"I'll Never..."

I believe the direct quote was "I'll never be caught dead driving a minivan!"

And I believe I uttered this same bold statement at least 50 times throughout my lifetime, most emphatically whenever Paul suggested how great a van would be to own. Funny what the reality of 3 kids under 5 does to a person's vanity regarding "mom mobiles".

It's amazing how many times I have said the phrase "I'll never..." when it comes to parenting. Even worse is how many times I've judged mothers, thinking in my oh-so-smug little head that I'd never stoop to her level, nor be so ridiculous as to give into such spoiled kids. And then you become a parent and you eat all those "I'll never's".

Here's just a few of my own personal favorites:

"I'll never nurse a child once he/she is old enough to ask for it."

"I'll never give into my kid's tantrums. I'll just leave the store and that'll teach 'em."

(And have to come back to do my errand again? Yeah, right!)

"I'll never walk/rock/nurse/bounce a child to sleep for hours on end. That's just crazy."

"I'll never be one of those obsessive moms that has a video monitor and spies on their baby."

"I'll never bribe my kids with lollipops or candy."

I know I cannot be the only one eating my words since I became a parent and gained an insider's perspective (and fell in love with my sweet baby girls).

What "I never's..." have you uttered that now seem absolutely absurd or just plain futile?

Primate of the Year

On a recent outing to the SB Zoo, we were treated to some very unique primate behaviors and learned much about this intelligent species and it's similarity to other primate species.

For example, as an older primate grabbed it's sibling for a photo opportunity (as requested by it's mother), the younger primate heavily resisted and soon after this photo, was observed attempting to bite the older primate as a means of escape. Intervention was necessary, therefore no photographic evidence exists of this exhange, but the older primate remained wary of the younger one for the next few hours.

In this next example, three members of a primate family exhibit their egotistical tendencies by repeatedly taking photographs of themselves with a camera. The mother primate seemed especially absorbed in working with the camera, while the youngest seemed very disinterested in such behavior and soon began howling in protest, much to the chagrin of nearby train riders. Further research into primate vanity and photographic behavior is necessary.

As a last example, our young primate poses with another similar primate, the gorilla. Neither primate seems exceptionally interested in the other, however it was noted that the mother of the young primate was considering adding her primate to the zoo collection. Threats by mother primate continued as young primate's behavior declined throughout the morning. Highly intriguing and bears further study.

All is Quiet...

...which means our four year old might be:

but, more likely, she is creating and "decorating" (her words) something like this:

Day In, Day Out Insanity

The world of the stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) is glorified to those who don't get to enjoy such a luxury (or anethma to the working moms that think we are crazy for giving up our careers), and monotonous to those that do enjoy the luxury but know the reality of SAH parents.

The coolest part is obviously just watching every change, every step, every new word that my kids make. Totally amazing and well worth it and I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this adventure with my kids.

The uncoolest part? That every day is pretty much the same, as is every week, every month and every year. Yes, we do fun and different things. This week was certainly no exception, with a trip to the beach and the zoo. And how can I complain when I get to do this stuff while most others are stuck in an office working all day? I get it. I'm not saying I don't have it good, but I am saying there is a downside to this job, and here it is.

Beyond the constant round of diapers, dirty laundry, household chores, grocery shopping, nap finagling, sibling pacifying and potty time (how many different ways can you ask a preschooler to go before they decide that yes, they in fact do need to use the potty?), an inordinate amount of my day is spent in the kitchen preparing snacks and meals and then subsequently cleaning up after each round. I am so sick of feeding this family! I have barely cleaned up breakfast before the girls want snacks. Quickly afterwards they want lunch, followed by more snacks and then I'm back in the kitchen starting dinner. And in between all of that, the dishwasher is getting filled with all these dishes (and the fact that my hands look like cow hide can prove my relationship with dishes). And tomorrow will be just like today, meaning I'll spend over an hour in the kitchen either preparing or cleaning up after a meal. Ay-yi-yi.


So I want to hear from other mamas that are feeling on the brink of insanity:

What chore do you loathe so much that it makes you want to scratch your eyes out because you've done it too often?

Sister Act

With every passing day these two become closer; the little one is following the big one everywhere, the hugs have become genuine and achingly sweet, and the giggles and laughter are coming from joyous interaction.

Good thing I can promise my girls even more girliness and sisterhood to come!

The Mowad Sisters: The Early Sessions