Things i've learned today

My friend called at 2:30am. She was in labor with her third child. I sat up and worried about her until she finally showed up at 6:30am with her two other children. I usually watch my cousins babies everyday for about an hour and a half. So around 5:00pm, I had 7 children under 5. So I thought I would write about the things that i've learned today from the children...
1. Babies don't care what time it is, they are born when they feel like it.

2. Three year olds like to play together as long as they aren't touching eachother, or using eachother's stuff, or looking at eachother.

3. Minivans are HUGE!!!

4. Little kids think that big kids who go to school are way awesome.

5. Lunchtime with 5 kids should definately be against the law.

6. Kids that don't live at your house don't like to take naps.

7. Kids that don't live at your house and don't like to take naps and finally fall asleep can sleep for 4 hours or more. Especially when they've been up all night long.

8. When your daughter is mad because you braided her hair instead of curling it like she wanted you to decides that she doesn't like it and puts a TON of Vaseline in her hair to 'keep it out of her eyes', the only thing that gets it out is Dawn liquid soap.

9. Dawn liquid soap can burn your daughters eyes if you're not careful.

10. You can work all day long to get the neighborhood kids to love you, but in the end they fall in love with your husband when he's done nothing to win them over.

11. When they leave it's a relief, and you look around and realize that you've got quite the mess to clean up, but you wouldn't trade the crazy day for anything.

KINDERGARTEN blues...

I must say that sending my oldest to Kindergarten was easier than I thought. I'm not saying that I pulled up to the curb, and kicked her out. I'm just saying that I didn't bawl my eyes out like I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, I cried...just on the way home. It was only a tear or two, so there.
Now...the hard part is watching JS be bored. We drop JL off at school (really I don't kick her to the curb), and we come home, lay JT down for a nap, and we go to the living room to stare at eachother. Literally...we stare at eachother. Then after a minute or two, I ask, "So, what do you want to do?" And he kind of flinches and says something like, "I dunno...um yeah I guess i'll go ride my bike or something..." So I say okay and we go outside. Well, he rides up and down the sidewalk and then he stops in front of the apartment and says.."let's do something else.." So we go inside and read books for awhile. We pick JL up about 3 hours later and she gets in the car and starts telling us about her day in Kindergarten. She tells us about recess, and JS adds a hearty, "We DID THAT TOO!!!" Then I tell JL that we didn't do that too. Today after we picked her up and this whole conversation happend again, we got home and JS was throwing a fit. I haven't been able to figure this out. He's such a good boy, I just don't know what his problem is. Then he calms down, and it hits me...he's got the Kindergarten blues. He misses his big sister. This was confirmed later when he looked at me and said, "Mom, I want to go to school with JL". He loves his big sister!!! Somehow, someway, we did something right, and they actually love eachother more than I thought!!! How great!

I love my BOYS

I absoloutely without a doubt LOVE my boys. I love JL too, she's the best shoppin' pardner in the whole world! I love my kids,I love them so much!!! And the reason they're so freaking cute? Because they have a stinkin cute Daddy! I love Steven so much. I had the opportunity to spend 3 hours on the phone last night with my Mom. We talked about others and their relationships with their spouses. I know we're not perfect, but I think that we're perfect for eachother. I came to bed last night, and I held him a little tighter, and breathed in his cologne a little longer. He loves me and my family so much. JS and JT want to be like their Dad. I think that is something very special. I watch my boys watch their Dad, and you can see it in their eyes. They ADORE him. They think that he's the best thing since sliced bread, and so do I. Steven is definately, without a doubt, my best friend in the whole world. He is caring, compassionate, and full of love and understanding. I just can't believe that for one second he picked me. I'm so grateful that he did. I just LOVE my boys...

CHOICES

I understand that this life is full of choices. I also understand that these choices will affect others all around us. Now i'm not saying that i've always made the right choice...in fact i've made some doosies. However, since becoming a wife and a mother I realize that the choices I make will affect my family. I would never do anything to hurt my family. So when people I love make STUPID choices, I just want to throw my hands in the air, sigh, and say, "well....you freaking idiot!!! What's your problem????" I do NOT get it!!! Why!? Why would you hurt your spouse and children? These choices that we make don't just affect ourselves. I guess it just doesn't make sense to them. Like I said, I know i'm not perfect, but at least my husband and I can grasp this concept. I just don't understand their concept of choices...and why not??? Because it doesn't make any freaking sense. GRRRR...
I guess i'll just continue to love unconditionally and pray for them. Maybe someday everything will be alright. Maybe someday they'll understand that their choices don't just affect themselves.

Kicked in the butt...

Okay...I think I am going to admit that today i'm not feeling well mentally. I think i'm going to admit that i've not felt well mentally for a few weeks. There! Whew! I said it!!! I really feel like the title for my blog, life is rough, is very appropriate. I guess i'm just really struggling with a lot of things in my life. I feel like i've been on a huge rollercoaster with ups and downs and loopty loops, and i've not been able to walk off of it yet..and i'm soooo dizzy. Between the stress of finances and having children, and having to buy a new car so that we could all fit, and feeling useless, and hopeless, and restless, whew!! I guess it feels better to just admit it instead of pretending that i'm not feeling well. The only thing that really makes me feel better is that I know that there is a Father in Heaven that is watching over me and my family. I know that he doesn't give us more than we can handle. I'm starting to realize that some friendships we've had haven't been worth what we've put into them, at least as far as I can see. I'm tired of being made fun of, stepped on, and put out for nothing. I'm hurt and sad. However, I do have a beautiful daughter who (and people laugh when I say this..) is my best friend. She listens better than any friend i've ever had! And she's 5 years old. I have a son who is the sweetest little guy in the world. I have a little 10 month old who I prayed would be chunky...lo and behold, fat rolls!!! Wooo Hooo!! AND they're all healthy. What a blessing. I feel like i've been kicked in the butt for about the last 3 weeks. I'm ready for this to stop. I'm ready to just enjoy life and what it has to offer to me. I'm ready to kick this feeling in the butt...