May Lessons 2014…

It is that time again, to reflect and see what things have become more clear during the month of May.

May was pretty blurry and filled with lots of action, because there was just an abundance of goings on in our little lives as the month whisked by. I have put together a short list of my observations from this past month and hopefully you can reap some benefit from what I gathered.

1. Organization of toys is not necessary for a happy home.

Over the past 9 years of motherhood, I have purchased all kinds of storage units to organize my children’s toys (aka crap) and it is glorious when everything has been put away with great thought so that little hands can quickly get what they need and also put things away quickly.

Yep, glorious all right , but only for one glorious moment.

Then the littles play with said toys. If aforesaid littles are younger than six,  I have learned that the toys (aka crap) you spent hours organizing ends up in a catastrophic mess within minutes.

So here is my nugget of wisdom this month – I stopped caring which bins the toys are put in. Our play room has an abundance of bins and baskets and now as long as the toys (aka crap) is in those bins and not on the floor, I am saying that is a successfully organized and clean room. One day when the twins are 6, I will put time and thought into organization again, but until then if they just get their crap (aka toys) in the bin, the world is a happier place.

2. Pictures – take pictures

You must take pictures, especially if you are like me and have more than two children – okay even if you have one child you MUST take pictures. When all the toys are in their places, the beds are made, the floors are vacuumed, the furniture is dusted, the counters are dish-less, and every item is in its place – take pictures.

Yes, I am talking about taking pictures of your clean house.

I need proof for my own piece of mind that some days ALL the TOYS get put away in all their places and that ALL the DISHES are washed, and ALL the FLOORS have been vacuumed, that ALL the DUST is missing in action, and that ALL the THINGS being put away make me look like I am a wonderful housekeeper.

Those of you that are mommas get this; but we need to know that the work we did and that is undone in 0-9 seconds did actually happen and was not just a dream.

 

3. It is okay to postpone things.

I know postpone may be a fancy word for procrastination, but in this case I am talking about how sometimes life throws you a curve ball you didn’t see coming and you have to change your plans.

I have had some health hiccups this past few months, and they are not health hiccups that I could fix on my own, so after many doctor visits and more yet to come, I have decided to postpone my 100 days challenge until my health is a bit more even keel.

At first I wanted to keep trucking along because people deal with so much great stuff than what I am working on right now, but sometimes it is too much to do ALL THE THINGS, so I am postponing this particular thing and will come back to it when the health hiccups are cured.

4. No matter how you slice it, Mondays in our house are rocky.

On one sunny Monday in May, when I was getting the kids ready for school, one of the little ones pooped in his underwear. That is always a delightful treat especially on a Monday morning 20 minutes before we need to walk out the door.

I get that cleaned up and put him in the bath to rinse off. As I begin to hose him down, I notice that it is raining in the bathroom. Yes, I said raining in the bathroom.

The attachment to our “shower hose” had become loose and water was spraying all over the bathroom. In the two minutes it took me to figure out what was happening, I was soaked in addition to the bathroom.

I finish showering off the little. Get myself changed, finish lunches, and dressing and shoeing kiddos. As we walk to school, not one, but two twins, break down about something I can’t even remember what. One on the way there and one on the way home.

When we arrive back to the house and I get settled at my desk – there are already several fire drills to execute and bad news – one of my co-workers had passed away. The day continues at that pace – refereeing wrestling matches with the twins, racing to pick up kids from school while on conference calls, homework, dinner that got made too late and well you know the rest this happens to you, too.

I have learned I am not a fan of manic Mondays.

5. I thought potty training all the kids would be one of my greatest achievements.

There was a time not so very long ago, when I thought that the day all my kiddos were in underwear and going to the restroom themselves would be a day of glorious celebration; and it was.

However, I think I have a new horizon to look forward to…they day they can wipe their own bottom.

That day there will be a huge celebration. If you hear me shouting “Hallelujah!” You will know that I have all children in underwear and that they can successfully complete all restroom tasks without assistance. It’s a big deal people; a real big deal.

6. Knowing everything is not all it is cracked up to be.

My son, C-Man, gets extremely frustrated when I am unable to translate what he is saying. This child will not give up trying to get me to understand; however he will yell, whine, and throw tantrums until someone figures out what he is saying.

I try to calmly explain how yelling won’t make me understand better and that whining only makes him more difficult to understand. This is to no avail; reasoning with a three-year-old is sometimes futile.

So the other day, when he asked me a question and I couldn’t understand him, I said, “I don’t know.” I thought this tactic might be a good redirect into more information from him so that I could decipher his original request. Well, color me gravely mistaken.

His reply was, “YES YOU DO.”

I answered calmly, “Sometimes moms don’t know the answers, can you tell me a little bit more and maybe we can figure it out together. I don’t know everything.”

To which he replied, “YES YOU DO!”

Fit ensued and I learned that knowing everything isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

7. Grateful for amazing educators.

I already knew this, but I just had to give a shout out to all the great teachers in our lives. Thank you! Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. Our family is so appreciative to all the teachers we have had and know. You make the world a better place. Enjoy your summer!

8. An old dog can learn new tricks…sort of.

Yes, I lived to 36 without ever doing a french braid. I know, I know. But look at the picture above. I have attempted and need a lot more practice, but for a first time I am going to say that’s not too shabby.

Excited for summer vacation and being just a tad bit closer to four-year-olds who know how to wipe themselves,

M