mess covered their hands, arms, chin, legs, bum, toes, and stomach. My initial reaction: how awesomely hilarious!! Next I remembered how hard it was to clean off, how hard it is for me to remember to buy that stuff when it runs low, and a bit of peeved moodiness that the children would now be late for bedtime due to scrubbing a kid for 15 to 20 minutes.

"Why did you do this??!!??" "Uh mom, because my butt was really itchy." I guess really itchy has to be answered back in style.

Pulled the kid down, handed it a bar of soap and said, "Get to scrubbing." That was pure delight on my part watching the nature of life teach the lesson for me... Desitin doesn't come off easy!! haha

The slop proceeded to turn into a greasy concoction that painted my tub, faucet, and increasingly white child. I jumped in and started to help this poor little wild thing (who's frustration was mounting). After I deemed the cleaning sufficient (or my tiredness said who cares), we dried the little desitin hound and lotioned the child's now drier-than-ash body. On the plus side, we now both smell baby-butt fresh!

2 Baby showers & 2 weddings and and

Please tell me this happens in your house too? Trying to capture a moment of suckers with an Iphone for the friend who gave the suckers to the squirrely suckers.

2 baby showers down & two weddings to go... also conquered a lingerie shower, family visits, trip to AZ after finishing a week of finals for college, and raising 4 kids & two pups & keeping track of hubby! Now on to a wedding reception this weekend, anniversary over Memorial Day Weekend (12 years!... I think if I am subtracting correctly this late at night), a neice being born beginning of June, another neice & grandnephew in July. Alright!!! Surviving with style!

I know I bombed at writing more often. I think I promise because I despise breaking promises.... my kids always know that and try to make me promise to things like ice cream when I'm not paying attention (sneaky!!). I did finish my classes and received 100% in Political Science and 97.9% in math... ok not too happy that I didn't receive 100%... it was because the final was on a pc & the answers I gave were correct but not in the pc acceptable rounded format grrr. Perfectionist anyone?

I also said I would be more blunt. Yes, here is some of what I had rolling around in my head the last year or two. When Milana came home, I noticed my time was spent really being mom, which it was supposed to be. I also found that I started to think about what I would post all night long ... all the things I would write about, but morning would come & the thoughts were gone. I wanted to make grand gestures for momentous occasions but found myself needing to keep things within the family. How was I supposed to blog about feelings and thoughts and their significant meanings when I didn't even understand them myself. I knew if I wrote, the next day or week, I would feel completely different. I came to find that my family dynamics had changed so much that I didn't know what was up and what was down. One minute things were going smoothly and then when I thought, "ok, I can report about my events"... a boom would hit. My children were all adjusting and going through powerful waves of adjustments.

Now all kids go through phases... but these were over the top phases. Ones that I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain. I've learned a huge amount of patience... but the one person I don't have enough patience for is myself. I started taking on too much... telling myself constantly that "I had time"... like Mr. Incredible who ends up being late for his wedding. I never thought I would see the day that I was disorganized.... it's here. I'm learning to accept it (for the time being while the kids are young).

I can't imagine our life without Milana... she is an absolute ray of sunshine & a bolt of lightening, beautiful to see but almost impossible to explain or catch & sometimes harness that power. She has brought so much "life" to our family. I have seen huge growth and enriching thoughts come from our children as they have grown together. The children are inseparable and fiercely look out for, protect and love each other. They fight and make up like other children but there is something magical when they discuss openly observations they have made. They have brought Milana into this world of discussing feelings & "talking back" (grrr) & learning ogre mom is tamed by explaining what you were doing (haha).

This is all off-the-cuff and me talking while sleepy....better now than not at all. So thankful for the insight I've gained because of being a mother. I never imagined all the things I would have learned when I first started this journey. I hope maybe by writing some down... I can leave some hints to help fellow moms & parents. 11 years of being mom...& barely scratching the surface :)

Shorts

Picking up their new puppy Smiles!

I am doing dishes and hear Jadyn whispering, "Sit. Shhhhh." I turn around to see her feeding our puppies Chubbs & Dumpster a spoonful of her yogurt and then taking licks herself.

"Jadyn, what are you doing?!"

"But mommy, I just couldn't resist Chubbs' cute little puppy face!"

My sister came over to my house before I arrived home. Jadyn sees her car and emphatically declares, "Mom! Open the door quick! I need to get out because Aunt Jo thinks I'm the cutest one! Hurry!"

Jadyn and Milana bonked heads and Jadyn went down crying (Milana fake cried). I rubbed both their heads & told Jadyn I know Milana's head is hard like a rock. Jadyn says "Actually mom, it's made of metal because she is the meddler & gets into EVERYTHING! She has the power of a metal head and the power to meddle!" Unbeknown to me Milana is really Super Hero The Meddler (as the others have dubbed her). She proudly announces this now and puts her hands on her hips. Well... I guess there are plenty of worse things children can call their siblings.

Kole just finished the 3rd Harry Potter Book (Prisoner of Azkaban) and now has earned the reward of watching the movie. I think the Harry Potter material becomes a little thick from this point on. I truly did not know if Kole would finish a daunting book of over 400 pages. Slightly nervous about book number four. Think I may post-pone borrowing it from the library. Oddly enough, he was scared of the first one (saw it before reading it) and the second one he said, "Mom, this one is so not scary... they left a whole lot out!" That was the point of him reading the book first. He took his time and when it was a bit too overwhelming of a story line, he set the book aside (not an easy task with a movie). So when did you/will you let your children watch Harry Potter?

Nika just experienced her first pedicure & manicure at a spa... she was glowing. So adorable and I swear that child is a fabulous diva in training... the sweet ones. My child is joining the ranks of junior high children next year! eeeekk

Finished my math midterm; somehow finished 100%... totally weird. Tomorrow, I take on Political Science...grrrr bring it on! One more class & prerequisites are complete (just my Occupational Science class!).

The birthdays that I never posted about last year were Milana, Nika & me. I had good reason (emotionally sorting things). Will talk about that soon.

These next two months, I have 3 babies being born (family), 2-3 baby showers, 1-2 bridal shower, wedding receptions, my anniversary (12 years WOOOO), Nika, Milana and my b-days... (and many more extended b-days) and a baby niece's birth to attend to. Don't forget finals! Alright, pass me a crate of Rock Stars! haha

Totally Back & Alive!

Couldn't stay gone forever, right?! I think I've mulled over my thoughts to myself long enough. Feeling a little cooped & ready to say hey again. Going to school part time still (Political Science & Math this semester, Anatomy/Physiology & English last semester). I've missed a whole lot of comings and goings with everyone (very sad about that). Felt very overwhelmed a bit with all that I have taken on, but now have sorted through a rich mixture of feelings. Confused yet?

I guess I could explain it as chapters in my life morphed into new ones and I didn't quite know where I was headed. I do know that I miss the closeness I felt with everyone of my friends. I also know that it is important to take care of finding "you", which is where I was and where I'm going.

It's the two month long celebration of birthdays in my house again. I will whip up a post to sum up what we've been up to next. I kept promising myself that I would post something fabulous and would sit up and night thinking of what I would write when I have time and then one day it hit me.... I'll never have time if I have to proof-read & censor myself. So off the cuff, here we come. That's what this is changing into. More of me. More of my fly-by-night self. Raw Sara. Scared yet. ;) I'll be checking in and checking back often. Thanks for the patience & back to your regularly scheduled programming.....