Mkay. I decided to address this particular issue, first, because, well, it's Easter weekend. No, my husband and I do not teach our children to believe in Santa, Leprechauns, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny. In fact, we are very honest with them about how these people do not exist in reality, but are like characters in a fictitious movie and/or storybook.
*GASP*
Go ahead. Call me what you will: uncreative, unimaginative, ridiculous. Tell me I am taking away my son and daughter's innocence, that we're bad parents. Many eyebrows have been raised in my direction over this very issue.
We are Evangelical Christians, so the Biblical reasons for our beliefs are first and foremost. But many who will read this already know what the Bible says/teaches regarding honesty, integrity, and the true meaning of our country's most prominent holidays/celebrations: Jesus Christ. He is our main focus, daily, and during holiday seasons, but I have another post coming on all this, so I'll save my thoughts for it.
So here's another reason why this is non-negotiable issue for us:
It's lying. Plain and simple.
I've heard all the responses:
"It's not lying; it's just encouraging their imaginations."
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"If the worst I could do, as a parent, is allow my children to believe in fictitious characters, then I am doing pretty well!"
Truth is, I believed in Santa when I was a child. Many people can relate to my feelings of uncertainty about the whole thing, but with all the books, movies, posters with Mr. Red Suit, himself, popping up long before Thanksgiving, I wanted nothing more than for the whole shenanigan to be real. I wanted to visit the North Pole by sleigh, nibble Christmas cookies by the fire with Mrs. Claus, and maybe, just maybe, I would get my very own, private tour of Santa's Workshop. Oh, what could be better for a 6th grader?!
You read that right. I still wanted to believe, even in the 6th grade.
Until one Christmas Eve when I decided to stay up a little later. My parents hurried my sisters, brother, and me to bed, reminding us that, "Santa won't come 'til you're asleep." Well, "Santa" did not realize that I was still awake. Late into the night, I heard rustling outside. I could see the driveway from bedroom window of our single-wide trailer, and noticed that someone was opening the door to the family car. I pressed my face closer to the glass and realized that it was my mom, who appeared to be retrieving something from the back seat. Ever so carefully, I raised up a little more to get a closer look, careful not to disturb my 2 sisters sleeping next to me in the full-sized bed we shared, just as she pulled her hands from the rusted, hatchback car. In her arms were 4 medium-sized boxes, which, in the darkness, appeared to be wrapped in Christmas paper. It was at that moment that I KNEW.
Even though I reasoned that Santa must know I am still awake and spying on my mother out the window, and that's why he hadn't yet come, I still felt unsure after snuggling down in the covers to finally go to sleep. When we awoke that morning, those 4 gifts were under the tree small. Christmas was sparse that year, so those were the only gifts, all "from Santa."
I was not traumatized by this experience at all. I admit, whole-heartedly, that it was fun believing in elves and reindeer and trips around the world in one night. But it was devastating finding out the truth. Not because I would never get to have cookies with Mrs. Claus, but because my parents lied to me....again.
I don't want my children to feel those same feelings, or hurt in that way. There are too many other people and opportunities in their little world for them to experience disappointment and mistrust. I want to limit myself as a cause, as much as possible.
When Chris and I talk with our children about these symbols of different seasons, we call them just that, "Symbols." We also refer to them as "people dressed up as characters." If they ask questions, we use those opportunities to teach them about the history of certain holidays/traditions, and always preface it with, "Some people believe...." We never tell them they can't believe, nor do we discourage them, but we are always honest with them about what we believe, and what we hope they will learn to believe.
Kaylee and Christopher live normal, healthy lives.Even though we are Christians, our children still get to celebrate holidays and other National Holidays, and our daughter will soon get her first visit from the Tooth Fairy, whom she knows "looks like Mommy." They are not missing out on anything because of our parenting style. In our opinion, they are learning more important lessons than the names of all 8 tiny reindeer or who Peter Cottontail is. They are learning to be thankful for what they get at holidays, to properly thank those from whom they receive, and to be generous, themselves. But they know the truth of where special treats come from.
If they want to talk to us about how these characters are "really real," (or how Batman really does save people), we listen. But we do not leave special presents for our son "from Batman," write letters to our favorite Marvel characters, or plan special days to celebrate their accomplishments. (How silly would that be? I declare August 1st as "Batman Day"! It would be fun, but if we acted as if he were real, that would be plain "ridiculous," huh?) Instead, we hear them out, and gently remind them of the truth, praise them when they have worked a legitimate fact into their tall tale, and move on with our lives.
Also, another important benefit of honesty in this situation is how our children can distinguish between fact and fiction, and I am proud of them for this. So many children, at a young age, do not have this skill. Often times, this is highly detrimental, causing the child to get hurt more frequently, or deny abuse/neglect because they are not fully aware, cognitively, of the realities of their experiences. Thus, they cannot effectively communicate the details of their trauma, and do not receive help in a timely manner. Chris and I are very careful to protect our children from learning certain "truths" too quickly, but we do make a point to tell them as much information as we can, on any given subject, while still keeping it age-appropriate. This helps build trust, as well as effective communication skills within our family.
Those 2 things are more important to us than whether or not our children really believed in some magical leprechaun spreading luck to all on St. Patrick's Day.
If we lie about Santa or the Easter Bunny, what else are we willing to lie about? What else could we be accused of lying about, by our own children?
Think about it.....
And please, put your eyebrows down.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Things I'm Not Afraid to Teach My Children
*This post will be a series of posts, because I have lots to say about each point. But for time's sake, here is a brief list. Explanations to follow.
I think, as a mom, I get so bogged down with the idea that I have to be a "perfect parent" (whatever that means), and that if I'm not doing things a "certain way" (whatever that is), then I'm somehow failing my children. I'm a perfectionist, by nature, so I get bogged down a lot. A lot, A lot.
BUT
I'm giving myself a break. For better, or worse, here are a few things I am teaching my littles that require no comment, opinion, or approval from the Peanut Gallery, thank you very much. :)
1.) Some people really are creepy and it is ok to stay away from them.
2.) There is no Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and no, you won't find any tiny little leprechauns walking down the street on St. Patty's Day.
3.) If you don't want to hug, kiss, or hold hands with one of your relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc., then, by golly, YOU DON'T HAVE TO! More importantly, if you don't want them to do the above to/with you, then it is perfectly ok to say so, and you should.
4.) Eat dessert whenever you want. As long as you are eating healthy, nutritious foods throughout the day, cookies can totally be a breakfast food.
5.) There is a Heaven and a Hell, a Jesus, and a Satan, and one day you WILL have to choose whom you will serve and where you will spend eternity.
6.) Sometimes, the things you say and do really do hurt my feelings.
7.) Handwritten notes are always best.
8.) Time is one of the most precious gifts given to us by God. Don't waste it, squander it, forfeit it, or decline it.
9.) It is my job to be all up in your stuff, your face, and your life. That's what a parent does. And you have 2, so you might as well get over being mad about it!
10.) You can absolutely be anything you want to be, think anything you want to think, love anyone you want to love, and have anything you want to have. With the Lord's help, I hope to teach you boundaries, wisdom, and discretion that will help you make the best choices. But I will love you, regardless.
11.) You are not your past. Don't let it rule you. Let it change you and make you more equipped to face your future.
12.) Anything worth having is worth earning. We are not free-loaders, and we are not raising free-loaders.
13.) Parents disagree with each other. Parents argue with each other. Parents apologize to each other. Parents forgive each other.
14.) Some days, it's ok to skip chores.
15.) You don't have to good at everything. You don't have to be great at anything. You MUST try your best, always.
16.) We do not say the words "stupid," "butt," "shut up," or, "Oh my God." Many people (even grown-ups) will tell you it's ok, but you'll just get in trouble if you do.
17.) The correct words are penis and vagina. Enough said.
18.) You don't have to go to the doctor for everything. In fact, if you can find a good home remedy, try that first. Definitely stay up-to-date on shots and regular check ups, but treat medicines as last resorts. Otherwise, your immune system becomes dependent and you'll find yourself in many a waiting room.
19.) It's ok to act like a kid, sometimes, even when you're an adult. Enjoy life. Have fun. But be responsible.
20.) It's ok to eat pork, get a tattoo (if you can stand the needles!), and hang with other sinners. Be wise about it, and check your motivation. After all, the Lord looks at the heart.
Well, there you have it! :)
I think, as a mom, I get so bogged down with the idea that I have to be a "perfect parent" (whatever that means), and that if I'm not doing things a "certain way" (whatever that is), then I'm somehow failing my children. I'm a perfectionist, by nature, so I get bogged down a lot. A lot, A lot.
BUT
I'm giving myself a break. For better, or worse, here are a few things I am teaching my littles that require no comment, opinion, or approval from the Peanut Gallery, thank you very much. :)
1.) Some people really are creepy and it is ok to stay away from them.
2.) There is no Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and no, you won't find any tiny little leprechauns walking down the street on St. Patty's Day.
3.) If you don't want to hug, kiss, or hold hands with one of your relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc., then, by golly, YOU DON'T HAVE TO! More importantly, if you don't want them to do the above to/with you, then it is perfectly ok to say so, and you should.
4.) Eat dessert whenever you want. As long as you are eating healthy, nutritious foods throughout the day, cookies can totally be a breakfast food.
5.) There is a Heaven and a Hell, a Jesus, and a Satan, and one day you WILL have to choose whom you will serve and where you will spend eternity.
6.) Sometimes, the things you say and do really do hurt my feelings.
7.) Handwritten notes are always best.
8.) Time is one of the most precious gifts given to us by God. Don't waste it, squander it, forfeit it, or decline it.
9.) It is my job to be all up in your stuff, your face, and your life. That's what a parent does. And you have 2, so you might as well get over being mad about it!
10.) You can absolutely be anything you want to be, think anything you want to think, love anyone you want to love, and have anything you want to have. With the Lord's help, I hope to teach you boundaries, wisdom, and discretion that will help you make the best choices. But I will love you, regardless.
11.) You are not your past. Don't let it rule you. Let it change you and make you more equipped to face your future.
12.) Anything worth having is worth earning. We are not free-loaders, and we are not raising free-loaders.
13.) Parents disagree with each other. Parents argue with each other. Parents apologize to each other. Parents forgive each other.
14.) Some days, it's ok to skip chores.
15.) You don't have to good at everything. You don't have to be great at anything. You MUST try your best, always.
16.) We do not say the words "stupid," "butt," "shut up," or, "Oh my God." Many people (even grown-ups) will tell you it's ok, but you'll just get in trouble if you do.
17.) The correct words are penis and vagina. Enough said.
18.) You don't have to go to the doctor for everything. In fact, if you can find a good home remedy, try that first. Definitely stay up-to-date on shots and regular check ups, but treat medicines as last resorts. Otherwise, your immune system becomes dependent and you'll find yourself in many a waiting room.
19.) It's ok to act like a kid, sometimes, even when you're an adult. Enjoy life. Have fun. But be responsible.
20.) It's ok to eat pork, get a tattoo (if you can stand the needles!), and hang with other sinners. Be wise about it, and check your motivation. After all, the Lord looks at the heart.
Well, there you have it! :)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
A Day in the Life
Everyone is always asking us about our job as house parents. They want to know what we do, how we got involved, how I come up with my menus, do we have time to bathe regularly. You know, the usual stuff you ask parents of a large family.
My answer is always the same:
By the Grace of God
Because it's such a large part of my life (What am I talking about? It IS my life!), I will definitely be sharing stories, snippets, blurbs, and many of the lessons I have learned since becoming Mommy to my own 2, as well as the foster children God has brought into our lives. It really is a blessing, and we are very fortunate to get to be a part of the work God is doing in the lives of abused and neglected children.
But to start us off, and to fully squelch any thoughts you may have had about foster parents being "Super Parents," "Saint-like," or "Gifted," (all titles that have been used to describe my husband and me over the years), here is a brief look back at last Wednesday.....
Each month, we plan a day to visit our county's food bank. This isn't your typical church or community food pantry; this is the Mecca of all food banks. They have cases and cases of Little Debbies (which usually end up on my hips and thighs), bags and bags of potato chips from every store you can think of, canned goods, frozen pizzas, popsicles, frozen chicken, pork, hamburger patties....the list is literally unending. These are all foods that the stores can longer sell because there is not enough demand, they will expire soon, or the season is over (i.e. the 6 trays of chocolate boxes they were unable to sell after Valentine's Day). The best thing about the food bank is that we can get tons of food (on a recent trip we, literally, purchased A TON of food), at almost no cost. With lots of hungry mouths to feed, and a very tight budget, being allowed to use the food bank is a tremendous blessing. On his last trip, Chris filled up our 15 passenger van, floor to ceiling, for $130. Take that, Extreme Couponers! And I didn't even need a coupon! :)
So, Wednesday was Food Bank Day.
As you can imagine, traveling to and from the food bank, loading and unloading the van, attempting to find a place to put all the food in your tiny pantry, AND supervising a 4 yr old and 13 month old can get a little crazy. That was just our morning.
On Wednesdays, Chris takes 2 of our boys to their weekly counseling appointment. He gets them from school around 12:50pm and heads over to the counselor's office where they participate in play therapy for 2 hours. He is usually home by 3:15pm. Not too bad, since we've worked out arrangements for getting our other children home: 1 from head start gets picked up by the other house parents at 2:30pm, I leave to get our daughter from school by 2:45pm, all other elementary kids get home at 3:15pm via the school bus, and our 2 middle school guys get off their bus at 4:30pm. Easy enough. We do it every week. Though I'm still up to my eyelids in cardboard boxes from the food bank, with 2 kids napping, we can make it work. Sure we can!
*Not if the counseling appointment before yours runs over time.
*Not if the adult in the counseling appointment with the child is the house mom at the other house.
*Not if the spouse of the house mom, who is supposed to pick up the kids from head start, is currently running errands in town with no car seats.
At 2:15pm, after just getting the 2 little ones up from their naps, I get a call that goes like this:
House Dad: Hey, Jessica. Am I supposed to go get the kids from head start, today, or are y'all?
Me (in the middle of changing a diaper, with my 4 yr old whining at my heel, thinking in my head "um, yeah you are, that's why we have a schedule"): Um......well, I think it's your turn today.
House Dad: Oh, I didn't know since my wife is at the counseling appointment and I am in town running errands. She has our van with car seats and I would hate to have to go get the kids with no car seats.
Me (struggling to snap every..... last....... button on the baby's outfit while shushing my son so I can hear, because I'm pretty sure I didn't just hear what I thought I just heard on the other end of the phone): Well, I guess I could go get them before I, uh, have to pick up Kaylee (whose school is in the total opposite direction). I have car seats in my car.
House Dad: Ok, that would be good. Cause, like I said, I don't have any seats.
Me: All right. Well, let me let you go and I'll work it out.
House Dad: Thanks!
We hang up. I immediately call Chris, who is waiting at the counselor's office....at this point the session has already gone 20 minutes over, and explain my situation. Chris quickly reminds me that I won't have enough seats in the van for all the kids. I attempt do the math in my head (I was never really good at math), while trying to put shoes on a wiggly 13 month old, and realize that I am 1 seat short.
"Oh my goodness, you're right! Maybe the house mom can get the kids after her appointment."
So, Chris gets off the phone and calls the house parents back, who don't answer. Then, thinking fast on his feet (another post about his Super Dad skills will be published, soon) he quickly calls our case manager who agrees to get the kids from head start, since she goes there to pick up her daughter, every afternoon, anyway. She just has to stop by our van to pick up a booster seat of ours.
Chris calls me back with the news. I am relieved, and quickly load up the 4 yr old and 13 month old to go get our 5 yr old.
We arrived home to this scene in our play room: One 2 yr old, 1 3 yr old, 1 4 yr old with toys, games, and books scattered every where. ADD my 4 yr old, my 5 yr old, and my 13 month old to the mix. Yeah, we are our own day care center.
As if that wasn't enough, my case manager (who is also one of our administrators) nonchalantly says to me, "Oh, since I'm here, I'll do a quick walk-through to make sure we're all set for the state inspection, this Friday."
WHAT?!
Are you kidding me?!
Are you serious?!
You're joking, right?!
My calm, matter-of-fact reply was this, "Well, you're welcome to, but those boxes over there (how could she miss them?!) are from the food bank order we're still trying to put away. But all the major stuff should be ok." (more on preparing for state inspections, later)
"Oh yeah, I totally understand, " she says as she makes her way into our living room, and the rest of the house.
Let's note a few things, here:
1.) There are 6 children in my overturned play room, right now, all under the ages of 6, one of which is screaming and 2 of which are fighting over a toy.
2.) My husband has still not returned from the counseling appointment and it is now 3:30pm.
3.) My kitchen looks like a tornado blew through it and I want nothing more than to at least "organize the chaos."
4.) My case manager, who has graciously gotten us through the "rough" part of our afternoon, and incidentally won the title of "Jessica's BFF," has surprised us with an impromptu "inspection" at the most in-opportune time of the day/week/month/year. She is no longer my BFF, that's for sure!
5.) My husband is STILL NOT HOME and it's now 3:33pm!
At this point, all I want to do is grab my kids, my car keys, my wallet, drive to the farthest CFA I can find, order lots of nuggets and Polynesian sauce, and forget this day ever happened.
Instead, I smile, calm the screamers, mediate the fights, and try not to look at my watch.
........it's 3:37pm, by the way.........
After my no-longer BFF leaves, I force out a, "Thank you so much for your help," and my husband returns (at 3:45pm, mind you). Things start to go back to "normal." Our oldest 2 got home, attitudes and all. The kitchen eventually, though not totally non begrudgingly, got cleaned up. Dinner was cooked and served, even if the main course was ravioli from a can. Kids were fed, bathed, and tucked in. The house was put back into some semblance of an order, and Chris and I fell into bed with a giant THUD, where we slept and slept and forgot all about the crazy day we just survived.
.....................until a child called out for us at 1:30 in the morning..............
My answer is always the same:
By the Grace of God
Because it's such a large part of my life (What am I talking about? It IS my life!), I will definitely be sharing stories, snippets, blurbs, and many of the lessons I have learned since becoming Mommy to my own 2, as well as the foster children God has brought into our lives. It really is a blessing, and we are very fortunate to get to be a part of the work God is doing in the lives of abused and neglected children.
But to start us off, and to fully squelch any thoughts you may have had about foster parents being "Super Parents," "Saint-like," or "Gifted," (all titles that have been used to describe my husband and me over the years), here is a brief look back at last Wednesday.....
Each month, we plan a day to visit our county's food bank. This isn't your typical church or community food pantry; this is the Mecca of all food banks. They have cases and cases of Little Debbies (which usually end up on my hips and thighs), bags and bags of potato chips from every store you can think of, canned goods, frozen pizzas, popsicles, frozen chicken, pork, hamburger patties....the list is literally unending. These are all foods that the stores can longer sell because there is not enough demand, they will expire soon, or the season is over (i.e. the 6 trays of chocolate boxes they were unable to sell after Valentine's Day). The best thing about the food bank is that we can get tons of food (on a recent trip we, literally, purchased A TON of food), at almost no cost. With lots of hungry mouths to feed, and a very tight budget, being allowed to use the food bank is a tremendous blessing. On his last trip, Chris filled up our 15 passenger van, floor to ceiling, for $130. Take that, Extreme Couponers! And I didn't even need a coupon! :)
So, Wednesday was Food Bank Day.
As you can imagine, traveling to and from the food bank, loading and unloading the van, attempting to find a place to put all the food in your tiny pantry, AND supervising a 4 yr old and 13 month old can get a little crazy. That was just our morning.
On Wednesdays, Chris takes 2 of our boys to their weekly counseling appointment. He gets them from school around 12:50pm and heads over to the counselor's office where they participate in play therapy for 2 hours. He is usually home by 3:15pm. Not too bad, since we've worked out arrangements for getting our other children home: 1 from head start gets picked up by the other house parents at 2:30pm, I leave to get our daughter from school by 2:45pm, all other elementary kids get home at 3:15pm via the school bus, and our 2 middle school guys get off their bus at 4:30pm. Easy enough. We do it every week. Though I'm still up to my eyelids in cardboard boxes from the food bank, with 2 kids napping, we can make it work. Sure we can!
*Not if the counseling appointment before yours runs over time.
*Not if the adult in the counseling appointment with the child is the house mom at the other house.
*Not if the spouse of the house mom, who is supposed to pick up the kids from head start, is currently running errands in town with no car seats.
At 2:15pm, after just getting the 2 little ones up from their naps, I get a call that goes like this:
House Dad: Hey, Jessica. Am I supposed to go get the kids from head start, today, or are y'all?
Me (in the middle of changing a diaper, with my 4 yr old whining at my heel, thinking in my head "um, yeah you are, that's why we have a schedule"): Um......well, I think it's your turn today.
House Dad: Oh, I didn't know since my wife is at the counseling appointment and I am in town running errands. She has our van with car seats and I would hate to have to go get the kids with no car seats.
Me (struggling to snap every..... last....... button on the baby's outfit while shushing my son so I can hear, because I'm pretty sure I didn't just hear what I thought I just heard on the other end of the phone): Well, I guess I could go get them before I, uh, have to pick up Kaylee (whose school is in the total opposite direction). I have car seats in my car.
House Dad: Ok, that would be good. Cause, like I said, I don't have any seats.
Me: All right. Well, let me let you go and I'll work it out.
House Dad: Thanks!
We hang up. I immediately call Chris, who is waiting at the counselor's office....at this point the session has already gone 20 minutes over, and explain my situation. Chris quickly reminds me that I won't have enough seats in the van for all the kids. I attempt do the math in my head (I was never really good at math), while trying to put shoes on a wiggly 13 month old, and realize that I am 1 seat short.
"Oh my goodness, you're right! Maybe the house mom can get the kids after her appointment."
So, Chris gets off the phone and calls the house parents back, who don't answer. Then, thinking fast on his feet (another post about his Super Dad skills will be published, soon) he quickly calls our case manager who agrees to get the kids from head start, since she goes there to pick up her daughter, every afternoon, anyway. She just has to stop by our van to pick up a booster seat of ours.
Chris calls me back with the news. I am relieved, and quickly load up the 4 yr old and 13 month old to go get our 5 yr old.
Just when you thought the madness was over.....
We arrived home to this scene in our play room: One 2 yr old, 1 3 yr old, 1 4 yr old with toys, games, and books scattered every where. ADD my 4 yr old, my 5 yr old, and my 13 month old to the mix. Yeah, we are our own day care center.
As if that wasn't enough, my case manager (who is also one of our administrators) nonchalantly says to me, "Oh, since I'm here, I'll do a quick walk-through to make sure we're all set for the state inspection, this Friday."
WHAT?!
Are you kidding me?!
Are you serious?!
You're joking, right?!
My calm, matter-of-fact reply was this, "Well, you're welcome to, but those boxes over there (how could she miss them?!) are from the food bank order we're still trying to put away. But all the major stuff should be ok." (more on preparing for state inspections, later)
"Oh yeah, I totally understand, " she says as she makes her way into our living room, and the rest of the house.
Let's note a few things, here:
1.) There are 6 children in my overturned play room, right now, all under the ages of 6, one of which is screaming and 2 of which are fighting over a toy.
2.) My husband has still not returned from the counseling appointment and it is now 3:30pm.
3.) My kitchen looks like a tornado blew through it and I want nothing more than to at least "organize the chaos."
4.) My case manager, who has graciously gotten us through the "rough" part of our afternoon, and incidentally won the title of "Jessica's BFF," has surprised us with an impromptu "inspection" at the most in-opportune time of the day/week/month/year. She is no longer my BFF, that's for sure!
5.) My husband is STILL NOT HOME and it's now 3:33pm!
At this point, all I want to do is grab my kids, my car keys, my wallet, drive to the farthest CFA I can find, order lots of nuggets and Polynesian sauce, and forget this day ever happened.
Instead, I smile, calm the screamers, mediate the fights, and try not to look at my watch.
........it's 3:37pm, by the way.........
After my no-longer BFF leaves, I force out a, "Thank you so much for your help," and my husband returns (at 3:45pm, mind you). Things start to go back to "normal." Our oldest 2 got home, attitudes and all. The kitchen eventually, though not totally non begrudgingly, got cleaned up. Dinner was cooked and served, even if the main course was ravioli from a can. Kids were fed, bathed, and tucked in. The house was put back into some semblance of an order, and Chris and I fell into bed with a giant THUD, where we slept and slept and forgot all about the crazy day we just survived.
.....................until a child called out for us at 1:30 in the morning..............
Yay! I've always wanted to do this!
I'd like to go on the record saying that I have a lot to say about a lot of things and I want a lot of people to know. That, in a nutshell, is why I now have a blog.
(And also because my sister inspired me. She's pretty good at that.)
I have been writing things down for years. I remember people telling me, at a very young age, I was going to be a writer. I kept journals (however inconsistent) in high school, and I majored in English w/Writing Publication in college. I'm one of those extra-sentimental people who feels like if I don't take the time to handwrite/type out my words, they don't have as much meaning. I still write, as a mom, just NOT NEARLY AS OFTEN as I would like.
Writing, for me, is essential to my daily life. Chances are, if I don't write it down, I can almost guarantee with 100% accuracy that I will not remember whatever it was I was supposed to remember. And in my line of work, forgetting is highly detrimental.
Moms are the only people on the planet (except maybe the president, though that's up for debate, I suppose) that are not allowed to forget a single thing. If I forget to sign the permission slip, I definitely get the stink eye. If I forget that today is "dress like a princess day" at school, and I have no princess, I am left to pick up the pieces of my 5 yr old daughter's shattered, broken, never-going-to-ever-be-fixed-heart-ever. And I better not ever, no not ever, forget that my child likes cake, but not regular cake. He likes the kind that is moist, but not too moist, chocolate but without chocolate chips, iced but not with buttercream because only the whipped icing keeps him from hurling his guts into oblivion, and he can only eat cake with a spoon, not a fork, because it tastes better that way. Yes, folks, if I were to forget even one minor detail such as this, the world would probably stop spinning. FOREVER!
Yes, I even take the time to write down incredibly out-of-the-box requests such as these. For today's memory's sake, and for those days when I am old and gray, and he's getting old and gray, and I am still baking birthday cakes just the way he likes them.
So, here I am. Writing to you because I love to, want to, NEED to, and because, maybe it will not only help ME remember the important things in my life, but will also help YOU remember, as well.
(And also because my sister inspired me. She's pretty good at that.)
I have been writing things down for years. I remember people telling me, at a very young age, I was going to be a writer. I kept journals (however inconsistent) in high school, and I majored in English w/Writing Publication in college. I'm one of those extra-sentimental people who feels like if I don't take the time to handwrite/type out my words, they don't have as much meaning. I still write, as a mom, just NOT NEARLY AS OFTEN as I would like.
Writing, for me, is essential to my daily life. Chances are, if I don't write it down, I can almost guarantee with 100% accuracy that I will not remember whatever it was I was supposed to remember. And in my line of work, forgetting is highly detrimental.
Moms are the only people on the planet (except maybe the president, though that's up for debate, I suppose) that are not allowed to forget a single thing. If I forget to sign the permission slip, I definitely get the stink eye. If I forget that today is "dress like a princess day" at school, and I have no princess, I am left to pick up the pieces of my 5 yr old daughter's shattered, broken, never-going-to-ever-be-fixed-heart-ever. And I better not ever, no not ever, forget that my child likes cake, but not regular cake. He likes the kind that is moist, but not too moist, chocolate but without chocolate chips, iced but not with buttercream because only the whipped icing keeps him from hurling his guts into oblivion, and he can only eat cake with a spoon, not a fork, because it tastes better that way. Yes, folks, if I were to forget even one minor detail such as this, the world would probably stop spinning. FOREVER!
Yes, I even take the time to write down incredibly out-of-the-box requests such as these. For today's memory's sake, and for those days when I am old and gray, and he's getting old and gray, and I am still baking birthday cakes just the way he likes them.
So, here I am. Writing to you because I love to, want to, NEED to, and because, maybe it will not only help ME remember the important things in my life, but will also help YOU remember, as well.
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