Will These Kids Parents Please Stand Up?

Wow, who knew parenting would be just like High School filled with clicks and unforgivable social faux paux's! We all know the popular parents, uber busy working parents, crazy stay at home moms, "Super" parents, and the dreaded "parents with those crazy kids!"

I am sure you all think I fit into the Super parent role. Well... I have a confession, I am the parent with all those crazy kids, who we all are pretty sure we could fix if we just spent a day with them. And every time I leave my house or put them in Sunday school this identity is reaffirmed, which is incredibly disheartening.

Now, I didn't intend to start down this path of complete craziness, it just happened upon me like a summer breeze, while I was daydreaming about all the accolades I would receive for my impossibly behaved children. My hopes were that they would be potty trained by 18 months, alphabet by 2, numbers by 2.5 and plenty of please and thank you! Instead we are still struggling at 3 with potty training and I am glad they at least know A,B,C and 1,2,3. Oh, and please, we definitely know please, but imagine that in a more whiney tone. We have punished and re-punished, and read and re-read every parenting book and accepted all kinds of advice, but I still have 2 very strong willed children with a 3rd following in their foot steps. Not the things Mommy dreams are made of...

So while I stand here on the fringes of Parent society (Not unlike the nerd/druggie crowd in HS), I wistfully wonder to myself what it would be like to have a child who loves to sit and listen to stories at any given moment, would never dream of hitting/ biting another child, and is always willing to share.

And than I realize that my children are beautiful, free thinking, independent individuals, who will not be bullied and will always have a friends back! I hope to shape my "wild children" into the next Apostle Peter, Bill Gates, or Albert Einstein, I have hopes that their unbridled passion for life will carry them far in this world. Even if they are a cashier at Wal-Mart I know they will do it to the best of their ability!

So judge me, throw me critical glares, offer me advice, but let it be known I am proud of my kids and I would never trade them in for "perfect" children! Sure, I hope that one day we can go out in public and not create a scene, and we will continue to try and refine them, but until then I will hold my head high and carry my screaming and kicking child out of the store.

Oh, and feel free to take them off my hands for a day to "fix" them anytime you want because I am exhausted!

I thought I would leave you with some thoughts from my twins:

After not feeling well I took a much needed nap... the next morning my son Alan asked me,“ Mad at daddy last night?” Me: "Why ?" Son: " Because you were in bed with the door closed." ( Apparently this is the only time I am in my room with the door closed) Me: " No I wasn't mad, my tummy hurt." Son: "Oh, well I’m mad at chairs!"..... No response...

After announcing it was nap time for my 3 year olds, In a matter of fact tone my Son says, "I can’t take a nap." "Why?" ( I must have the brain of a 3 year old because I ask why a lot!) "Because I have bad dreams." "About what?" "Waggars, in my room." ( Waggars has become the household term for dinosaurs, I believed it was derived from alligator). He really knows how to pull my heart strings, how could I send him for a nap when he would so clearly have a nightmare!

At dinner time, "Eat me Mommy!" "??????" "Eat me!" " Oh, I get it you mean feed me...."
I think kids should come with translators!

And the kids new go to phrase when something is broken... "Blakey did it!" Now this would seem to point directly to whom caused the problem but don't be fooled! They call each other "Blakey" and so we are left with no one to put the blame on... except for the infamous Blakey.

Hope you had a restful Sunday!

~AR