Game Face

From T-Ball

This girl has her game face on. Also, when did she get to be six feet taller than other kids her age?

Fun at the Fair

It is killing me not having a camera! Luckily, my brother takes a million photos. Here is fun at the fair.

From Fair photos from Alex

From Fair photos from Alex

From Fair photos from Alex

This ride was crazy! Thomas was too short to ride by himself, so he was supposed to go with a "responsible rider." I didn't want to spend another $4 for one ride so I could go too, so I asked the guy if Anne Marie was responsible enough. He took one look at the 4-year old, and said, "Sure." He must have known her ability to boss her brother.

My mom can't handle the ferris wheel. Anne Marie had to help her too.

From Fair photos from Alex

Advice to New Mothers

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week asked for Advice to New Mothers. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

I just got back from a family wedding where I spent an inordinate amount of time wondering if my kids were well-behaved enough. You see, there are some family members who really like quiet, and kids, even good ones, aren't quiet all the time.

I worried so much that I was on my kids ALL THE TIME. Then, later, I felt guilty. Why couldn't I let my kids just be kids? They weren't running around like wild children, misbehaving in restaurants, or disturbing others. They were just playing in ways kids play.

Mothers are constantly bombarded by know-it-all-advice from others. I've heard that kids don't behave like they used to because their parents don't teach them well. I've heard how kids are fat because all parents feed them is junk. I've heard that kids should be banned from restaurants because other people don't want to see them when they are out to eat. It's as if all children will run around destroying public places if they even set foot in them.

Then there are the other mothers — you have to wear your baby, your baby needs time out of the sling, your baby is too hot, your baby is too cold, it's horrible to circumsize your kid, it's horrible not to. Formula kills, allowing them to breastfeed until 2 makes them weird.

My advice is this — don't listen to the "advice." There are enough things to worry about, and what other people think about the decisions you make for your kids shouldn't even be on the radar. Make informed decisions, but in the end, what actually matters is that you love your children, teach them to stand up for themselves and help them learn to care for and respect other people. As for the rest of it, put on your blinders and ignore the "advice."

Cooking

Cooking used to relax me. I actually love chopping vegetables- the repetitive motion, the feeling of real food in your hands. It makes me feel good about what I am going to eat, and gives me time to think.

I say it used to relax me, because, honestly, there is very little relaxing about starting dinner at 5:30 p.m. when your husband is working until 10 and you've just picked two children up from a full day of running around at daycare.

It's a catch-22. I could delay dinner awhile, read a few books, and spend some much-needed time before I start cooking. But there is a big risk. The kids are hungry. In my bid to keep them happy, I could end up postponing dinner too long and have doubly angry children on my hands. Usually, this just means we eat pizza.

The alternative is desperately trying to throw something in a pan or in the oven while my kids fight in the living room in between trips to the kitchen to ask me for something to eat. It's survival, man.

Of course, there are good days. Yesterday, I had tuna mixture put together for tuna burgers that morning. All I had to do was stick the burgers in the oven. As I was mixing Thomas's plate, I told Anne Marie I hadn't tasted them yet. She came running into the kitchen, shouting, "Mama, you have got to try this! This is awesome!"

Tonight, I have taco soup bubbling away in the slow cooker. It will be delicious when we come home from t-ball practice and tonight will be peaceful. And, maybe late tonight I will chop some vegetables, for old time's sake.

And so it begins...

I guess Anne Marie is growing up, and with that comes the activities. Tonight, I pick her up from school, change her into a leotard and skirt in the car, head to dance. After dance, change into shorts and a t-shirt, hand her a glove and head to t-ball. LONG DAY! I'm sure Anne Marie will love it, though. Like me, she's the type that doesn't want to miss a thing.