Oh, so you're THAT mom!

What the heck is that supposed to mean?  I have gotten it a lot.  I'm well aware that I get categorized as a certain kind of mother. Being my make-it-from-scratch self, I've offered neighbor kids popsicles made from yogurt that I cultured and made into a smoothie.  What? They were GOOD popsicles!  I've gotten it for my advocation of extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and natural birthing.  I just love to learn about things that make a difference in my family's life, and I find that the most natural ways of doing things are often the best for us.  I've been THAT mom for making it look easy while inwardly losing my mind, too.  That was just pride.

I've been THAT mom for unpraiseworthy reasons, too.  I've been the mom who screams in exasperation, who has thrown things, who lets her kid run around in diapers 'til he's 4 because I wasn't up for the fight (no regrets on that one!).  I've been the mom whose kid freaks out about every change in life. What could I expect when I was freaking out?  I've seen this message in people's eyes as my child throws yet another public tantrum, but I learned how to manage those with a calm that helped my child melt into my arms and know he was safe.  I've learned to tell myself that "those who mind don't really matter, and those who matter don't really mind". 

Today I was THAT mom for some wildly divergent reasons.  I've mentioned our school delay woes, and today was a delay for frigid temps. Seems to me that cold temperatures should be expected in winter, but I digress.  This morning A-man was in a 4-alarm temper fire and locked himself in the bathroom when it was nearly time to leave.  He and I have engaged one another as worthy and well-matched opponents in some serious battles of the will.  But NOT today.  I kept doing what I needed to do and left him there until the last minute.  Then I calmly unlocked the door, spoke gently, and prayed with him.  Revelatory!  I don't HAVE to fight him.  I can WIN by being peaceful and loving.  And in the end, he's sorry and asking my forgiveness, and I can pray with him because I haven't tossed my credibility out the window by losing my cool.  That's when we both lose, anyway. 

I was also THAT mom today when my toddler fell head-first out of a shopping cart today.  Yeah.  She can undo/shimmy out of the buckles with no trouble, so the upper basket is more of a concern for me because it's further to fall, and the momentum of fighting the seatbelt could launch her 23lb frame pretty far.  So I had her in the big basket section and was having to remind her frequently to sit down, and she was briefly obeying.  I was having trouble finding an important item, an item which is nowhere near as important as my precious daughter.  I'm grieving that I didn't do something different, but I watched her tumble out head first onto a hard tiled floor.  She screamed, she bled slightly from her mouth where her teeth punctured tender skin, and some random stranger YELLED AT ME.   I didn't even bother to respond.  I was THAT BAD MOM in that moment, and I knew it. 

I took her to Wheeling Hospital, pinching her awake along I-70.  She is absolutely fine and didn't need a CAT scan. Her momma is less fine but will certainly recover if I can get this picture out of my head someday.  I think all of us are THAT mom at some point.  We're all at our shining best and our shame-filled worst depending on circumstances, some of which we can never control. 

A good kind of quiet

The Jedis had no school today.  I figured they wouldn't because it rained yesterday, and then there was snow on top of it, and that seems to trigger cancellations here.  As I've said before, cancellations are easier than delays because it's hard to get enough cooperation and momentum going once everyone has started playing in the morning, and I have to get everyone out the door by myself since Dr. O' is already at work.  Then I have to go out 5 hours later and get them from the bus stop, often waking M-girl to get there on time.  Bleh, school. 

Today was wonderful, actually.  The kids didn't trash the house. There was no homework to slog through. They played peacefully and enjoyed each others' company.  I sorted coupons, finished laundry, and served multiple rounds of breakfast, snack, and lunch.  M-girl wants whatever someone else is eating, and we tend to rival the Hobbits in terms of meal frequency on days like this if I'm not keeping track.  I realized I was serving 3rd breakfast/elevenses before I had had my own breakfast, and I felt pretty sick from waiting too long and only having coffee in my stomach.  So I made a fantastic smoothie with fresh yogurt, peaches, raspberries, and flaxseed.  Yum!  M-girl wanted some of that, too, of course!  She's pretty fussy these days with lots of teeth all just about to emerge.  She wants me to hold her, and then she throws herself into awkward positions when I don't do what she wants.  Being a toddler, she's definitely in a demanding phase. 

Dr. O' is having a really long week as they do interviews for a moral theologian to join the dept.  Not that the current ones aren't moral; it's an academic specialization.  There are lots of meetings and observations and dinners involved, and he's gone a lot.  We're going to need that date night that his students have gifted us!  I'm taking in some nice Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup for Dr. O's dept for lunch tomorrow since there won't be any job candidates there then.  

So far, tomorrow is a 2-hour delay for frigid temperatures.  A-man is lobbying to stay home due to a sore throat that may or may not be legitimate.  We'll see in the morning with a flashlight.  I did have a play and pray group to go to in the morning, but there's illness going around in the hostess's home, so it's been cancelled.  I hope to do some weeding out of toys, etc. tomorrow.  I cooked some roast this afternoon that will be great for some Beef Vegetable Soup for dinner tomorrow night.  It was a good kind of quiet today, and hopefully it will be a good quiet tomorrow.  February will be over eventually, and I'm doing my best to enjoy it instead of endure it!

Cozy Days In

I like snow days much better than delays and early dismissal because we don't have the stress of getting kids out the door.  I like them even better when I've cleaned beforehand.  Another "snowstorm" has hit Ohio County, WV.  This one is kinda bad, with snowmelt that froze solid, topped with 5 inches of fluffy snow.  The Jedis had an early dismissal yesterday, and their school is cancelled today.   Dr. O's university is also on a delay today, but he went in at the same time, opting to leave me the car in case of an emergency.  We have a load of clean diapers, plenty of milk, plenty of pizza ingredients, plenty of snacks, and plenty of energy on their part, which I'll put to good use keeping things from getting out-of-hand here.  The Jedis are going to earn privileges today by putting away their laundry and doing tasks as they become necessary. 

Things started out a little nutty here with someone sassing Momma and the Jedis trying to sneak breakfast into the living room.  A-man spilled Cheerios with frozen berries and milk on the living room hardwood floor, and I was tempted to get really angry.  I kept my annoyance in check and helped him clean up, thankful that I had put half the berries back in the bag before serving it to him.  I talked to the boys about how much easier our days at home will be if we all take care of the house, and I think they took it to heart.  I-M had pronounced our home to be "immaculate!" yesterday, and I told them that an immaculate house isn't important, but keeping things neat will keep the yuckiness from taking over!