No Average Mom

One of the families in our neighborhood has been in a state of chaos. This home had been quiet and a typical family for a couple years. This all changed when the father of the children entered the picture again. For weeks on end the father and his friends have been partying until all hours of the morning just about every night of the week. Last weekend the police showed up and hauled off several people. It is really nice to see the children back outside playing and looking happy and healthy. I do hope that the father gets the help he needs and is sent to drug treatment or something. I can’t honestly say I would ever wish him back in the picture as he has been choosing to live his life. The children deserve so much more from life than the chaos they have been living with.

The weather today has been really awful. Typically, I love a good thunderstorm but this just hasn’t been fun. For some reason my little guy seems to be really afraid of the the thunder. At just one year old I guess I just assumed he was oblivious to these noises but it doesn’t seem that way. Each time the storm whips up he wants to crawl in my lap and I have noticed him glancing out the window. He has always been a very observant baby and I suppose this is just more evidence of that.

In the world of parenting there isn’t a subject I can think of that doesn’t come up in conversation. Before having children I would never have discussed the bowel habits of a family member in a public forum. Once you have a baby you will discuss peeing and pooping virtually anywhere. All of us at one time or another have had a constipated baby or child. With little people who need a good colon cleanse life can become quite miserable until the problem is resolved. Everyone seems to develop their own tried and true method of moving nature along. My secret recipe used to entail a couple of tablespoons of dark Karo syrup dissolved in a bottle of warm milk or formula. Our pediatrician many years ago recommended this and it never failed. We even nicknamed this concoction the “magic bullet”.

We all know these type of people. You know the ones that don’t have the time of day for you until they want or need something that you can offer. I struggle with doing what my giving spirit tells me to do and turning down their requests. It is hard not to start feel more like a lending library than a friend when things are so one sided.

Having children almost 8 years apart has a number of upsides in my book. So many parents I know get completely hung up on having children spaced exactly so many years apart. I am not sure what it is that makes people think that two years is the ideal spacing to promote an ideal childhood or family. I think the spacing for my boys is perfect in so many ways. There is no way a three year old would get the same joy out of his brother attaining certain developmental milestones as an 8 year old. For example, older son become so excited when his little brother walks or talks it is hilarious. His reaction actually scares his little brother at times. There have been a couple of times I think the little fellow had his breath taken away in fright when his older brother shouted “he is walking”. I wouldn’t change this for anything in the world. Although we might have to invest in a pulse oximeter if the little guy spends to many more breathless moments.

My littlest son has decided the time is right for walking. He is braving the waters of independence and toddling about the house. His preference is still for crawling or cruising about holding on to things. Because he is a very big guy with a lot to hold up I imagine it will still be a while before walking is his main mode of transportation.

As a Doctor of Audiology I could expound in detail about the benefits of closed captioning for the hearing impaired but that would likely bore most of you to death. Instead I would share why I love it in my own life. I have the hearing of a bat. That isn’t exactly factual but you get the point. Closed captioning enables my husband to maintain his late night viewing schedule without keeping me awake. This wondrous technological miracle also provides my children with a read along version of their favorite movies. I honestly think this reinforces reading. Closed captioning makes life wonderful when the kidlets are little are you just want to watch a grown up movie and still have them in the same room. You know what I mean ? There are just times when you can’t take another round of Blue’s Clues and the kids are content to play with their toys. I love to pop in a romantic comedy and turn off the volume and hit the closed captioning. It is a great way to get just a little “mommy” time while still being in the same room with your children. The best part is you don’t have to worry if little ears are going to pick up any new words that you don’t want them to.

Yesterday while waiting at the school to pick up my son a mini van mom pulled up beside me. This mom took driving a mini van to new heights. The actual mini van she was driving was the exact same year and model as my own Dodge Caravan but this van had been tricked out on so many levels. The first thing I noticed was that the windshield said “Baby Girl” in giant white letters. I couldn’t see if the van had one of those billet grilles but it wouldn’t surprise me. There were actually spinners on the rims of the van that just made me giggle. I can only imagine what the stereo system is like in this vehicle given the attention paid to the other details. Undoubtedly this van has GPS, satellite radio, and a ceiling mounted DVD player if my speculation is correct. I have to say it takes a certain type of mom to get behind the steering wheel of that ride and carry it off. Somehow I don’t think I have that particular make up.