Friday, December 19, 2008

Career Aspirations of the Next Generation

You would think that I was used to the unusual career aspirations of children. We have survived the moments of announcing to the Doctor or Priest "I want to be a WalMart Check-Out Girl when I grow up." We have survived the, "I thought I would live forever with you and you would take care of me." conundrum, but I must say, what hit us last night was unusual- to say the least.

We were out to dinner and Molly announced that she had decided what she was going to be when she grows up. Molly is seven, and being the ever-curious Mom, I promptly asked her to share.

"I am going to be a scientist Mommy."

The silence, the pride, the amazement my husband and I shared. Wow we thought and mouthed to one another. What an amazing career choice this child has selected. We were impressed, we were shocked. We were happy! Finally, a child was planning a career that required an education! Filled with pride, I asked Molly to please go on, tell us what type of scientist she was going to be.

"I am going to study ice."

Phil immediately started giggling. I reached into the depths of my brain- ice? Had I read to her the article about the alarming rate at which the ice was melting and significant impact this was going to have on our environment? Had we watched something on Discovery? My brilliant child absorbs things with amazing skill and I was awed at this prospect. But, still I had to keep going and ask her what type of ice does this type of scientist study.

"You know Mom, the cubed kind, the crushed kind, the walk-on kind, and the break- ice kind."

As I said, the Career Aspirations of the Next Generation, at least we will be saving lots of money on college tuition!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Moment that Makes a Mother Proud

As usual our weekend was jammed full! We had P.'s Christmas Party in Orlando. We had to finish shopping for the kids we Holi-dopted from my school. (Holi-dopt- to adopt a child for the Holidays to make sure they have a merry Christmas), get R. and C. ready for their performance tonight, and my goodness- the three million other things Moms have to do on weekends.

Anyway, after the mountains of errands, we decided to treat ourselves to eating out for dinner. This is an expensive engagement for a family of 6- and we even chose Chili's. Like a typical female, I run for the bathroom and leave P. to wrestle with the kids, get a table and get drinks ordered. It wasn't long until I heard little voices approach- first it was C. then M. soon followed... this is the glorious conversation I witnessed from the safety of my stall.

C- "Molly, is that you?"
M- "Yeah- you went way to fast across the restaurant. I couldn't keep up."
C- "Well, I had to piss like a race horse, so I couldn't wait."

These words from my daughter- and my husband thought he had no influence on the girls.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Downside of Being a Teacher- What they never tell you and probably should!

I am sitting here contemplating lunch. The glorious time of a Teacher's Day when we have about 20 minutes to catch our breath. However, noone tells you that you don't get to leave- so the lunch menu leaves much to be desired. Your choice is either school lunch- as expensive as a meal deal from McDonald's, yet much less appetizing. Leftovers from home (which you really have to be organized and awake enough in the morning to bring) or the large variety of frozen meals out there today. I am becoming quite the connosuier of frozen tv dinners- the cheap ones that is. I am known as Coupon Kate for a reason, if I have an expensive variety of frozen meal, I must have had a coupon! Banquet mashed potatoes are no even worth the space they take up on the plate, and while Michaelinga's tast good- the portions are tiny and the visual display of the product does not match the picture.

To make matters worse, the subject of lunch creates a deep seeded anger towards my husband. My wonderful, hardworking husband who leaves the house before 5:30 AM everyday to return well after 7 PM every night. My husband who stands in the cold, or the rain, or the blistering heat to double check details 12 hours a day on a construction site only to come home to get 'tagged' into the wrestling ring of parenthood. Help me with my science, Daddy. Do I really have to take my shower? It's not mmmmyyyyy turn to empty the dishwasher! Complete with puppy dog eyes and whiny voices. Not to mention the wife who has discovered a new hole in her pantyhose, hair rumpled like I don't know what a brush is anymore, running on empty- yet needing to finish dinner and completing just 3 more loads of laundry.

So why the anger? Well, everyday my husband gets to go out to lunch. Oh and he gets to complain about this too. How tired he gets of eating the same things each day at the same places. Today I spoke to him and he was eating a salad and sandwich. Me- I was eating a Banquet country-fried steak thing. Imagine a weekday of eating a meal someone else created, someone else served, someone else cleans up! The thought is pure bliss!

However, with my career choice comes sacrifices. Let's not even discuss the pay scale- but the loss of leasurely lunches at restaurants I now consider a huge treat- extravagance- is an unseen sacrifice of all teachers.

So for all of you parents out there struggling with what type of holiday gift to get your kids' teachers? The best I ever received was that of a menu in a card. I was able to pick out a lunch of my choice and it arrived two days later. That one blissful meal that someone else prepared, was one that I will remember always.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Its Been Almost a Year, but I have a good excuse!

I was looking at my blog and just stared blankly... my goodness, my last post was last March. I guess that puts me in the ranks of all time crappiest blogger. I think I have a pretty good excuse- or multiple excuses.

Last March we really kicked into overdrive with trying to finish the house. I can honestly say it was a blur, and something I never care to repeat, but definitely worth it. Seeing the looks on the girls faces when they saw the completed house for the first time, their new rooms for the first time- made it all worthwhile! We moved in at the end of July and have been striving to turn it into our 'home' ever since. I sewed drapes and Phil completed built in cabinets, we added touches of furniture, found artwork, and have been slowly adding pieces here and there. I wake up every morning at 5 with Phil and always think it is a dream that we made it! In the shower I laugh, remembering the hours we spent at the tile and stone shop picking out the perfect pattern and match. Every wall, every fixture, every tile, paint color and window has a story- the story of how we became a family. Some memories aren't the greatest, but most are in their funny, quirky ways.

The past year has also been a struggle with managing Ryley's bi-polar. She is a fighter and when she wants to throw in the towel- we won't let her. She hates being different, she hates taking medication, she hates fighting for control of her emotions, but fight she does! She is every bit of a hero to me. We found her a mentor- God Bless Mindy! M. lives with this disease everyday and has become a successful professional, married, and expecting her first child. She answers all of R.'s questions and supports her in a way Phil and I can't. God Bless Phil! He has taken this challenge with a gusto I would have never thought possible, and when R. is losing it, she goes to Phil, she listens to Phil, and she relies on Phil.

Everyone grew this past year. Emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually- we all grew and we became a family through our struggles. God threw almost everything at us, and we didn't break. That is my blessing for the year!