I, Catalyst

On some days, frustration fills the air. There is a tense, undeserving silence that is heard throughout the house.

On other days, warmth and happiness spread throughout the house, like a wave engulfing all that it reaches.

When the kids are "making me frustrated", my lack of patience is obvious and my tolerance is at zero.

I have learned that I am not reacting to their behavior; they are reacting to MY behavior.

I am the catalyst within the house. MY mood seems to set the tone. When I am calm, the house is calm. When I am tense, the house becomes tense.

Sure, kids are trying in every sense of the word and will work every last nerve I have, but how I learn to handle the situation sets the tone for the kids, and in turn, how the rest of the day goes...

Confessions

As part of my blog I will now start a new type of post:

Confessions of Mama Drama Queen!

These posts will be titled:
"Confessions"

The posts will most likely be short (some of the time), and to the point.

Confession:

I can't wait until the clock strikes 7 and the girls are down! I am so exhausted I should probably go to sleep when they do, but I don't. I sit. I watch mindless TV until I pry myself up to bed!

I am a Contradiction...

Motherhood consists of a series of inconsistencies.

As a mother I contradict myself at every turn.

-It's too early for sugar, yet I have my morning coffee with something sweet.

-I yell out at our kids to "stop yelling".

-While applying my make-up, my girls are always asking to wear some and I always say, "you are beautiful with out make-up, you don’t ever need to wear any"- as I'm trying to make myself up!

-“Don’t run in the house, you’re going to slip and break your head”. What makes running outside any safer? In fact it seems the injury would probably be worse outside.

-I often catch myself saying "will you stop being silly". HELLO they are KIDS, which means they are going to act silly!

Here’s my vice, which I can’t help and don’t think I’ll ever change. I tell them (well, at least Lexi): “You need to sleep in your bed all night”. I secretly love when they come to cuddle with me and I won't turn them away.

I open my eyes, it feels like I just closed them, but in reality it’s the twilight of the night. There is a dark and quiet calmness that has settled in the house. I feel a presence around that awakens me from the stillness of my slumber. I slowly open my eyes. My little girl, with her eyes barely opened- talking in tongues, tells me “mommy can I sleep with you?” I know I should take her little hand, walk her back to her bed, give her a gentle kiss on the forehead and tell her everything is fine, you should go to sleep now-I love you. Instead, I pick her up, lay her next to me, give her a gentle kiss on the cheek and tell her, everything is fine, you should go to sleep now-I love you.

I’m sure no matter how much effort is put forth, I know it will happen on many more occasions. It seems for me, motherhood is a series contradictions and cover-ups that at least for now seem to be in the best interest of my children…

Little Shadows

I have a shadow that creeps about. No matter the time of day or change in sunlight- she's there. My shadow's image is small-but her presence is grand. She sometimes doubles up, and sometimes seems blurred into four small silhouettes. Though, a normal shadow is quiet and unassuming, mine seems to loud and boisterous, always wanting to be seen and heard. My shadow wants to be embraced. I can hug her and love her, until she is comfortable enough to sneak away, even if it's just for a few moments. I can count on my shadow always being there, whether I want her there or not. My shadow learns, plays and can even teach me a few things. My shadow wants her presence know to me and all those around me. So, for all of us moms out there who have the same or a similar type of shadow as mine, let's try to embrace it the best we can- because no matter how much sometimes we'd like to break away, our little shadow(s) need us...

I, TV Critic

Okay, as for adults, I'm all for mindless television, as well as educational (I do love the Discovery Channel, and History Channel). Once the kids have gone down, I get to actually sit down and turn my brain off for a while. If that means indulging myself in my favorite TV shows for longer than I should- what can I say, we've all got our thing.

However, the use of the phrase "guilty-pleasure" when referring to a television show does bother me. People use this term instead of saying "...this really bad show that I love to watch!" Most television, especially when referring to a reality-show are bad-own it, who cares, we all love some "bad" TV.

As for the kids, it has to be educational, and I'm going to say it-I love Barney! The kids love him, and so do I. Barney teaches kids so many wonderful things in an appealing kid approved environment. They sing songs and tell stories, with real kids sharing "real" experiences that my kids can learn from. I love when any of my girls watch it, from little babies to little kids!

I, Chef

It's the FIZZ!

Most children love soda because of the fizziness. Here's my secret to give my kids soda:

3/4 cup Juice
1/4 cup Sparkling Water

The carbonation from the water turns any juice into "soda". So my kids have- "SODA JUICE".

I, Doctor

I can't wait until summer time. My oldest is in preschool, and she's always sick, which mean the other girls are always sick, as well. She gets a break of maybe a couple days before she's sick again. This week she had the flu. It hasn't reach the other girls yet. One thing that has helped Isabella (my oldest) is Zinc. It won't prevent a cold or make it disappear instantly, but it does shorten the duration of time for her to get over the cold. Isabella use to be sick for 2 weeks when she'd get a cold. Now, at the very first sign of a cold I'll give her Zinc lozenges and sometimes the symptoms disappear. If she does get a cold, it definitely helps to get rid of it faster. I've put a small portion of Airborn, Jr. in my other daughters water/juice since Isabella's got sick with the flu. So far, the other girls have not shown any symptoms. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will pass them up. For a cough, especially at night, Children's Mucinex really helps. With love, patience and some common sense, we can get our children through so much. I may be sleep deprived, but as long as I know my little ones are actually getting some sleep when they're sick (because, you know it's so hard for children to sleep when they're sick) it's just fine with me. Plus, I haven't planned to get a good night of sleep since being pregnant with my first child. I estimated about 20 years before I can get a real good night of sleep.

*I am not a doctor. I am a mom, taking care of my children. You should consult your doctor about any medical information or advice I give.