If I only had a video camera rolling...

   I spent most of my day reliving my past. Tate, Ry, Carter & Azzi were a handfull this morning. Azzi is not amused by Carter's attempts to play with her. In all fairness to Azzi, his attempts generally start with some poking and maybe some throwing stuff at her. She responds in 2 year old fashion with a firm "NO NO". When she was playing with something, Carter wanted it. "NO, NO, AZZI's" Carter responds to NO by swinging his meaty little baby fists. Reaching back in time, I went for the "We love Azzi, we are soft to Azzi" and the "We share with our friends, Azzi." Neither were pleased but we moved from punching and yelling to Carter attempting to kiss Azzi (open mouth baby style) and her trying to hug him. He knocked her over about 10 times in a row trying this whole "we love our cousin" thing. She tolerated him until he threw a dinosaur at her head. After the crying and ice, Azzi forcefully pointed to the dinosaurs and then the mantle. In Azzi speak, that means "Put the dinosaurs a way, crazy lady, he just threw that at my HEAD!" Luckily, Azzi was saved by her Mother and got to go home to a Carter-free zone.
    This evening I was bathing Carter. He was very excited about it and enjoying the water while I cleaned the bathroom. Though my jeans were soggy from Carter splashing (which is more like throwing cups of water on you), I was getting some good cleaning done and he was happy. Until IT happened. I wish I had had a video camera. Poor kid tooted in the tub and the bubbles scared him to death! He looked at me with a scared look, looked down at where the bubbles had come from and started screaming and trying to climb out. While laughing I had to wrestle him back in to the water so I could wash the applesauce, peaches, syrup, etc. out of his hair. Poor baby! Hope he forgets before tomorrow's bath! This is what Azzi & Carter looked like while hugging...Well, while they fell to the ground as Carter tipped her over. Not a successfull photo op but indictitive of how toddlers roll.

     I realize again why I was always so tired! Toddlers are some serious work not to mention the 4 & 5 year olds that had to be refereed all day. This Mothering thing is always full of challenges but the Auntie gets to have fun with little people. Squeezes and kisses and spoiling. Then Aunt Laura gets to give them back to their parents for the Hard Stuff!

Feeling a little bit old

        I think I might be old. I really, really need to go to the grocery store. I could have gone today but would have had to take Tate, Rylen and Carter with me. What used to be unavoidable seemed like way too much work today. When the twins were babies, I would put Tanner in the big part of the cart, Chase in the seat of the cart & Chloe in a front pack and do the grocery shopping. Or Tanner in the seat of the cart & the twins in the double stroller. Then I would push the cart & pull the stroller. Add Kaleb.... Or several foster kids. I went everywhere with kids in tow - malls, grocery stores, road trips, parks, school meetings, church, foster care visits. I've become spoiled & soft in the last few years because the thought of taking the three of them to walmart today made me cringe.
         I attended a PTO meeting at Tate's school this evening. It's a new crowd for me at a school that we haven't attended before. I used to go to meetings as one of the Moms with little kids, the young Moms, the unexperienced Moms. All of those 'older' Moms were in some other category - a different world. A world with teenagers and lots of different school experiences and tons of advice for the younger Mom crowd. You know the ones, right? The Moms that smile and nod when you tell them your troubles but know enough to know that what you're experiencing happens to every Mom & it's just a fleeting moment in parenting. The ones that say things like "Enjoy it. They grown up so fast." Apparently, I have joined the Experienced Mom group. I introduced myself to those on the PTO board. I only got a little bit of "wow, 5." But a lot of "wow, High School students!!"
         That's me. The Mom of High School Students. A High School Senior even. Tate recently was kind enough to remind me several times that Tanner will be 18 when he has another birthday. I'll soon be the Mom of an Adult. Though I've never liked it when people said it to me, they really do grow up so fast. On the bright side, now I have built in babysitters to take care of little people when I go to the store. And that's exactly what I plan on happening tomorrow.
       

Circus Pew - Complete with Flying Monkeys

I've often wondered why the elderly choose to sit in the back of a congregation at church. Usually those of us who are toting children sit in the back out of necessity. We're either late or planning the easiest escape route with the screaming/crying/in trouble/has to pee kid. Today at church we ended up in the very back. On the pew in front of us were some older couples, none accompanied by children and some sporting hearing aids. As we filed in to the pew, I thought to myself "oh, dear. We are about to ruin these nice people's experience today." At first, it wasn't that bad. Tanner, Chloe, Tate & I sat down but then came the rest of our group. Anna, Brad, Ry & Carter. Dan, Renee & Azzi. Kaleb squeezed in. For those keeping track that's 5, 4, 2, & 1 year olds. Tate was mad because I told him to be reverent and sit still. We traded laps throughout the meeting. I had Azzi for a bit & then Carter for a bit. There were crayons, fruit snacks, cars, string cheese & whatever else we could dig out of 3 different bags to keep them from yelling at us. Carter kicked the guy in front of us a few times from my lap. Azzi wandered around a bit. Tate pouted. I doubt that the hearing impaired people in front of us heard 1/3 of what was said from the pulpit. They for sure heard a lot of "SHHHH" "that's not for babies" "Sssshhhhhhh" "this isn't a play area" and "it's not play time right now".  Circus. At some point when Tate was mad he threw his plastic monkey up it to the congregation. Yep, flying monkey. I didn't even see it happen but he informed me that he had thrown it because he wanted me to find his lost monkey. Probably trying to be optimistic, I looked behind us where there wasn't enough room for very many more people. Tate said he threw it the other way. Great, up into the crowd. So at some point during the meeting some poor unsuspecting person probably got nailed by a small plastic monkey. I suppose it's a good thing that we never found the monkey because I would have had to admit that my kid is the one that threw it during church. I really hope that when I'm going to church without kids, I choose to sit closer to the front rather than in the back where all of the kids are. Unless I don't want to hear what's being said from the pulpit or feel the urge to sit in a zone where a flying monkey may hit me at any time.