Soccer Mom

I'm not cut out to be a soccer mom. I don't stand on the side lines screeching, "Get the ball! Get the ball!" I don't yell at my son during halftime, "If you're not out of breath and dripping sweat then you're not working hard enough!" I sit on the sidelines quietly watching and occasionally when my eyes meet my son's I wink and give him the thumbs up. 

Currier played goalie for part of the game tonight and let two goals by (he also saved two!) and one teammate shouted, "You suck" and the mom sitting two people down from me said, "C'mon! They need to change goalies!" Currier ran over to me for a sip of water and said, "I'm doing terrible." While giving Currier a hearty hug and staring that woman down I said, "You're doing fine. It's just a game. Just do your best and have fun!" 

Later in the car I explained that team sports teach us what we are good at and not so good at. We have the opportunity to make the things we're good at great and the things we're not so good at better. It's our choice.  I also said, "Life is too short and too hard to worry about such silly dumbfuckery!"

Little Helpers

I've been waitressing a couple nights a week at my friend's restaurant, Long Island Café, since last February.  Sometimes the kids have to come into work with me to help set up if Trent is running late in rush hour traffic.  Both kids LOVE to come and help set up for the dinner shift.   

Life is Short

This is pretty much how my summer is going!

Summer Vacation

So far summer vacation is a pendulum of extreme boredom and hideous torture... The most wonderful time of the year!

Precious Moments

Someone please open a window and let some of this damn love and laughter out! I'm choking on it for Christ's sake!

First Sight

It's not uncommon for this to be the first thing I see when I open my eyes in the morning.  I roll my eyes at the sight but I know I'm going to really miss this one day. 

Chore Charts

I created these chore charts for the kids and pay them a dime per chore.  I'm going broke but shit is getting done.  Boom!

Pedis

I run in the salon for a quick eyebrow wax and this shit happens!

Staying Home

I'm slowly easing myself back into the stay-at-home mom routine and to be completely honest it's been a rough start.  The rain has kept us in the house for 3 days and now that the sun is finally out, Rya is sick so we're stuck in the house for another lovely day!  I just listened to a 20 minute argument between Currier and Rya over a friggin ribbon and then Currier decided to change Rya’s name to “Rio” because she pronounces his name “Turrier” because she can’t pronounce Currier. This caused Rio, I mean Rya, to spiral into a full on nervous breakdown so I told Currier to go to his room and he obeyed but not without shouting, “I hate you!” before slamming his bedroom door. Then my husband, who has been in DC for over a week, called and told me not to bother picking him up at the airport this evening because he needs to stay in DC for a few more days. This reminded me to go into the kitchen to take my antidepressants and I slipped in a puddle of dog piss and pinched a nerve in my fucking back.  Is it 5 o'clock yet? 

Drunk on Unemployment and High on Summer

I made the decision to leave my editor position at Arcadia to stay home with Currier and Rya.  After calculating the cost of daycare, summer camps and gas it just didn't make sense to give away my paycheck and let someone else raise my kids.  It wasn't an easy decision as I enjoyed my job and really loved the people at Arcadia but I feel it's the right decision for me and my family.  We plan on a lot of GTL (gym, tan and laundry) this summer!  Bring on the FUN! 

Mother's Day 2011

For Mother's Day, I got breakfast in bed, fresh tulips, handmade cards, popcorn (WTF?), a picnic lunch on the beach, a sun burn, lots of sandy kisses, a 2 hour nap with my dogs, a taco dinner, a ride for an ice cream, more hugs and kisses and a bedtime without any fussing.  It was a damn good day!  I am lucky indeed. 

These Are The Days

Yesterday was my last day as a stay-at-home-mom.  I start my new job next week so the kids will be attending school full-time Monday-Friday.  We spent our last Friday together at the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry painting, playing and pretend shopping.  Rya actually said her first sentence after climbing a staircase and dropping a golf ball down a shoot, "Mommy, I did it!"  It was crystal clear and a HUGE accomplishment for a little girl who didn't speak a word several months ago!  My eyes welled up and there was an instant lump in my throat.  Our final weekday together was a GREAT day and I'll never forget the pride I felt that moment!

Pumpkin Patch

This morning we went to the Boone Hall Plantation Pumpkin Patch as part of my promise to do a fun Halloween activity everyday this week.  We picked a pumpkin, went on a hayride and jumped on the jumpy castles.  The weather was perfect (mid 70's) and the kids behaved.  It's simple and fun days like this that make me so thankful that I am a stay-at-home mom.  I have the best job in the world!

Her First Word Was...

Rya's pediatrician recommended that she be assessed by a speech therapist since she's still not speaking.  After the assessment, Rya was diagnosed developmentally delayed and it crushed me.  How on earth did my BIG MOUTH spawn a child that won't speak!?  She will be meeting with a speech therapist once a week and it's paid for by the State as early intervention.  I think she saw how upset I was and understood that we were worried about her so this week she just started spitting out words.  Her first word was PLEASE (I'm a proud mom!).  Followed by ball, hi, hot, dog, no, mine.  Go Rya, I knew you had it in you to be a big mouth like your Mama. 

Ouch

Currier had his four-year-old check up this week.  He is 39 3/4 inches long and weighs 41.8 lbs.  Trent and the nurse had to corner him and hold him down for his immunizations while I stood by cringing.  Seeing the fear and pain in his eyes was absolute torture and it made me realize how lucky I am to have healthy children that only have to be subjected to needles and shots once a year.  I can't imagine the anguish of parents who watch their sick children go through that kind of pain daily. 

Mother's Day 2010

This is what I did all day without any kids and it was glorious! 
Best Mother's Day ever.

Egg Skating

While I was upstairs packing for our trip to Florida, Currier took a dozen eggs and smashed them all over my bedroom floor because he "wanted to go ice skating".  I can't even put into words the fury I felt when I walked into this mess but my rage was replaced by fear when I noticed that Currier's entire body was covered in massive hives just seconds after this picture was taken.  So rather than an immediate punishment, I'm on the phone with the doctor giving Currier Benadryl in the shower.  As soon as the hives went away, Numbskull spent the rest of the afternoon in his bedroom while I sobbed and mopped the floor a dozen times.  And a week later my bedroom still reeks of raw eggs! 

Pink Eye

Rya has pink eye and why not considering we've hosted so many other diseases in our house this season... swine flu, several common colds, horrifying sinus infections, painful strep throat, one double ear infection and a planter's wart... so naturally pink eye showed up just before the end of the winter season. Nice.

When Mama is Sick...

we stay in our pajamas all day. We put the blow up mattress behind the bed and build a fort. We watch movies on the portable DVD player. We drink lots of fluids and rest and try to get better. This cold is kicking my butt but moments like this make it not so bad.

Fun Filled Weekend with Uncle PJ and Eliza

Uncle PJ and his girlfriend Eliza arrived late Thursday evening for a quick weekend visit. We stayed up late Thursday night talking and laughing and didn't go to bed until every beer in the house was gone!

Friday we nursed our hangovers at the pool all day and then rushed home to prepare for Currier's 3rd birthday party at the Mount Pleasant Fire Station that evening (we celebrated 2 weeks early because the fire station was booked for his actual birthday).

It was great to have PJ and Eliza here for the party. They were a big help—Eliza with holding Rya during the entire party and PJ with catering. The menu included Cajun Crab Stuffed Peppers, Green Bean Shrimp and Feta Salad, Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets, Boursin Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes, and a Fruit, Cheese and Cracker Tray. Pretty fancy fare for a 3-year-old's birthday party!

The kids had a great time. They crawled all over the fire truck and squirted the fire hose. The Mount Pleasant Firemen have the patience of saints and were wonderful with the kids. Currier said that it was the best day of his life—Aawww.

On Saturday we headed downtown Charleston for some shopping, sightseeing and lunch at the Charleston Crab House where we ate fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, raw oysters and crab legs.

Saturday evening we ordered pizza from Mellow Mushroom and lounged on the couch with the dogs and watched Madagascar 2.

On Sunday I woke to a huge Mother's Day breakfast cooked by PJ and fresh squeezed orange juice made by Currier. After a leisurely breakfast we packed up the car with a picnic lunch and headed to the Isle of Palms for the day. About 30 minutes into our day at the beach a huge thunderstorm rolled in so we packed everything up and made a mad dash to the car.

After a long Mother's Day thunderstorm nap (the best kind of nap!), PJ cooked a fantastic gourmet dinner that I can't stop thinking about! PJ and Eliza left early Monday morning and we miss them already.