"....I stood there dazed and confused, knowing there was something I should be doing. The most beautiful smell had me locked in place, I knew that smell should be reminding me of what I couldn't remember and yet my brain refused to work. The longer I stood there the more confused I felt. Finally the most beautiful realization hit me, I needed coffee. I was standing at that beautiful coffee fountain, just a cup away from happiness and alertness. I reached for that sacred cup, the cup of awesomeness. The cup that would allow that liquid gold to warm me from the inside out and awaken me from my fog that had followed me since my all too early and brutally awful awakening to a new day. I stood there on the threshold of something amazing, one sip away, it was so close I could almost taste it. Then the most cruel thing happened. A child, a young minion of terror and early morning destruction, snuck up on me. I didn't see it coming, I was completely defenseless. The child minion spoke, and at the same time reached out and grabbed me. My fight or flight wasn't quick enough, my senses were dulled, I had not yet had the elixir of life flow through me yet. I was at my weakest, easily jolted with an adrenaline rush of terror. I jerked. I jumped. I may have even shrieked just a tiny little bit, and to my complete and utter horrendous horror, the coffee, that precious most beautiful substance spilled. It's hot burning a reminder of my agony and woe over the loss of this beautiful thing. I stood there gasping, not only from the shock of the small minion, but also at the awful burning sensation coursing through my arm and chest. The minions work was done. He had succeeded in bringing me to my knees. With his work done the small minion ran off to find another unsuspecting victim leaving me to writhe in agony, mostly over the loss of my luscious coffee..."
The above is what happens when I wake up before the son(s) and before the sun. Based on a true story and everything. That was my morning. I was about to enjoy my first sip of wonderful, energy giving coffee and Son Circus #1 scared the holy bejeebies right out of me. Little turd. After he scared me, he ran off laughing his maniacal 5 year old laughter. Too early of a morning for that type of insanity. Too early!
I dunno, if turned into a book I'm betting it could be at least an Amazon Kindle Fire top seller, right? Ha!
Anyway, moving along with my day....it got interesting after my 'coffee crusade'.
The repair man came to fix a few things today, only he managed to make MORE work for me and make a huge mess. He flooded my kitchen with HOT WATER. Then to get to the water heater we had to yank everything out of my children's closet and my husband wasn't very careful...he just kind of threw it all over the place. Soooo there is hot water SPEWING and SPRAYING all over my kitchen (with by the way all my NICE clean towels that I had just wash, dried, and folded...) thrown all over the floor to "soak up" the water spewing forth like my very own 'Ol Faithful'. No need to go to Yellow Stone National Park now! I already know what a hot geyser looks like!
I stood there completely helpless.
The darn repair man is LUCKY that I had gotten to drink at least ONE cup of my coffee this morning (not counting the one my dear son caused me to end up wearing this morning). Otherwise...he may not have left my house alive.
The husband circus, turned off the electricity because well...when you have your kitchen filling up with water...you don't want any electricity to meet it! So the power got shut up (did I mention today was REALLY hot and humid).
So HOT water spewing everywhere, my clean towels now soaked tossed all over the floor in a feeble attempt to soak up the mess, my sons (freshly cleaned bedroom) was now a war zone. They FINALLY got to the water heater (who the hell puts a water heater in a bedroom closet???) They got the water heater turned off and the mess in the kitchen stopped.
I wanted to cry.
I kept it together.
I had just cleaned my house yesterday and this morning. It looked so nice!
Now not so much.
I often feel like my house is a Natural Disaster movie waiting to happen. We've had within the last month...a wild animal get in to our house, one of the outlets in the boys bedroom started sparking and I had to call the fire department, and then today the kitchen flooded. I'm sure there is more...these are just the horrors that have stuck out most recently in my mind!
I weeped when I saw the work I needed to do in my sons bedroom. I was then forced to sort through all of the clothes in their bedroom. I have twin sons, and I am far from exceedingly wealthy, and dressing boys is never easy anyway as they grow at odd intervals, and just because they are TWINS doesn't mean they wear the same size of clothes. Also they don't have an older brother, and I don't really have many friends with older kids that they can get hand me downs from. So we stock up on clothes for the next size or next season so I'm not suddenly left with kids that have grown and have absolutely NOTHING to wear. As much as they might enjoy it...I'm pretty sure I can't allow them to run around naked. Buying two sets of clothing brand new is exceedingly expensive, so we stock up where we can and fill in the gaps. It's worked for all three of our kids for the past 6 and 5 years! It does mean, however...that I have to keep their clothes organized. I must admit...the past few months it has NOT been very organized. So when everything was thrown around out of their closet...I realized it was now a nightmare.
I spent the greater part of my afternoon sorting clothes for my sons.
Clothes they can wear RIGHT NOW (that I forgot they had), clothes they will wear this fall and winter to school, and clothes that they will grow into next spring/summer/fall/winter. As of now it's organized! Though I am still a few hangers short to hang up a few things.
At least my boys' bedroom is all put together. *sigh* Now to rescue my kitchen (the water is at least cleaned up and the towels are now all clean again). However, there is still plenty to do. Thank you repair guy for causing me more work.
Finally got beyond the crazy morning/afternoon and went straight into "coach" mode for my children's little league tball team. We now only have two games left. I love coaching, I really have enjoyed it. Especially during a couple of the practices when little ones (who aren't my own little ones) come running up to me to hug me and say things like "Coach, you're the best" and run off. Coaching is pretty awesome, however there are a FEW things that aren't so awesome, tonight...was one of those nights when a few of those not so awesome things happened.
Anyway, moving along with my day....it got interesting after my 'coffee crusade'.
The repair man came to fix a few things today, only he managed to make MORE work for me and make a huge mess. He flooded my kitchen with HOT WATER. Then to get to the water heater we had to yank everything out of my children's closet and my husband wasn't very careful...he just kind of threw it all over the place. Soooo there is hot water SPEWING and SPRAYING all over my kitchen (with by the way all my NICE clean towels that I had just wash, dried, and folded...) thrown all over the floor to "soak up" the water spewing forth like my very own 'Ol Faithful'. No need to go to Yellow Stone National Park now! I already know what a hot geyser looks like!
I stood there completely helpless.
The darn repair man is LUCKY that I had gotten to drink at least ONE cup of my coffee this morning (not counting the one my dear son caused me to end up wearing this morning). Otherwise...he may not have left my house alive.
The husband circus, turned off the electricity because well...when you have your kitchen filling up with water...you don't want any electricity to meet it! So the power got shut up (did I mention today was REALLY hot and humid).
So HOT water spewing everywhere, my clean towels now soaked tossed all over the floor in a feeble attempt to soak up the mess, my sons (freshly cleaned bedroom) was now a war zone. They FINALLY got to the water heater (who the hell puts a water heater in a bedroom closet???) They got the water heater turned off and the mess in the kitchen stopped.
I wanted to cry.
I kept it together.
I had just cleaned my house yesterday and this morning. It looked so nice!
Now not so much.
I often feel like my house is a Natural Disaster movie waiting to happen. We've had within the last month...a wild animal get in to our house, one of the outlets in the boys bedroom started sparking and I had to call the fire department, and then today the kitchen flooded. I'm sure there is more...these are just the horrors that have stuck out most recently in my mind!
I weeped when I saw the work I needed to do in my sons bedroom. I was then forced to sort through all of the clothes in their bedroom. I have twin sons, and I am far from exceedingly wealthy, and dressing boys is never easy anyway as they grow at odd intervals, and just because they are TWINS doesn't mean they wear the same size of clothes. Also they don't have an older brother, and I don't really have many friends with older kids that they can get hand me downs from. So we stock up on clothes for the next size or next season so I'm not suddenly left with kids that have grown and have absolutely NOTHING to wear. As much as they might enjoy it...I'm pretty sure I can't allow them to run around naked. Buying two sets of clothing brand new is exceedingly expensive, so we stock up where we can and fill in the gaps. It's worked for all three of our kids for the past 6 and 5 years! It does mean, however...that I have to keep their clothes organized. I must admit...the past few months it has NOT been very organized. So when everything was thrown around out of their closet...I realized it was now a nightmare.
I spent the greater part of my afternoon sorting clothes for my sons.
Clothes they can wear RIGHT NOW (that I forgot they had), clothes they will wear this fall and winter to school, and clothes that they will grow into next spring/summer/fall/winter. As of now it's organized! Though I am still a few hangers short to hang up a few things.
At least my boys' bedroom is all put together. *sigh* Now to rescue my kitchen (the water is at least cleaned up and the towels are now all clean again). However, there is still plenty to do. Thank you repair guy for causing me more work.
Finally got beyond the crazy morning/afternoon and went straight into "coach" mode for my children's little league tball team. We now only have two games left. I love coaching, I really have enjoyed it. Especially during a couple of the practices when little ones (who aren't my own little ones) come running up to me to hug me and say things like "Coach, you're the best" and run off. Coaching is pretty awesome, however there are a FEW things that aren't so awesome, tonight...was one of those nights when a few of those not so awesome things happened.
When it comes to coaching, I'm not really sure which is more ANNOYING.
A: My own children on the team (two of which rarely want to listen or cooperate with me). You know...the kids who throw dirt (or grass) at the other players...on your team...not on your team...doesn't matter they just want to pelt you with stuff they find on the ground. The kids who shove other kids off the bases 'just cause'. The kids who get a little too excited about batting and crack another kid in the head (she was FINE he only knicked her a little), or just throws his glove and LOUDLY proclaims "I HATE BASEBALL I WANT TO PLAY SOCCER!!!!!" When said child was the one who ASKED to play baseball to begin with. Laying down in the field, pouting when they don't get their way, being mad when they don't get to be catcher or pitcher EVERY single time. Getting upset that the ball doesn't ALWAYS come to them, or if the ball DOES come to them they aren't paying attention so another kid who is quicker swoops in and gets the ball, and leaves my kid in a royal pouty panic. *sigh* I try to pretend it's not my kid acting like that....and of course I can't be in "MOMMY MODE", because I'm in COACH mode. SO I'm all trying to be patient and kind and all sweet. While I'm smiling, and hissing through clenched teeth "YOU HAD BETTER KNOCK IT OFF BECAUSE I AM DONE WITH YOUR ATTITUDE" (after the MILLIONTH tantrum for our short ball games.
B: The random wanderer child who will just vanish off the field and pop up at the weirdest locations, completely not prepared for what she should be ready to do (Ex: When we are in the field, showing up randomly wearing a batting h...elmet...dragging a bat....OR when we're up to bat...and she shows up at the batting stand...with a ball glove, and no bat or helmet. She is NEVER in batting order, and takes 10min to get up to the stand because FIRST she has to go get a drink, tell her mom hi, fix her hair, go to the bathroom.....) I always freak out every time that kid vanishes. I'm like OMG where did she go! Her parents are RIGHT THERE, where is SHE! It's about like losing sight of your own child while grocery shopping.
C: The parents screaming from the sidelines giving their precious sweet child orders on what she needs to do, which then turns their precious sweet daughter into a complete and utter BALL HOG and none of the other kids like her because THEY never get a chance to do anything because the other girl is too busy completely cutting every kid off before they even get a chance to get the ball. If they wanted to COACH they should have signed up to BE THE COACH, not coach from the SIDE LINES. I told them I didn't mind help, DURING PRACTICES, but during games....if they wanted to help, they needed to sign up through parks and rec and get the lanyard and card, and could help on the field or in the dug out, not yell directions from the SIDE LINES, which direction giving is the job of the COACH and assistant coaches!
Take your pick on which thing you think I find MOST annoying.
If you guessed A, B, and C....you'd be correct. Those are three of my biggest frustrations with coaching, and tonight...all three happened. I really really really tried hard to not let my frustration show, but I have a feeling I did not do so well. Hey, I didn't yell at anyone, and it only looked like I was dragging my kid around the field a couple of times (for the record I was not dragging him, I was trying to gently head him over to the position he needed to be in, and he decided to drop to the ground like a bag of wet bricks and yeh, that always looks great on the parent/coach). Sometimes...my kids make me want to just crawl into a hole and pretend I don't exist.
I PROMISE I teach my children how to act. How to behave in public, how to play games and LOSE gracefully, and I promise they do NOT get their way at home all of the time. That they aren't brats, or bullies or whatever. I teach them right from wrong, I gently guide them, I discipline them, I have rules and expectations for all of my children.
However, it feels like my sons disregard every single thing I do. I feel like it's 10 steps back and maybe a half a baby step forward on game days! I feel like my kids look like completely uncivilized savages out there. Cept my daughter, she takes playing ball seriously. She enjoys it. So she listens to me well. Now if only her brothers did.
A: My own children on the team (two of which rarely want to listen or cooperate with me). You know...the kids who throw dirt (or grass) at the other players...on your team...not on your team...doesn't matter they just want to pelt you with stuff they find on the ground. The kids who shove other kids off the bases 'just cause'. The kids who get a little too excited about batting and crack another kid in the head (she was FINE he only knicked her a little), or just throws his glove and LOUDLY proclaims "I HATE BASEBALL I WANT TO PLAY SOCCER!!!!!" When said child was the one who ASKED to play baseball to begin with. Laying down in the field, pouting when they don't get their way, being mad when they don't get to be catcher or pitcher EVERY single time. Getting upset that the ball doesn't ALWAYS come to them, or if the ball DOES come to them they aren't paying attention so another kid who is quicker swoops in and gets the ball, and leaves my kid in a royal pouty panic. *sigh* I try to pretend it's not my kid acting like that....and of course I can't be in "MOMMY MODE", because I'm in COACH mode. SO I'm all trying to be patient and kind and all sweet. While I'm smiling, and hissing through clenched teeth "YOU HAD BETTER KNOCK IT OFF BECAUSE I AM DONE WITH YOUR ATTITUDE" (after the MILLIONTH tantrum for our short ball games.
B: The random wanderer child who will just vanish off the field and pop up at the weirdest locations, completely not prepared for what she should be ready to do (Ex: When we are in the field, showing up randomly wearing a batting h...elmet...dragging a bat....OR when we're up to bat...and she shows up at the batting stand...with a ball glove, and no bat or helmet. She is NEVER in batting order, and takes 10min to get up to the stand because FIRST she has to go get a drink, tell her mom hi, fix her hair, go to the bathroom.....) I always freak out every time that kid vanishes. I'm like OMG where did she go! Her parents are RIGHT THERE, where is SHE! It's about like losing sight of your own child while grocery shopping.
C: The parents screaming from the sidelines giving their precious sweet child orders on what she needs to do, which then turns their precious sweet daughter into a complete and utter BALL HOG and none of the other kids like her because THEY never get a chance to do anything because the other girl is too busy completely cutting every kid off before they even get a chance to get the ball. If they wanted to COACH they should have signed up to BE THE COACH, not coach from the SIDE LINES. I told them I didn't mind help, DURING PRACTICES, but during games....if they wanted to help, they needed to sign up through parks and rec and get the lanyard and card, and could help on the field or in the dug out, not yell directions from the SIDE LINES, which direction giving is the job of the COACH and assistant coaches!
Take your pick on which thing you think I find MOST annoying.
If you guessed A, B, and C....you'd be correct. Those are three of my biggest frustrations with coaching, and tonight...all three happened. I really really really tried hard to not let my frustration show, but I have a feeling I did not do so well. Hey, I didn't yell at anyone, and it only looked like I was dragging my kid around the field a couple of times (for the record I was not dragging him, I was trying to gently head him over to the position he needed to be in, and he decided to drop to the ground like a bag of wet bricks and yeh, that always looks great on the parent/coach). Sometimes...my kids make me want to just crawl into a hole and pretend I don't exist.
I PROMISE I teach my children how to act. How to behave in public, how to play games and LOSE gracefully, and I promise they do NOT get their way at home all of the time. That they aren't brats, or bullies or whatever. I teach them right from wrong, I gently guide them, I discipline them, I have rules and expectations for all of my children.
However, it feels like my sons disregard every single thing I do. I feel like it's 10 steps back and maybe a half a baby step forward on game days! I feel like my kids look like completely uncivilized savages out there. Cept my daughter, she takes playing ball seriously. She enjoys it. So she listens to me well. Now if only her brothers did.
If I could go back and redo it. NO I wouldn't sign my sons up for baseball this year, I would have made them wait another year, and THEN signed them up. Would I have volunteered to be a coach? Nope, because I only would have had ONE kid on the team so it wouldn't have mattered if she got put on another team because there would be no "splitting them up". It'd be fine, she could be on whatever team they put her on. I could leave the boys AT HOME with Grandma Circus while I took Daughter Circus to practice.
However, there is no "redo button". So it is what it is. Lesson learned. I should have made my sons wait a year for baseball (erm, any sport for that matter). Circus Son #2 does enjoy baseball and for the most part he does really well, so tonight really threw me for a loop, as he doesn't GENERALLY act like this, or at least not to the extent he did tonight.
Ask Circus Son #1 what he wants to do and he will LOUDLY tell you "I WANT TO PLAY SOCCER!!!" In order to play soccer, he has to make it through baseball, (T Ball) and there are only TWO GAMES LEFT! TWO!
However, there is no "redo button". So it is what it is. Lesson learned. I should have made my sons wait a year for baseball (erm, any sport for that matter). Circus Son #2 does enjoy baseball and for the most part he does really well, so tonight really threw me for a loop, as he doesn't GENERALLY act like this, or at least not to the extent he did tonight.
Ask Circus Son #1 what he wants to do and he will LOUDLY tell you "I WANT TO PLAY SOCCER!!!" In order to play soccer, he has to make it through baseball, (T Ball) and there are only TWO GAMES LEFT! TWO!
They can do it. I know they can.
So far we've only had ONE kid quit the team (I kind of figured it would be his sister, the wanderer...so I was a little shocked when I found out it was brother that quit).
I always remind myself it's just a game, and these kids are 5 and 6 years old (I might even have a 4 year old on the team). That they are LEARNING, and who knows in a couple of years, these might be some really awesome baseball players. I don't expect them to be mini Babe Ruth's by any means. I really just want them to have FUN, and to try! So I really try hard to encourage them, I don't yell at them (well maybe through clenched teeth...to my OWN two sons who don't EVER freaking listen...) Tonight Circus Son #1 tried to CRAWL from second base, to third base. CRAWL. Seriously? What are you, an animal? Get up and run crazy kid. I told the ump that I swear my kids aren't aliens (she knows what three were mine). Cept maybe Circus Son #1...he might be, that's still to be determined, haha.
I always remind myself it's just a game, and these kids are 5 and 6 years old (I might even have a 4 year old on the team). That they are LEARNING, and who knows in a couple of years, these might be some really awesome baseball players. I don't expect them to be mini Babe Ruth's by any means. I really just want them to have FUN, and to try! So I really try hard to encourage them, I don't yell at them (well maybe through clenched teeth...to my OWN two sons who don't EVER freaking listen...) Tonight Circus Son #1 tried to CRAWL from second base, to third base. CRAWL. Seriously? What are you, an animal? Get up and run crazy kid. I told the ump that I swear my kids aren't aliens (she knows what three were mine). Cept maybe Circus Son #1...he might be, that's still to be determined, haha.
So part of me is exceedingly giddy that T Ball is almost over. No more coaching stress, or fighting with my sons on the ball field making me look like a complete ass. (thanks Kids, moms everywhere LOVE IT when our kids make us look like asses...) The other part of me will be really sad when ball is over. I will miss seeing the kids, they are a group of really great kids, and they have all worked so hard and they have all improved so much! Some have stepped way out side of their comfort zone and have come out of their shells, while others have learned (or are learning...) to reel their enthusiasm in just a little bit, and to control their stance, swing, and throwing skills rather than be a loose cannon that is dangerous to everyone when they throw that ball or swing that bat. Really proud of the kids and I can't wait to give them their certificates I made for them during their last game. I felt they needed SOMETHING! It isn't to keep kids that young engaged and enthusiastic about playing a sport and only ONE kid has stopped playing due to dropped interest, that's saying something!
We came back home from the ball game and I was still in slightly stressed Coach Mom mode. Ugh. Takes awhile for that mode to wind down. Had to pick the husband up from work too, then came home got the kids in the shower, fed (a late supper, and I won't lie...they had corn dogs for supper, sue me, at least they ate damn it and didn't go to bed hungry). We got home at a little after 8, they were in full on CRAZY mode when we got home, then I had to turn around and the husband from work at 9, then get them in the shower. I was going for FAST and EASY and not so super freaking messy. SO corn dogs it was. They were GOING to get home made cookie ice cream sandwiches....BUT those got ruined because of their dreadful behavior after we got home from the game. So they were told they could try again this weekend for those ice cream cookie sandwiches. They accepted their ice cream fate fairly well, and went to bed. They fell asleep really well too! I was impressed. Normally I do all the tucking in, and last night the boys were so sad because they wanted DADDY and he was at work. So tonight my husband was able to tuck them in, and they LOVED it.
We came back home from the ball game and I was still in slightly stressed Coach Mom mode. Ugh. Takes awhile for that mode to wind down. Had to pick the husband up from work too, then came home got the kids in the shower, fed (a late supper, and I won't lie...they had corn dogs for supper, sue me, at least they ate damn it and didn't go to bed hungry). We got home at a little after 8, they were in full on CRAZY mode when we got home, then I had to turn around and the husband from work at 9, then get them in the shower. I was going for FAST and EASY and not so super freaking messy. SO corn dogs it was. They were GOING to get home made cookie ice cream sandwiches....BUT those got ruined because of their dreadful behavior after we got home from the game. So they were told they could try again this weekend for those ice cream cookie sandwiches. They accepted their ice cream fate fairly well, and went to bed. They fell asleep really well too! I was impressed. Normally I do all the tucking in, and last night the boys were so sad because they wanted DADDY and he was at work. So tonight my husband was able to tuck them in, and they LOVED it.
Only a couple days left of Summer school for my daughter, and tomorrow is the last day for my sons. *gulp* Help. Me. I'm not sure if I will survive! HA! Good thing there is a park right behind our house.
At least then I'll get to sleep in....*laugh, snort* yeh right. My kids don't let me sleep in, ever. If they do...they are up to something! (Like sneaking all of the fruit snacks or cheese sticks to their bedroom to eat). Little porkers.
Well, switching off to "sleep mode". (My kids were playing robot today and my daughter was the robot master and her brothers followed her commands, and they are super funny robots, but she kept putting them in silly mode, sleep mode, walk mode, etc...it was MODE after everything, so I have that stuck in my head, ha!)
Mae
Wow, no photos to go with this post, at all!
