Do it yourself

I know I will one day regret saying this, but some days I really hate the name "Mom". It usually happens in the morning when both of my children need to be tended to. Did you know that as a child gets older, they lose the ability to do things? They can't bend over. They can't reach up. They can't look beyond the area in front of their nose. Well, that's how it is in my house. I know it's my fault (well, not all mine, but I have to take the blame). I've got a little control issue and I'm one of those types that find it easier to do things myself than let others do them. So, maybe I did that to my kids a little bit. But, I'm positive I taught them how to dress themselves. I was there when they learned how to put toothpaste on the toothbrush and stick it in their mouths. I know for sure they are able to find clothing and put it on their bodies. Yes, they sometimes forget to change their underwear or put the dirty stuff in the hamper or brush the knots out of their hair. But, for the most part, they can perform these daily functions. This morning, I thought I would lose my mind. I was helping the older one get ready for crazy hair day at school. I have to watch her cross the street and wait for the school bus. I have to make sure her water bottle is in her backpack. So, the entire time I'm helping her, here comes the short one. Mom, can you do my hair? Mom, can you help me get the Cinderella drawing desk? Mom, can I have a piece of paper? Mom, can I have a pen? Mom, I'm thirsty. Mom, can I watch TV? Mom, I have to go to the bathroom. Mom, I want to get dressed. Mom, where is my whistle? Mom, can I have another piece of paper? You get the idea. I don't want to be one of those mothers that do everything for their children. I still watch my mother-in-law pick up clothes from the floor and do laundry for her grown children. I don't know if I could be that lady. And, I don't mind doing some things for them, but really. My kids can usually tell when I've gotten to the point of frustration. They say "I know, you're not an octopus." But, they don't care that I don't have eight arms. They just want the two I have to be working for them. I guess that's okay for now. The frustration is worth it. As long as they realize I do things for them because I love them and not because the world owes them a big favor. Wouldn't want them to feel entitled and think I'm the maid. I not a maid. I am an octopus.

The grass is always greener

There's this lady I know. She's got it pretty easy. Doesn't have to work. Husband has a good job. He cooks and cleans and takes care of the kids. Just a good guy. She doesn't complain about him too much, but she usually finds other things to complain about - the house, the kids, the neighbors - it's always something. It got me to wondering if she does this complaining to actually make herself feel better. Like, maybe when she has a gripe, people remind her how good she has it and she starts to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or maybe, she just can't help it. Maybe she's one of those people that just doesn't have a positive outlook on life and needs to always find something to bi*ch about. Who knows? I'm like that. I have a hard time feeling positive about a lot of things. I never seem to have a day that doesn't include a problem with something. So, it's up to me to turn my frown upside down and try to put a positive spin on things and make them go the best way they can. And, when I start to feel like my life is hard and when I start wishing that I could get a break, I think about the woman who gets fired from her job for taking a sick day to nurse her feverish infant back to health. Or the man whose wife criticizes him so much he can barely remember the last time she said something nice. Or the family who has to share a meal that is really only meant to feed one. So, in that respect, I've got it good. I might not have it as good as the next guy, but I might not have it as bad either.

Pipe down

Wow, I must be getting old and crochety or am just way too sensitive to noise. My kids seem to be the loudest people on the face of the earth. Well, no, it's not just them - it's so many children I encounter every day. What is that about? I know sometimes kids will talk louder because other people are talking and they want to be heard. Last night, we were at the library and I told my little one several times that we had to use our "library voices" inside. I love this place - it actually has a traffic light and the light is green when it's quiet. If you're too loud, the light turns red. I need one of those in my house! But, there's the short one making absolutely no attempt at all to use a library voice. Or, maybe, her library voice is the same level as other people's "at the baseball field voice". I don't know. I know some people who talk so much and so loudly that I think they just love the sound of their own voice. Don't they mind that other people are hearing about their private business? Do they care that other people might not be interested in their conversation? (take note, people who put their cell phones on speaker in restaurants and other places - it's just rude!) I was telling a friend today that I might get my daughter's ears checked because I don't think she can hear herself. That's got to be the reason she talks to loud. Well, that and the fact that her father has a loud, booming voice. I don't want them to stop talking (well, maybe just for a few minutes) I just want them to lower the volume to an acceptable level. Something that doesn't make me feel like I'm at a rock concert! Maybe I could stick cotton balls in my ears to solve the problem. Mommy Ear Plugs. It's a thought.