Y is for the Yellow Room

In honor of the Y post, our background is the color yellow. . .  
Are you one of those parents who have been there done that?  That no matter what exactly your child may try to pull over on you, you most probably have already done it bigger and better than they ever imagined?  While it's not obvious (everyone always said how "perfect" I was) there are plenty of things that I have done that yes, at some point I may even have to share with my children, in order to make a point. The yellow room is one of them.

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X is for eXcuses and eXplanations

Sorry readers, it's been a busy month and in addition to our sister sites of Money Saving Parent and A to Z Learning Tree we had all our regular work to do.  Ok, so I'm a cheating a little bit on the X factor but my rule of thumb is to write the first thing that comes to mind.
eXcuses and eXplanations
Oh we have millions of them, some of them good, some of them bad.  Some of them need to be said and some of them don't.  Here's the trick though, finding out when you need to use your excuses.

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T is for Toilets, Tickets and Tuition

One very expensive month of toilets, tickets and tuition.
First there was the ticket - now that was an experience and an expense I really don't want to relieve.
Then there was the toilet.  You know that awful groaning sound that toilets make with they need "rebuilt" or as I so delicately put it new "guts."  Well out upstairs bathroom had been making that noise for some time but we ignored it. After all hardly anyone uses that bathroom anyway.  The other night I found that someone HAD used it and forgot to flush (yes small children in the house) and after hearing the GROOOANN that this toilet made that night I worried about further damages if we put this home repair off any longer.  Next day the plumber is here to tell me yes, we need a rebuild AND a new emergency shut off valve.  Apparently the toilet was running all the time, but since it's upstairs we didn't really notice.  This was an expense that needless to say simply wasn't anticipated, (one repair yes and I was actually almost perfectly correct in my estimate of how much that repair would be but TWO repairs?)

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S is for Super Stupid Silly Mistake

So here I was trying too hard to be "supermom."  The kids were in the car, we are driving home from Spring break and I am doing the driving during this leg of an almost 1200 long car trip.  Of course the husband wants to talk (after all we are in the same place at the same time) and the kids need some attention every few minutes as they fight over their toys, coloring books, Leapsters and movies. Did I mention this was the FINAL leg of our journey from Texas to Florida and back again?

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R is for return on investment in kindness

New clothing - new to us that is! Return on investment - seem's like a strange topic to find on a mommy blog doesn't it.  But in this post think of the phrase "return on investment" as similar to the words "pay it forward" or "what goes around comes around," or "you reap what you so" - it's all the same thing depending on your beliefs. Today I received a really amazing gift, what some may call a blessing.

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Q is for Quilt: Grandma's Quilt

Grandma's Quilt Grammy's quilt my daughter's call it.  They fight over who gets to use it, because even at the young age of four they can feel some sort of special comfort and healing from the quilt that my grandmother made when I was a little girl.  It's a patchwork quilt made with pieces of this and bits of that. 
My grandmother was a very special supermom.  I can't ever remember a moment in her home when her hands were not busy.  I remember her peeling potatoes, breaking beans, stirring a pot.  I remember as she made her quilts the great big frame that hung from the ceiling to be lowered for her to use.  No sewing machine for her, each and every stitch was lovingly made.  I remember her lips moving as she prayed over each square.  What were her prayers? I wondered. 

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M is for Money Money Money- Money!

Today's post is brought to you by my daughter's piggy bank . . .
My youngest daughter said to me these evening she wants a lemonade stand.  She wants to make money.  I mentioned the May 1st Lemonade Stand Day, that maybe we could get involved and raise money for a worthy cause.  She said, "No mommy, I want my money to buy toys with. I'm going to put it in my piggy bank until I have enough." 

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Live, Laugh, Love, Learn

With spring time comes new life, a new season, and with this new season this mom aspires to be a supermom by remembering the four pillars of life that she has carried through good and bad with her, to live, laugh, love and learn.  Unfortunately one of two of them have had their share of ups and downs, especially recently. But I have done some "spring cleaning" emotionally and mentally and I am ready to feature all of them equally in my life now.

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Judge not to be a supermom: J is for Judging

Maybe the full moon lasted longer then it normally does.  Maybe women are just sharing with me even more about the things that bother them, and mom's right now "judging" is a big thing that is bothering a lot of moms.  It doesn't seem to matter whether you are a SAHM, WAHM or a WOHM (working outside the home mom) there are just so many judgments about and between mothers.  Over the course of the past month I have heard mother's judging other mother's because they don't breast feed - or because they do.  I have heard mother's judging other mothers because some work outside the home and some do not.  I hear mother's judging everything from discipline to diapering, feeding and doctoring and in the end all that happens is that in the end one mother is telling another mother with her judgments that she is falling "short" in her quest to be a supermom. 

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H is for Happy Day

Today was a very happy day.  I had a wonderful time visiting with a friend who had moved away, and while we always made time to connect online, since the move every attempt to make the hour long drive to her house or our house always encountered a "snag."  Now, in the Houston area, an hour drive is basically what some people drive in order to get to work, but an hour in the car with two small children who every 8 minutes say, "When are we going to get there?" can try the patience of even the strongest of supermoms. 

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F is for Friends: Superfriends help make supermoms

I can't tell you how often I hear, "I don't know how you get it all done!"  Well, I don't not really, but I fake it really well.  It is tough being a mom, writer and all the other things that go along with all that.  But to be honest, I probably couldn't get by without "a little help from my friends."  And, I think it's important that they know that. 
So here is a super big thank you to the friends who:

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E is for Exhausted

Superman had his krptonite.  I have exhaustion.  It can grab all my efforts at being a supermom right out of me.  Earlier this week my foot got caught in a garden hose (last time I got hurt outside it was a basketball hoop I'm starting to think I should stay in my house or car - but I ramble) and tripped me up.  I went flying down on hands and knees, not just rock pathway, but twisting my leg at a very unnatural angle.  Limping inside my four year old helps me with ice packs and elevating my leg - but nothing elevates my mood.  Extreme pain sets in. Every movement of my leg brings cries of pain.  Treatment - alternating ice packs and heating pads, Motrin, a version of Ben Gay and rest.  I can't go to the doctor because it's not 9 pm at night. 

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D-Day: A Day to Donate

My children and I recently cleaned out our closets and toy box looking for those clothing, shoes, toys and books that we had outgrown.  I had thought that I would be hosting a "garage" sale this month in keeping with my thoughts that there is a new purpose for just about everything there.  We were using this opportunity to celebrate Earth Day awareness by recycling and repurposing these items.  But a recent posting at a neighborhood church reminded me that not only was "A Day without Shoes" on April 5, but that there were plenty of people out there that needed shoes that coudn't afford them.  They were hosting a "soles for souls" shoe collection this month and then the shoes would be provided to those in Haiti. 

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C is for Creativity

Whether you are a work outside the home or a SAHM creativity has to be one of your many talents.  Mom's need to be creative with the household finances, menu planning, discipline technique, bath times, providing a balance and finding ways to get your child to do their homework or chores.   Creativity is (according to the dictionary) "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination"  What does that mean for mom's or dad's? It means getting down on the floor and playing with your children.  It means entering their world for just a little while. It means finding new ways to relate to your children and the world around you.  And sometimes being a creative parent means doing something as small as finding a new new for "grilled cheese" because your children say they don't like it and it's what you have already made for lunch. 

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B is for Barbie: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Many years ago I had several Barbie's.  I truly didn't understand why I had them because I wasn't particularly fond of them. But ever once in awhile I would take them all out of their case, dress them in a new outfit (after all I didn't wear the same outfit everyday) and play with them a little while.
I think many mother's dream of the days when they can watch their children play with dolls but they may be pretty surprised by what their daughter's think of them.  When my oldest daughter, who is now 16, first started playing with Barbie dolls she really had no patience. She didn't think Ken was cute or even nice he was always busy with his friend.  She thought Barbie was shallow, and wondered why doesn't Barbie try to do something different.  I explained that Barbie did do "different." She was a teacher, doctor, dentist and even animal trainer. And, thanks to the popular Disney movie "Life Size" more one little girl learned that there was certainly more to life that just what you looked life. 

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A is for Anguish

Today my daughter returned to her dad's house.  We have shared parenting for but a variety of reasons she now lives with him after 13+ years with me.  We spent a week together, and I insist on it being a week just like any other - with the exception of celebrating her birthday.  I know that I should be sitting here and concentrating on the wonderful week and time that we had together. We cooked and ate family dinners together. We took a morning for hair cuts and a lunch of her favorite things (sushi and stir fry). Last night we stayed up talking until late into the night. I helper her pack.  She said she loves that she can talk to me about anything. And, this morning I woke her for the last time until the summer break.

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