Not Myself

Tonight I had a meeting for my Room Reps for PTA and I was talking to the Room Dad and he made the comment tonight that I am just not my go getter self lately. I am feeling that too I and I don't quite know how to get out of the funk I am in.
I have always been involved in 200 things at once, and right now, I am not, yet I don't feel like I can accomplish even one thing. It is not even the physical exhaustion that I am fighting. I am always tired, that is what happens when you become a mom... I am mentally scattered. I honestly don't know what to do... HELP... I am ready for any suggestions. Maybe once the boys are back in school I will feel more involved and more motivated... What do you think?

HSM 3

I am a HUGE High School Musical fan. I have loved it since the first time we watch the original. I have been waiting impatiently for the long awaited opening of the final HSM. I am so lucky Lizzie still likes the franchise and was willing to see it with me. We bought our tickets a week or so early to ensure we would have them and went on opening day. If it would have been up to me, I would have gone to the first showing but Liz would not miss school to go with me. I had to settle for an evening showing. I have to say it was a great movie. I loved it. The music was great, the dancing was so fun and the story was so sweet. I admit, I starting crying about half way through the movie and didn't stop until we were in the car. So anyway, I can't wait to go back and see it again. I am hoping to find someone to go see it with this weekend again.

And now the count down to the Jonas Brothers has begun....

A THANK YOU TO GOOD FRIENDS

So tonight Lane and I got a phone call no parent really wants to get. We had run to the store really quick and left Lizzie at home with the boys. I don't feel well so I have been procrastinating getting ready for my candle party. We were on Horizon Ridge and Jefferys when Lizzie called panicked. Someone was banging on the door. Not a knock but banging on the door. She had locked herself and her brothers in the closest bathroom and called us. We were still a few minutes away so we are SO lucky to have good Friends to come to our rescue. Lizzie called the Roylance Family and within 20 seconds, Matt and Greg Herlean were at the door checking on the kids. We were close behind them because Lane drove 80 mph up the winding Seven Hills Drive...(that was scary too.) So Thank You much to the Roylance and Herlean Families for being so willing to help... Thanks for caring !!!

And Thanks to Janet, Taylor and Ryan for the life lesson for Lizzie. And for knowing our family so well to know you scared the patoostie out of us !! We love you.

Well, I was tagged. I thought I could fly under the radar with this whole blogging thing. But my sis in law Sarah tagged me. So here it is:
the rules:
*Link to the person who tagged you
*Post the rules on your blog
*Write six random things about yourself
*Tag six-ish people at the end of your post
*Let each person know he/she has been tagged
*Let the tagger know when your entry is up


#1 - I love to cook. I think most people know this about me. One day I hope to have a catering business. I have catered a few events but I have not sought out business. I am hoping to write a cook book in the near future. But we'll see how that goes. I love to cook for other people. I find it very rewarding to cook a good meal for my family or friends to enjoy.

#2 - I love to dance. I started dancing when I was 3 and danced until a knee injury side lined me. I still can be found dancing around the house.

#3 - I think I may be one of the happiest married women on the planet. I am married to a wonderful man who tries his hardest to be romantic (even if he's more cheesey than romantic). After 13 years, he is still my best friend in the world and I could never live without him. I look forward to the rest of eternity with him.

#4 - I love being a Mom. I never thought I would have kids and I am so happy I do. I feel super blessed everyday that I have the wonderful children I have. I love being at home with them in the day. I love being active in the school so I know what is happening there at the school. I love watching their sports and taking them places. I love cooking for them, I just wish Liz and Hayden would try more things to eat. I love having homemade cookies and treats ready for them after a long day at school. I love taking them to the park and watching them play or playing with them. I just love being a mom.

#5 - I am on the countdown to High School Musical 3. I cannot wait to see it. I have love the other two and watch them as much as the kids do. I think the music is great, the message is beautiful, and Zac Efron is hot. ( i know kinda gross since he's 10 years younger.) I am hoping my original HSM t shirt I bought at Justice when the movie first came out fits in 12 days when the movie comes out !!!

#6 - I LOVE THE JONAS BROTHERS !!! I have been listening to the Jonas Brothers for longer than Liz and I love them. Their song "Mandy" used to play at Justice when I managed it way back in '04 and I would sing and bop through the store. Their music is so simple and sweet. It is upbeat and always has a good meaning. They are cute and wholesome and I am happy to have my children like them. I think their parents should be commended on how they have raised such a family. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER 29th when Lizzie and I are going to see them LIVE !!!

So there you have it. That is 6 very random things about me. Now I tag Carey, Heather, Annilee, Willow and Melissa.
http://sarahbarlow.blogspot.com/

What Happened to Parenting ?

As many of you know, I have spent the past 3 weeks working as the subsitute teacher for the Early Childhood Special Education program at our local elementary. This has given me the opportunity to really be inside the school setting. This with many trips to the park and other events recently have brought me to really ponder the question: What happened to parenting?

I will preface this rant by saying I do not feel I am a perfect parent. I am actively working to become a better parent daily. I strive to teach my children right from wrong, teach them a sense of self and the worth of each of their beautiful spirits, to teach them the value of an education, to teach them respect for self and others, and to be good Christlike people. I want to be the best parent I can to give my children the best advantage in life. Again, I am not perfect and I know this but, I am climbing onto my soap box to ask you to really think about how your parenting is affecting others your children are coming in contact with. I hope it is in a positive way because in this world we live in we need to spread love throughout our children.

When I was a teenager I never really thought I would have children. This may be a shock to many of you. I was going to be a career person and children did not fit in to that equation. If I did have a child, I wanted to be that "cool" mom who hung out with everyone and everyone wanted to hang out with. Wow - So far from what I think now. I think this is where the world of parenting has gone wrong.

We as parents have the responsiblity of teaching our children how to love. That does NOT mean give them everything they want at all times. We have to look out for our children's best interest. If that means to say no then say it. Deal with the tantrum, the anger, the frusteration. That is your job, you choose when you decided to have your child DEAL WITH IT! Let me give you a few examples of how we are ruining our children.

#1 - Last week I met my friend with her boys at the park. We played and played when a little girl who was maybe 5 came to the swings. She yelled to her mother to put her on the swings. My not so polite son came to me and said, "Mom look at that little girl, she is so fat." I was horrified, but it was true. I told him that was not a nice thing to say, just because she was not as skinny as he was. He and his friend just watched her swing. Owen and his buddy had just finished swinging in the baby swings when the little girl gets off the swing walks over to the baby swings and yells again at mom. "I want to swing in here" she said. Mom replied, "no you are too big that is a baby swing." We then got the full tantrum. "I WANT TO SWING IN THIS SWING NOW!!!" The feet were stomping the arms swinging as she repeated herself over and over. So instead of mom being a parent and explaining to her the idea she was too big for the baby swing she put her in. This story ends witht he fire department coming to the park to cut the little girl out of the swing. NO JOKE !!! A parent who was unwilling to deal with the consequence of what was best for her child. Instead of sticking to the no, she gave in and humiliated her child.

#2- In one of my classes I had a child who is in there for the main reason of the mother doesn't know what the heck she is doing. The child is disruptive, distructive and hard to deal with. In my few weeks in this class, I had the great opportunity to have the director of Early Childhood in my class, the superintedent of the southeast region in my class and several other administrators in my class... No pressure for a new substitute right... I have to say the director of EC was a huge help. But even she could not figure a way to deal with this child. All he needs is love she told me. But when you showed this child kindness and love, unless it was the entire two and a half hours of school one on one attention, his behavior got worse. My principal was in the class one day as we were cleaning up and he was throwing one of his little trantrums and she was appauled to think he was there because no one had been a parent to him. My school psychologist put it the best way. This program is the first step in showing him that he is of value. Without school and the teachers he would never know how he is supposed to behave in society. When did it become the teachers job to teach a child how to behave in society? Isn't that the parents job?

#3 - I had the opportunity to step into a regular ed class one afternoon for a little while. Within the first ten minutes of being in the class, I got a call from the office to let me know that one of the boys in the class is being withdrawn from school because mom and dad are playing a custody game and he is flip flopping between two schools. How about that for stability. Let's destroy our child's ability to know a stable life just because we can't stand one another. I understand divorce happens, I am a product of it, but try to give your children the stability they deserve. I have several friends who are divorced and they don't like their exes but they put their children first so the children know they are the most important things in their life. I was in this class on a Friday. The next Monday I was walking into the school when there this poor little boy was again and Mom was trying to enroll him again. So the little thing was back to being a ping pong ball in the fight between mom and dad.

I know that my parenting affects other kids. I have been called mean many times because I don't allow the kids to do things. I have been told to lighten up because I expect my boys to behave a certain way in public. But I know I am making a difference. Last week a little boy in my sons school class came up to me at Church and gave me a great big hug. I smiled and asked what that was for and he said to me: "It is nice to see you that is all." That is what being a parent is all about. I know that because Hayden is the kind hearted little boy he is, I have made a difference in another boys life too.

Being a parent is the most important job we have. It is one that at times is totally thankless... But the simplest hug, smile or I love you makes all the hardship of life melt away. Take the job seriously, it is the most important one you have.