My Not So Favorite Parts About Being a Mommy

Yes, we are right smack dab in the middle of Thanksgiving week.  The time of the year where we count our blessings, remember all that we have to be thankful for, and our hearts are full to the beating brim with that warm, fuzzy, grateful feeling.  In fact, I have dutifully recorded on facebook each day this month something(s) that I am thankful for, just as I have for the past 3 years.  (Okay, I missed a few days, sue me.)

Well, this is simply not one of those kinds of posts.  As much as I really do have a grateful heart this month (as I try to all year long), some of the events from the past couple of weeks have left me feeling...well...a tad bit irritated and highly frustrated.  And most of these events have stemmed right from the two most precious things to me: Chandler and Liam.  These two very precious blessings that I am so, so, so very thankful have prompted this post.  Yes, friends, my kids are driving me CRAZY!  Crazy enough that I sweetly threatened to twist their heads off the other day in public.  (Yea, that happened.  But in my defense, I would never actually go through with it.  I was totally bluffing.)

So, even though it is November and I should be making a list about the soft, warm, fuzzy, things that I am thankful for on this journey through motherhood....here is the list that I really need to get off of my chest so that I can move on and get over it:

My Not So Favorite Parts About Being a Mommy

1. Shopping with kids.  Especially at Wal-Mart.  On a Saturday.  Or anyday for that matter.  It is what I imagine hell to be like, but worse.  And it always seems like a good idea at first!  Then the instant that you put those kids in a cart, they somehow grow four limbs a piece and morph into octo-kids.  Then they use four limbs to attempt climbing out of the cart, while the other four limbs are throwing crap into the cart.

 

2. Vomit.  It is my least favorite thing to do, and I hate it even more when I have to clean it from from a little person in the middle of the night all over sheets, jammies, pillows, and carpet.  Gag.

3. Potty training.  Kids should just come out naturally knowing how to go potty.  And whoever said that potty training boys was easy, well they lied.  It's not easy.  It'll make a person crazy.

4. The no's.  Srsly.  Do not tell me no.  I am bigger than you and smarter than you.  And also, OH YEAH, I'M YOUR MOTHER!!!

5. (A) Waiting rooms with kids.  Nothing says fun like taking your (more often than not sick) kids to a room where all you will do is wait.  With other sick kids.  For long periods of time.  O....M....G...

    (B) Shots.  Makes the waiting part even worse if that's what you're there for.  And trying to drag a 6 year old kid into the doctor when they know what's coming...well, it's just no fun.  Ain't no amount of McDonald's ice cream cones afterward that's gonna make that go any easier.  And then having to watch, or worse than that, having to help hold them down...well that's just mean.

6. How you lose all sense of public decency when it comes to talking about the birth of your children.  I found myself telling someone the other night in The Art Mill how when my water broke with Liam, I thought I was just peeing myself.  Yup. 

7. Parroting.  I mean, come on now.  If I wanted someone to repeat everything I said, I would get a parrot.  Or a Furby.  I want neither.  Think of your own words to say.

8. Sharing my bed.  I do good to share my bed with your Daddy.  And, hey!  Remember that big, cozy rectangular shaped item that we put in your room that you use as a trampoline??  That, son, would be your bed.  You should use it so that mommy doesn't get socked in the face 13 times every night.

9. Sharing my food.  I don't want to.  I will, but I don't want to.  Except for fudge pie.  I will not share my fudge pie.  My kids know that.  Ain't happening.

10. Please.  For the love all things good in this world.  Just let me poop alone.

So there. I said it.  I feel better now.  And, oddly enough, I am grateful for these things.  Not because I enjoy them.  But because these parts of motherhood that, while they surely aren't the shining moments, are some of the defining ones.  I learn from them.  And hopefully I learn enough so that my reactions and responses aren't always like the ones that I've had this week.  And, you know what, I am sure that I will look back on these days and these moments one day with fondness and longing....one day.  Plus, these two sweet faces make all of that mess more than worth it.

"We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning."

~Albert Barnes~

Till next time friends!

Brittany :)

P.S.- Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!  Because I'm sure this post got you feeling all Thanksgivingie.  :)

30 Days of Thanks, Days 21-30

How is November already over??  Seriously, didn't we just start this month?  Cu-razy, but true.  As November, comes to a close here are the last 10 days of my 30 Days of Thanks. 

30 Days of Thanks, Day 21: Today I am thankful that our family is home for the holidays. I love that all of our immediate family (and then some) live so close and we can always share the holidays together.
***I know many people who want to live in a different city (or even state) than their family.  Not this girl.  I love that we are so close to family!  

30 Days of Thanks, Day 22: Today I am thankful for the things that I so often take for granted. I don't live in a mansion, but I have a pretty nice roof over my head every night. I'm not five-star dining, but I have food on the table at every meal. I certainly do not drive the fanciest of cars, but my miniature van gets me where I need to go. I don't shop at Louis Vuitton or Prada and I don't

have any Manolo Blahnicks, but every closet and dresser in the house is full of clothes and shoes. My bank account is not overflowing, but it has what I need in it to get by. And to add to all of this, my heart is full because I have love from the very best family and friends a girl could ask for. Feeling pretty blessed today, friends. Yes, I am.

***My post for Thanksgiving Day.  This one pretty much says it all.

30 Days of Thanks, Day 23: Today I am thankful for my parents. I am thankful that they have been married for 40 years and are still going strong. I am thankful that they have and always will be there for me with their unconditional love and support...NO MATTER WHAT. And I am thankful that they are such wonderful grandparents to my boys. Love them so very much!!

***The boys and I had dinner with my parents this night and it just reminded me how grateful I am for the wonderful people the are, the great childhood they created for me together, and how much they love my kids.

30 Days of Thanks, Day 24: Today I am thankful for lazy days at home.

***Because sometimes you just need to be lazy :)

30 Days of Thanks, Day 25: Today I am thankful that, at least for the time being, I get to do the stay-at-home-mom thing. Perfect fit for us right now :)

***I do so love being able to stay at home!  While I certainly miss teaching, it is so nice to be more available as a Mom.  Taking Chan to school & picking him up everyday, putting Liam down for his naps, having a clean house and dinner made everyday....and nearly stress free!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 26: Today I am thankful for the blessings of children and babies for all my sweet friends this year! Can't wait to see some of my besties be mommies!

***Having already gone through the marvelous transition into mommyhood for myself, it is such a joy to see friends doing the same!  Especially when some of these friends have tried for.so.long.  So happy for them and thankful that prayers are being answered for my sweet friends!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 27: Today I am thankful for the amazing ladies who have taught, cared for, loved on, and taken care of Liam when Mommy was working. So thankful to know that he has and is always in good hands. Love you, ladies!

***This was on Tuesday, which is a work day for me.  Liam loves his teacher at MDO and I have no doubt that he is getting the best care while I am down the hall teaching my preschoolers.  

30 Days of Thanks, Day 28: Today I am thankful for Justin Koehn. He is a pretty good darn husband. He puts up with me and all my crazy ways, not a day goes by that he doesn't say nice things to me, he loves our boys like cu-razy, he gets up at 5:00 am and works hard (okay, he works) everyday so I can be a stay at home Mommy, and sometimes he even lets me drive his BMW on errand runs so I don't have to ride solo in the miniature van. So thankful that he loves me and our family so much. Love you, Jus!! (Now hurry up and put Chan to bed so we can eat Chinese and watch SNL Christmas).

***How did I forget to put that he always makes me laugh??  

30 Days of Thanks, Day 29: Today I am thankful for my two happy, healthy boys.
I am thankful for Chandler; his tender heart, his energy, his spunky attitude, and his silly little ways that always make me laugh.
I am thankful for Liam; his loving personality, his sweet smiles, his zest for learning how to communicate with us, and his love for music and dance that always makes me smile.
I've got so, so, so many blessings to be thankful for, but these two might just be my favorites.

***Again, pretty much says it all.  Love.My.Boys.

30 Days of Thanks, Day 30: Today I am thankful for this wonderful thing called life.

***:)

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments 

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." 

~Thornton Wilder~

Till next week friends!

Brittany :)

      

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Holy moly, I'm full.  Still.  And I haven't eaten anything in over five hours.  Guess that means I ate my fair share today, huh?

I've been looking forward to today all week!  I love Thanksgiving for many reasons, but let's be honest here....mostly, I love the food.  Seriously.  Sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie...I'm stuffed to the rafters and I couldn't be happier. 

We had a pretty laid back morning at home.  Watched the parade, did some Thanksgiving crafts, made a couple of dishes for the meals...then headed out to my parents' for our first gathering, followed by Justin's aunt and uncle's house for the Koehn meal.  We had a great day just spending time with each other...oh, and eating of course.  Here are a few shots from our day:

The boys' turkey prints.  The plan is to do this every year from here on out...or as long as they'll let me.

And the Indian prints.  Chan's has a fro for some reason...

Chan's turkey footprint with his thankful feathers.  Love that he is thankful for himself :)

This is the one he made for his school project.  I love how it turned it.  Super cute :)

Liam playing at Nana & Baba's...so thankful for this boy and his sweet smile

Chandler playing...thankful for this crazy kid, too.

Pile up!!!  Playing with their cousins

Yay for Thanksgiving!

Was so full at this point I only managed one shot at the second gathering...Chan and sweet friend Mikayla coloring

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life...a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year---and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God."

~Ray Stannard Baker~

Till later this week friends!

Brittany :)

30 Days of Thanks, Days 11-20

30 Days of Thanks, Day 11: Today I am thankful for all the men and women who have sacrificed so much defending our freedoms.
***Remembering the brave men and women on Veteran's Day who gave so much.  Especially thankful for some veterans close to me...my grandfathers, my father-in-law, my uncle, and several friends.

30 Days of Thanks, Day 12: Today I am thankful for my home. On this cold, rainy day it was just the place I wanted to be.
***Last Monday was a rainy, yucky day.  After taking Liam to a doctor's appointment, it was so nice to come home and be warm and cozy.

30 Days of Thanks, Day 13: Today I am thankful for sweet smiles and contagious laughter from my boys. Always brings a smile to my face. Wish they could stay this sweet and innocent forever...
***Everyday I could list this one!  Just happened to be one of those nights where the boys were belly laughing over and over again.  Love it :)

30 Days of Thanks, Day 14: Today I am thankful for one of the best KinderParents that I've ever had, who turned out to be a very welcoming neighbor, and has since become one of the greatest friends ever! All of my friendships are a blessing, but to have such an amazing friend right across the street is pretty great. Loved our coffee talk today Marie Clement!

***Spent the better part of the afternoon last Wednesday catching up with my great friend and neighbor Marie.  Love letting the kids play while we chat over coffee!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 15: Today I am thankful for gorgeous sunsets. In awe of God's work... 
***Since sunset now is at our busy time of evening, I don't always get to see it.  But Thursday night I was sitting in my rocking chair and looked up and out the front door to see the most amazing colors in the sky.  Bright orange, pink, purple, blue....SO SO pretty!!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 16: Today I am thankful for Denise Collins Koehn and Carly Koehn and the Koehn GNO that is about to ensue. So glad that these wonderful ladies were willing to share their son/brother with me and so happily let me become a Koehn gal, too. 
***I just don't understand why us Koehn gals don't have more girls nights out!  Friday the three of us went to dinner and to see Breaking Dawn.  Also, pretty thankful for the Koehn guys for watching the kiddos!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 17: Today I am thankful for Friendship Community Church and all the ways we work to show God's love. Serving others in need was a great way to start my day!
***I spent Saturday morning volunteering to deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need.  Our motto is "The Church has left the building."  Couldn't be more fitting for FCC.  Love my church!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 18: Today I am thankful for all five of my senses and the fact that they are in good working order. I often take it for granted, but on a gorgeous day like today I am so glad that able to see the amazing colors outside, hear my boys' laughter as they played in the leaves, feel the sun and the breeze on my face, smell the fall fires burning, and taste the holiday spiced tea. Very thankful indeed.
***Playing with the boys outside Sunday after church while Justin put up Christmas lights....it was just one of those afternoons when my senses were on overdrive!   Here's a couple shots I took while they played:

Love his face!!

He wanted so badly to climb that tree!!  He is such a monkey!

30 Days of Thanks, Day 19: Today I am thankful for Chandler's teachers, both the ones he has now and the ones that have paved the way for his kindergarten year. He is doing such a great job this year I KNOW it is because of the hard work, dedication, patience, perseverance, love, and respect that each of his teachers has shown him. Each one of them has made an impact on his life and I am so grateful that they've loved and taught my child so much. We love you wonderful ladies!!! 
***I spent part of Monday afternoon volunteering in Chandler's kindergarten classroom.  Reminds me how much work, time, and effort goes in to teaching!  It is so amazing to see how far Chandler has come and I can't wait to see how he keeps learning and growing throughout his education.   

30 Days of Thanks, Day 20: Today I am thankful for memories.  We spend so much time trying to create wonderful memories with the ones we love; and for those loved ones that have already passed, those memories are all that we have left.  My sincere wish today is that I treasure every memory that I am making with family and friends, especially my boys...the good, the bad, and the ugly...because we never know what tomorrow holds.
***Remembering sweet Ava Shaye today on what would be her 5th birthday.  Thankful that her family has treasured memories of her, but so wish that she was here celebrating this day with them.

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day, and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"

~Henry Ward Beecher~

Till later this week friends!

Brittany :)     

30 Days of Thanks, Days 1-10

It doesn't even seem possible that a year has gone by since my last year's "30 Days of Thanks".  Why, oh why, does time fly by so quickly??!!

I have done my "30 Days" for the past two years on FaceBook and am glad to be doing it again this year.  This year I decided to break it down in my blog, as well. and add a little extra thoughts to my thanks for the day.  Though I am thankful throughout the year for so much, this fairly new tradition of mine has really helped me to reflect on each day and acknowledge all that I have to be thankful for.  Honestly, most days I have a hard time narrowing it down to just one (or two) things.  And on those days it helps me realize that I have SO VERY MUCH to be thankful for.  I am blessed so much more than I deserve!

So, here are my first 10 days of my 30 Days of Thanks.  Keep in mind that the whole 30 are in no particular order...just something that stood out from the day.  Here goes:

Day 1: Today I am thankful for my little family of four and the wonderful memories that we're making this year.  
**This is the thing that I am always most thankful for!  I could list it each and every day and thank God daily for this most treasured blessing!

My little fam of four--last November.  The boys have grown so much in the past year!

Day 2: Today I am thankful for time spent with some super awesome friends! Two nights in a row of dinner with some of my favorite people. Love them so much!
**Oh, how I love my friends!  Old & new, near & far...and I just don't get to see enough of them!!  A night out with two of my besties was just what I needed here.  Love you, Kris & Wen!

Day 3: Today I am thankful for naps. It's not often that this Momma gets one, but today I got to nap for two hours! I loved every minute of it :)
**This rarely happens, but last Saturday I just went in bedroom, laid down and went to sleep!  So refreshing.
Day 4: Today I am thankful for my friends Kenny Howell and Katy Howell and the football party they're throwing so that we can watch the Titans get decimated by the Bears. Go Team! #alwaysafan
**My friend Kenny jokes that the first year I was thankful for Diet Coke and People Magazine before I was thankful for him.  So, he made day 4 this year :)





Day 5: Today I am thankful for the simple things that help me unwind at the end of the day: my fuzzy leopard print blanket, trash TV, and brownies. I love brownies.
**Ya know, sometimes it's just the simple things.  I never feel like I have completed my day until I have my "me" time on the couch.  I should really leave the brownies out of it though.  Two pans in two weeks.  Shameful.  

Day 6, Part 1: Today I am thankful that I live in a country where everyone's vote counts no matter what their sex, race, religion, or political affiliation.
**Always thankful for my right to vote in this free country, but especially on Election Day.

Day 6, Part 2: Today I am thankful that after tonight all this politickin' will be over!!!!  
**Seriously.  I was over all the politics a LONG TIME AGO.  I can appreciate people being passionate about their beliefs, ideals, and politics.  But so much of the passion I saw was laced with anger, bitterness, and hate.  I would have loved to have seen more respect and kindness shown.

Day 7: Today I am thankful for my two healthy boys. After catching up on blogs and emails today, I've seen the updates from a few friends whose children are currently battling disease or searching for answers to health issues. I cannot even fathom the strength that it must take for a parent to watch their child face illness and know that there is nothing they can do to take it away. And the children are some of the bravest and strongest I will ever know.
**A friend of Justin's and mine has a daughter who is facing cancer for the second time.  She turns 10 tomorrow.  I hope and pray for a day when we will have a CURE for this awful disease (and so many others).  Words cannot say how thankful I am for the health of my children.  

Day 8: Today I am thankful for my little preschool friends. They sure do keep me busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays! And they're so much fun :)
**My 11 little four and five year old friends at Mother's Day Out are helping my teaching itch.  While I love being home, I sure miss being in my classroom, too!  Especially this time of year.

Day 9: Today I am thankful for Fridays (woot! woot!) and family traditions. Looking forward to Christmas Village with my big sister today!! Let's get this show on the road, A! 
**Every student I have ever had will tell you that Friday is my favorite day of the week!  I always do the Friday dance (woot!  woot!)  Plus, it fell on one of my favorite days--Christmas Village with my sister!  We've been going for the past 6 years.  Great way to kick off the holiday season!

Day 10: Today I am thankful for gorgeous fall weather! After the harsh, brutal summer I am always ready for autumn. The crisp air, cooler weather, and the colors (OH, THE COLORS!) renew my mind and spirit. So thankful for this time of year!  
**All week Chandler and I have been watching the leaves fall.  The maples are just too gorgeous right now!  Most of my favorite memories from childhood are in the fall.  Just love it.

"Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day."

~Robert Caspar Lintner~

Till next week friends!

Brittany :)