Mom to the Screaming Masses

Mission Monday: Your car, yourself

I've seen this challenge in a few places recently - Table4Five and Ninja Poodles being two of them. 

Your Mission for today is NOT simple.  It is NOT fun, but it IS necessary.  Clean out your car. 

Here's what the inside of mine looks like, right now, untouched and full of life, kids, mess.  Strike that, just full.

A- view from my seat to the back.  Under the seat is a travel potty.  Two car seats in this seat.A double stroller runs the length under the middle two rows.   B - the area behind my seat.  The blue bin carries all of the stuff that we need - snacks, water bottles, crayons, notepads, changes of clothes, bubbles, chalk, a soccer ball and a football.  An Umbrella and a single stroller.  You can see the huge garbage bag that I had in there, just so I can clean the car.  C- the view down the side to the back.  Lots of misc junk under there - it's all gone now, though.  D - the view of the driver's area.  Mostly pens and pencils and a few papers.

I promise, it's not as bad as it appears on here. 

Your Mission for today is to clean out your car.  What's the worst thing you found?

Whatcha doin'?

One of my daughters greets me with this just about every time she sees me.  Drives me crazy.

I have done nothing blogworthy this week, so, in place of a real post, I'll fill you in on my adventures this week.  Get ready to grab a nap.

In the past seven days, I have: taken my big kids to the airport for a 2 week trip to visit my dad, had my hair colored, enjoyed two capoeira classes, literally fallen flat on my face twice in said classes, done a headstand and several cartwheels, grocery shopped with four kids (which, if you read me over at Larger Families this week, you would have known that I just don't do this at ALL), washed multiple dishes, completed copious loads of laundry - lather, rinse repeat.

I have started to clean my big kids rooms, since they are not here to tell me how it doesn't need to be done, written several things for the next week over at The Elff Diet, written my bio for my speaking engagement at Blogher - if you want to  see it, I can post it, I think I did a decent job - bugged the hell out of Jenny for help with my business cards, tried to order said cards and got discouraged at my total lack of computer skillz.

I have wept over the state of my budget, scraped together enough money to pay for capoeira class by skipping a pedicure this month, been told by three different people that someone is out to cause trouble for me and I should be aware, filled up my gas tank in the van ($90!!1!!), bought yoga pants for class (on clearance, in size XS - must have been a misprint, but I'm totally wearing them inside out everywhere I go), bought and packed a Father's Day gift for my dad, realized I never bought his birthday gift (Feb!), bought that and packed it as well, and decided it'd be worth my sanity to buy The Hubster a gift.

I received a phone call that my kids were in a car accident, but that they were ok, and realized that being a Mom means you can't have control over everything.  I realized that for two weeks in a row, I've forgotten my daughter's Irish dance class, which is FREE and over at the end of this month, and I'm not upset.  I can't remember and do everything.  I have to cut myself some slack. I've talked to my kids - the ones who are gone - daily, and they are having a total blast.  I'm so glad for all involved.

I've spent some time at the pool, walked 6 miles two days this week, moved up to 10 pound weights for my free weight dvd, read two magazines, cleaned out my van - gahh, I hate doing that - found two cd's of Indian music I was missing - drank large amounts of coffee, did several product samples for review over at Scrutiny by The Masses (which you should totally look at, because you could win big money from one of the companies!),  visited the alcohol store, where I felt like an alcoholic when I bought four bottles of booze and needed two bags to carry it all home, learned how to make a really good Lemon Drop Martini, and plan to make both Earth Bars and Chunks of Energy today.

Is anyone awake?  I've been busy, but most of it was boring, like I said.  Anyone have excitement to share?

As a bonus for getting through this, if you are interested in my copies of The Fairy Chronicles, which are reviewed at Scrutiny by The Masses, leave me a comment on that post and I'll do a blind drawing.  There are two books, perfect for girls ages 5-10. 

Let's write a story

I've seen this done on other blogs and I think you all are creative enough to make this rock. 

Or, at the very least, wildly entertaining.

I'll post a few sentences and then you guys add to it.  Let's see if we can create a really wacky story, ok?

Jane glanced at her watch and sighed.  Just a few minutes more and she was free to leave the hell of her job.   She took a surreptious glance around and reached into the bottom drawer of her desk.  She grabbed her notebook and flipped to the fourth page.  At the top, it said....

Ok, what happens next?

The Elephant in the Playroom - a book review

Cross posted to Scrutiny by The Masses

When I saw this book, I ordered it straight away. The author's son has the same disorder has Riley, so I was really interested to read her viewpoints.  From Amazon:

Three years ago, magazine editor Denise Brodey’s precocious four-year-old son, Toby, was diagnosed with a combination of sensory integration dysfunction and childhood depression. As she struggled to make sense of her new, often chaotic, often lonely world, what she found comforted her most was talking with other harried, hopeful, and insightful parents of kids with special needs, learning how they coped with the feelings they encountered throughout the day.

In The Elephant in the Playroom, moms and dads from across the country write intimately and honestly about the joyful highs and disordered lows of raising children who are “not quite normal.” Laying bare the emotional, medical, and social challenges they face, their stories address issues ranging from if and when to medicate a child, to how to get a child who is overly sensitive to the texture of food to eat lunch. Eloquent and honest, the voices in this collection will provide solace and support for the millions of parents whose kids struggle with ADD, ADHD, sensory disorders, childhood depression, Asperger’s syndrome, and autism—as well as the many kids who fall between diagnoses.

Offering readers comfort, community, and much-needed perspective, The Elephant in the Playroom is sure to become essential reading for parents of special needs kids.

What's not to like about a book that talks like this?  Nothing.  I really liked this book, although it was not easy reading.  In fact, I could only read a bit here and there, because some of the stories are heartbreakingly raw.  There are very few books that deal with being the parent of a kid with special needs, and this one fills the space most comfortably.  The essays are written by mother and fathers, people who live with the tantrums, crankiness, mood swings and other struggles and do it every day.  There are essays both pro and con for medication, schooling, therapy, and so on.

If you are dealing with a special needs child, or just want to have empathy for those who do, please read this book.  Found at Amazon for $17.12. I'm loaning this one to the counselors at my kids school. 

Fivemoms.com

I was recently involved in a conference call about an issue that really took me back. FiveMoms is a site dedicated to making everyone aware of the dangers of cough medicine abuse.  I had no idea that cough medicine abuse was even out there. My only experience with over the counter abuse is when I try to buy sudafed for my kids and get carded.  I didn't know the issue splashed over into cough medicine, and kids had parties devoted soley to sharing the cough medicine that they snuck out of their house.

I had no idea that kids died from this.  Every day.

I keep the cough meds where we can get to them quickly, but I've realized now, thanks to the website, that I need to move them.  From the website:

A recent article in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shows just how widespread the problem of cough medicine abuse is: nine Pine-Richland High School students were found high on cough medicine while at school. Five of them were taken to the hospital.

I'd really like it if everyone of you goes over to the site and read it. It's well done and brings your attention to this scary issue in a non frightening manner.

A little knowledge goes a long way. 

Rules of the house

Over at Kristen's ClubMom Place, she's laying down the law and setting up some rules. She's got a good one too - only one person may cry at a time.  I'm taking that to mean that if I'm crying, no one else is allowed, right?  RIGHT?

Seriously, here are some rules that I'd love to see implemented in my own house.

No one may talk to Mommy before she's had her coffee

You may not fill your water balloons in the house (when they did this yesterday, all twelve towels and six rolls of toilet paper under the sink were soaked)

Let Mommy shower in peace

One person talking at time

Recognize that, no matter how I act, I am still the grown up and you may not boss your siblings around.

What would be some of your house rules?

Summer fun

Emma wasn't too certain that the pony was friendly - on the other hand, Mackenzie felt right at home......

WhenI got home from a six mile walk today, I was hot and tired.  Luckily, I walked right into this...

I call him Frog Boy 

The most beautiful jewelery

Note to self:  Please determine:  Is it JEWELRY, or JEWELERY?  Spell check says that both are correct.  AUUGGHHH!!!!

One day I was feeling a bit, shall we say, down.  I was out of sorts.  And then I went to get the mail, and the generosity and love of a fellow blogger, one who has every reason in the world to feel down about her troubles and her difficulties, sent me a gift from her beautiful beach store.   

There was a necklace, bracelet, earrings and a ring, as well as a ring for each of my girls. Rachel, you are amazing!!!!   Thank you so much!

It's a pet peeve of mine

When my oldest was in first grade, his class had a teachers aide, an older woman who helped out in every first grade class.  She terrified me.  She was assertive and in control, and any kid who DARED to cross her NEVER made that mistake again.

Once I was helping out in class and she was helping a girl read.  She picked up the little girls hand and barked, "Just LOOK at your fingernails!  They are filthy, and long and ragged!  You go the restroom and scrub your hands, and you tel your mommy to clip your nails TONIGHT!"

I was petrified.  I surreptiously checked out my own kids fingers - nails short and clean, thank God.  But I made sure every single day from there on in, as well as when my next three kids were in first grade, that all of the nails were clean and close cut.  There was no way in HELL that I was going to be yelled at for dirty fingernails. It became almost an obsession for me - I was not going to have my kid embarrassed and yelled at.

Fast forward to this year.  Now that I work in the school, I've gotten to know the aide, and I really like her. She's tough, no nonsense, and funny as anything.  I really like her, and I've seen how warm and nurturing she can be to the children. I like her and my son really enjoys her.

I'm still uber vigilant about the fingernails. 

Recently, I took my nerves in hand and talked to her. I told her how she'd scared me, and we laughed together. She explained her stance - kids put their hands in their mouths all the time, and she sees dirt under the nails and worries about the germs.  Fair enough - once I thought about it, I feel the same way.

So, what are some of your pet peeves?  Mine are people who shake your hand and don't have the courtesy to look you in the eye - EVERY single week at church - people who don't drive the speed limit, and my kids when they all talk at once and everyone gets pissed because I'm not responding quicky enough.

What else?

The Hubster throws his used paper towels into the sink, where they get wet and gross.  Oh!  And people who get mad at you for an action that you took, and turn around and do it themselves. 

Man, I have a lot of pet peeves.  What about you?

Mission Monday: the advice version

The other day, I was listening to the radio while driving.  The deejays were talking about upcoming graduations, and one of them mentioned the song "Everyone's free...to wear sunscreen."  Baz Luhrmann was the artist on the version that the deejay played.

I remember the song, subtitled To the graduating class of 1999.  There was a urban legend about it, alleging that this was MIT's commencement speech, given by Kurt Vonnegut.  He wasn't the speaker that year, so this couldn't have been true.  I listened to the speech with fresh ears, and ended up downloading a version of it onto my iPod - it's set to disco music, which makes it perfect for exercise.

Because it's a new song, I've listened to it a lot in the past few days.  Which brings me to this week's Mission.

Cue the music - duh, duh, duh duduh....

Relax. You don't have to do ANYTHING this Mission, just think.  And share. 

Thinking right now, what are the things you wish you'd known? The advice you wish you'd been told, or the advice you wish you'd listened to?  What did your parents/grandparents/teacher tell you, and you blew off, and regretted later?  If you have kids, what advice would be the most important for them to absorb?

One of my favorite parts would be Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.  If I could figure out how to do this, I'd be so much happier. 

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

________________

And jump over to The Elff Diet, where I'm discussing a version of this same topic, with a bit different point!