Motherhood

Recently, I asked several mothers via multiple social media outlets to sum motherhood up in one word. In many ways, it was a trick question. Trying to sum up something as expansive as motherhood into one simple word is nearly impossible. And yet, as I read through the responses, I had to agree with every single one. Here are the top contenders:

Exhausting
This was by far the most popular response and, to be honest, my first thought as well. Motherhood is exhausting. The exhaustion starts in your very first trimester and never lets up. You stumble through those first few weeks after giving birth half asleep. Even after your little one is finally sleeping through the night (yes, it happens eventually) you are still constantly waking. Sometimes, it is because a child had a nightmare or because they are sick. Sometimes it's just because you need to check on them. But the sleepless nights aren't the only things that are exhausting. You have to keep up with a tiny little person (or two or three or more!) that has 20 times the amount of energy you do. They can make messes faster than you can clean them. They never stop moving so you never stop moving. But if it were just physical exhaustion, it would be easy, but it's not. There's the added emotional and mental exhaustion that comes with it. Why does your one-year-old keep insisting on sticking things in the light socket? Why can't your four-year-old understand that screaming the My Little Pony theme song when you have a headache isn't helpful? How did your baby grow up so fast? When did he start walking? Why can't you get that bloody Daniel Tiger song out of your head? If it isn't one thing, it's another. It. Is. Exhausting

Adventure
Yes, oh yes, motherhood is indeed an adventure! You never know exactly what is right around the bend. Sometimes, it is exciting and a rush. Other times, you make the wrong turn and fall off a cliff. Nevertheless, motherhood is a grand and exciting adventure.

Miraculous
To quote one of the people who responded, "Every baby is a miracle." This is so true. I can still remember the day I became a mom and the nurse placed that tiny, squeaky thing in my arms. She was a true little miracle. I felt the exact same way with my second child. All those tiny little fingers and toes. Those tiny, squinty eyes. And that feeling sticks with you throughout your children's lives. Those first steps and giggles. Getting to watch them learn to write and read. Every little detail and every little moment is miraculous.

Encompassing
Everything you do seems to circle back to the fact you are a mom. It's girls' night out and between your fruity drinks your mind wonders if your littles are safely tucked into bed. It's date night, and try as hard as you might to contain it, you pull up the day's pictures to show your someone special. We can't help it. When those little people enter our lives they permeate every little corner. It's not that we can't be our own people and it's not that motherhood defines us but it is very much a part of who we are. Our children invade every thought.

Empowering
Hell yes! I am Mama, hear me roar! You better not mess with my kids or you will see my bad side. But motherhood is more than just coming to our kids' defense. We literally become super moms. We find strength where we thought there was none. We are the givers of life. We are powerful. Some days, we feel as if we can do anything, You need 100 cupcakes for that bakesale by this afternoon? Done. You need me to change a dirty diaper while simultaneously cooking a delicious homemade dinner and entertaining  a preschooler who didn't take a nap? Done. You need me to run to Target with both kids and make it out before one or both has a meltdown? Well...

Unpredictable
Just about every time you think  you have this mom thing figured out, you don't. Both of my children are incredibly different and I am constantly learning and relearning how to be a good mom. You never know what life is going to throw at your via your kids. Sometimes, it's all good stuff like when your kid decides out of the blue that this is the day that she is going to be potty trained. Sometimes, it's not so good like when you have to cancel your plans because your baby has a 103 temp.

Joyful
I can honestly say that being a mother is one of the happiest experiences. Yes, it is draining and intimidating and exhausting and all of that stuff, but it is happy. If you thought you found happiness or pride in your own accomplishments just wait until your kid does something. The joy that you feel from something as simple as a little giggle is enough to make your heart feel as it is about to burst from your chest.

Overwhelming
Motherhood is definitely overwhelming. If you ever thought anything was stressful multiple that by about 1000. There simply is not enough time in the day to do everything you need to do.But motherhood is more than just being swamped with a million menial tasks. It is overwhelming in the amount of love you feel for your child. It is overwhelming in the amount of pride you feel for your child. Motherhood is an overload of everything physical, emotional and mental. And of course, all the hormones don't help. Motherhood is an amazing, overwhelming experience.

So, in short, motherhood is many things and it takes on many forms. The word you might use to describe motherhood probably changes from day to day, but the fact is that we are mothers.  Here's to the moms who gave birth at home, in birthing centers or on hospitals. Here's to the moms who gave birth all natural, loaded with drugs or who had c-sections. Here's to the moms who gave birth to a child, knowing they couldn't keep it and gave it up to go to a better home. Here's to the moms who opened their arms wide to receive a child who was not their own but who would treated as such for the rest of the child's life. Here's the moms with babies and children waiting on them in heaven, for you are no less a mother than the rest of us. Here's to the moms all around the world with different situations, cultures and beliefs. We are mothers and we are amazing, even on the days we feel like failures. Today is Mother's Day and we are worth celebrating.

Birthday Boy

Wow. My baby is year old already. I know it's cliche, but I really feel as if it was only yesterday that he was a tiny little newborn. This first year has been full of adventures and accomplishments and adventures and accomplishments deserve to be celebrated. 

On Client Two's actual birthday, he was, of course, greeted with a delicious birthday waffle. He mostly just wanted to eat the fire off the candle but he enjoyed the waffle as well. Later that day, we headed to the mall for his one year pictures. My normally smiley little man was unusually solemn faced but he did brighten when he got to smash into a cake. After pictures we headed back home for a little mini celebration including presents, balloons and cake. 

This past Saturday was his birthday party. I decided to do a simple Little Monster theme. I made a bright monster "Happy Birthday" pennant banner to hand on the fireplace and some cute little monsters reading "I am one" to go on his highchair. Client One helped me put up some monster face stickers all over the house to make it scarier and some giant googly eyes brought the front door to life. A few Ugly dolls decorated the table and the rest of the decorations were mostly balloons from the Dollar Tree. Oh, and, of course, he had his very own birthday outfit.

 

Not too many kids were coming to the party, but I did want a couple of games. I made monster bowling pins from old two-liter bottles and a bowling ball from a bouncy ball purchased from the dollar store. Client Two loved knocking the pins over and setting them back up! I also made a little Monster Buckets game (Bozo Buckets style) with little ping-pong balls decorated by Client One. My favorite game area, however, was the Adopt A Monster station where guests got to choose a monster to take home, filling out their own adoption certificate.

The food was fairly simple. I made homemade pizza as the main course. I gave chips fun, monstery names. Regular potato chips became "Monster Scales," Bugles became "Monster Claws," and Cheetos became "Monster Toes." We also had fresh strawberries (some dipped in white chocolate) and Monster Mash popcorn (cookie butter popcorn.) Everything was delicious and Client Two was a big fan.

Of course, no birthday is complete without the cake! I made a little 6" monster cake with little monster cupcakes in bright colors. Since Client Two had gotten to smash into a 6" cake for his birthday pictures, he only got a cupcake at his party, but he was happy with it. Before singing "Happy Birthday," we changed him into his special cake smashing outfit to reduce as much mess as possible. 

After his cake, he got a quick rinse off before changing back and coming out to say goodbye to his guests. The couple of kids that came got a little blue monster goody bag filled with a puzzle, some monster candy, monster teeth, monster finger puppets, a monster book and a monster play pack.

All in all, I think Client Two had a wonderful birthday! He got some fun toys that he is already loving and an awesome 3 Sprouts toy chest to store them all in! I still can't believe he's already one, but I'm happy to celebrate this and the many birthdays to come!

Things I Love about Having Kids

Being the parent of young kids can sometimes be chaotic and crazy. There are definitely days where I am completely exhausted by 9:00 am. But despite all the frustrations that come with children, there are a few things all mixed in there that I love. These are things, that one day, I will miss terribly. Children grow up way too fast and one day, all the chaos that comes with parenting will be gone. Here are some of the things I will miss the most.

• Toys scattered all over the floor
  Okay, it can be exceedingly frustrating to clean a room only for it to be destroyed by a hundred toys minutes (sometimes even seconds) later. We have a playroom where the majority of  toys are supposed to stay, but somehow they always migrate out. Despite wanting a clean house, I don't always mind the toys. I like the fact that Client One has built a block wall the length of the hallway and that Client Two has dropped half a dozen toys across the floor, all dripping with drool. Why? Because they are more than toys. They are part of the essence of childhood. They remind me that my children are fun and creative. One day, all those toys will be sold, thrown away, passed on, or in storage. My house will be clean, but my children will be grown.
• Assorted hair accessories sprinkled across the bathroom counter
  I honestly do very little with my hair. Shoot, I'm lucky if I find time to run a brush through it. Client One, however, gets her hair fixed on a daily basis. Granted, she screams bloody murder about half the time, making anyone within a 5 mile radius think she's undergoing the worst torture know to man. To ease her pain, I buy her sparkly head bands, glittering hair clips, fun hair ties, special brushes, most of which are decorated with various Disney princesses and cartoon characters. These special hair accessories clutter the counter in the bathroom, but they still make me smile. She loves them and she looks cute in them. I will miss them when she decides she needs "grown-up" hairclips that are boring and not fun at all.
• Pictures decorating the refrigerator
  Before hubby and I had kids, I thought our refrigerator looked dreadfully boring. It just sat there, keeping food cold, bearing little more than a few boring magnets holding up delivery menus. Now, our fridge is a constant display for artwork and pictures. Some of them are color sheets, others are free-hand drawings, but I love them all. New pictures that were done this morning are posted right next to ones done a year ago, marking Client One's artistic evolution. Right now, only Client One's drawings decorate the fridge but it won't be long before Client Two will add some of his own masterpieces and I will cherish them as well.
   
• Random Cheerios scattered throughout the house 
  I am somewhat amazed at all the places I find those tiny litter pieces of cereal. They get everywhere. But do you know why I love them? Because they are evidence that a very sweet little boy was toddling near there not long ago, and I love that little boy to death. Cheerios are one of Client Two's favorite go-to snacks. He carries fist-fulls around with him and hoards them in his cheeks. When I find those little O's around the house I am grateful that my little baby is still baby enough to be satisfied with this simple snack instead of  demanding an endless supply of cookies like his sister.
• All the loads of laundry filled with tiny clothes 
  Laundry is one of my least favorite chores, but I often find myself smiling when I finally decide to fold it. I love the tiny little clothes with adorable themes, pictures and sayings. Client One is getting too big too fast but I am happy she still wants to wear shirts with glittery hearts, kittens, and Disney princesses. I love that she wants to wear her leopard print leggings every other day. I also love that a few pieces of her dress-up clothes make it into the laundry on occasion. And, of course, I love the little man outfits that Client Two wears. Who knew collared shirts and khaki pants looked so adorable? I smile because some of them bring back fun memories. No, the stain on the bottom of Client Two's pants did not come out but we had so much fun digging in the mud that day.
• Children's shows 
  The random accents of the Octonauts drive me crazy as does the weird animation of Peppa Pig but Client One loves both of those shows. Her current favorite is Wild Kratts and I find myself randomly singing the theme song. I also find myself quoting random lines from many different children's programs. Sometimes, after a day of nothing but animated shows with squeaky voices I just want to binge watch some Downton Abby but I really don't mind the children's shows. Many of them help educate my clients and keep them entertained so I can eat, shower, clean, etc. They are also something my kids love and therefore I love them by extension.
• Obnoxious Kids' music
  Some days if I hear "The Wheels on the Bus" one more time, I'm going to shoot someone. Those songs are total earworms and I find myself singing them in my sleep, but they are more reminders that my children are still little and innocent. One day, I will be walking past my clients' rooms to hear loud, crazy music playing, possibly with a few curse words slipped in. They won't want the sweet, fun songs that involve motions. The only motions they will do with songs is the eye rolling that will accompany my choice in music. So, for the moment, I will turn up "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and sing it with Client One at the top of my voice while Client Two giggles and claps along.

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