When I was, like, 3!

There is nothing cuter than your four year old reminiscing about their early childhood. My little man, Alex, piped into our conversation about rainbows, telling us that, "when I was, like, 3, I saw a rainbow!". How can you not smile at them and think, how adorable!
And as quickly as the cuteness comes, it'll disappear within the very next word out of their mouths. Such as, "mom, you're an idiot!". Okay, that was a short lived moment of pure sweetness . . gone in an instant.
For a month now, my two small children have been egging one another on with these two wonderful words. Stupid and idiot. All stemming from a "children's" movie we watched one evening. The husband turned to his wife and called her a stupid idiot. Why of all phrases, would that one stick? So for a month now, I've been labeled a stupid idiot. When they don't' get what they want, I'm a stupid idiot. When they don't want to go to bed, I'm a stupid idiot. When I make a meal they are not pleased with, I'm a stupid idiot. When we don't go play or go to the park, I'm a stupid idiot.
Try as you may, ignoring it doesn't work. I've tried saying things like, "I may be an idiot, but I still love you". That didn't' work. I tried saying, "I"M AN IDIOT!" and laugh, but that is proving not to work either. I've ignored the comments, I've not given in. But that hasn't worked either. SO what to do? Mom assures me they'll tire of the words. Uh huh....
They seem to know NOT to name call in public, well, the four year old gets it anyway. My sweet little two year old doesn't. SO there is nothing like looking at this sweet, innocent child - and out pops "Your STUPID MOM!!". Imagine my embarrassment.
I get those looks. Those "did she just say what I think I hear her say" looks. Horror!!! Yes, you heard right. Then comes the explanation - the orgin of her infractions. Ugh.
Then somehow, as I'm bringing her to bed at night, she'll look at me with her big brown eyes, squeeze me tight and tell me she loves me. ALL is forgiven. She's returned! My sweet little pumpkin. I'm melted into a puddle of mommy love. Sigh.....
Alex will hold my neck real tight, tells me he loves me and will be asleep within minutes. Again, all is forgiven. How do they do it? How can they turn a frustrated adult into a puddle of mush with just those three little words? It's magic.

First things First

I just wanted to start this blog to do some mommy soul searching - and I do not profess to be a great writer. Just an average mom, with thoughts, fears and tons of questions and personal observations. The first thing I do, as do most mom's I know, is that we compare ourselves to the best, and for some the worst, mom we know, our own. It's hard not to compare what you experienced as a child to your own experience as a mom. I'm hoping to find some similarities in the daily life of all moms, past and present.

Back in the 60's, there was a new wave of social ideals on raising children, the most prominent mover and shaker was Dr. Spock. Full of new ideas and parenting choices, my mom, looking back, now ensures me he was all full of crap. Making mom's everywhere second guess their skills and the teachings of their mothers, creating a generation of "free spirited" children, aka. spoiled brats. The children then became the "me generation". Those that had to have what they wanted, when they wanted it.

So why then, do I feel so guilty when I know I need to deal with a situation, simple as it may be, like not giving my child ice-cream "right NOW!!!"?? I've heard the saying, deal with the situation while the consequences are small - but when I'm driving down the road with a screaming preschooler - it doesn't feel like a small consequence. And about an hour of this later, my ears would argue that fact.

Being a mom is the hardest job I've ever had in my life. And you can't walk away from it at the "end of the day". It goes where you go. Period. You breathe it, you wear it, you eat it every day, every moment. Every day presents a challenge, or a breathtaking moment of pure joy. My kids scream at one another and call each other names. They're only 2 and 4 - and the oldest being 12 going on 21 - engages too. It's frustrating. I wonder at times what I did to deserve this? And at other times - wouldn't change a thing for the world!

SO hopefully from time to time - I can share my experience - some good, some painful, but mostly humerous and hope to find some answers to our questions as parents. Am I doing the "right thing"? Am I doing what's right for the kids, for our family? I do know that what works for one family, may not work for another. So this is the path, the adventure of mommy-hood. I've accepted my mission - I just hope I can live through it and still come out the other end myself - that which makes me unique. God's child.