We're All Just Kind of Winging It

It appears that everyone is going through what I'm going through here.  I've been looking through status updates, reading what all my friends are going through with their kids and the end-of-the-summer craziness.  A few days ago I would have blamed it on the full moon.  Two days ago I would have blamed it on lack of sleep.  Yesterday I tried to blame it on the fact that the kids hadn't had enough water and I forgot to give them their vitamins.

Yeah, I'm desperate.

The only thing I have left to blame it on is my lack of parenting skills.

But it's OK.  I own it.  Today I was officially one of the worst mommies on the block.  And it's OK.  Really.  I mean, I started out with good intentions.  I told them last night when Nana came to put them to bed (so my hubs could take me out for the best surprise anniversary dinner ever) that, if they were good, we would go on a surprise adventure today.  Of course, I had this little playdate planned a week ago, but they didn't know that.  So when Nana told me they were angels (like she'd say anything else!), I was happy to let them know that we were going somewhere fun ... somewhere they'd never been before.  So we loaded up the car, put on our swimsuits and sunscreen and headed out. 

I was sooo excited to try something new.  You've heard me talk about how I had all these big plans for the summer -- free movies, free bowling, play dates, swimming, summer reading programs -- and most of them never came to fruition.  So I figured that, this being the last day of summer vacation, today was as good a day as any.

When we pulled up to the Riverside Sprayground in Roswell (after a 45 minute drive!!), I was giddy and the kids were squealing in their seats.  When we got inside, the excitement lasted about 10 minutes.  After the initial excitement wore off, Kendall started with the, "I'm too big for this, Mom," and Tanner followed with the, "I'm ready to go-o-o."  SO OVER IT.  I am.  I tried to stretch the play time.  We attempted the playgrounds, but the slides were way too hot.  We ended up eating "lunch" at 11, playing in the spray for a few more minutes (just so I could selfishly talk to my friend), and then heading home at noon.  We lasted an hour and a half, after a 45 minute drive.

Argh.

So after we got home, I was spent.  And I became the worst mom in the world.  The kids are over each other. They are over me.  I am over them.  Yes, I said it.  I honestly found myself purposely moving away from them this afternoon -- when they went upstairs, I stayed down.  When they came down, I went up.  And I feel really bad about it.   I just had a "grown up night" last night without them.  And I get to have another one tomorrow night.  So why are they making me so crazy?  And why am I finding myself constantly yelling at them and getting irritated with them?

So here I am.  OK with being a bad mom for the day.  Drinking my glass of wine.  Catching up on my Days of Our Lives because they seem to be the only "people" who are nuttier than I am right now.  (I mean, seriously, who has twins with two different daddies??)

And I'm being thankful for status updates and what they say -- and how they make me feel like it's OK that I'm just winging it ...

And that I'm not the only one. :0)

Favorite Photo Friday

Mr. and Mrs. Morris - July 29, 2000

I talk about my wedding all the time, so I won't rehash anything here.  But, in the wake of my TEN YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!!, I wanted to share one of my absolute favorite pictures from our wedding day.  While I had kissed Tim plenty of times before, this was, by far, the best kiss he ever shared with me!

'Tis easier to complain than to discipline ...

I know ... everyone reads my posts and thinks, "Good grief ... here she goes ... complaining about her kids again."  And it doesn't mean I don't love them.

Well, lucky for you, I'm warning you up front.  So if you don't want to read my complaints, exit the blog screen now.

But, if you are a mother, you know that it truly is easier to complain about my kids and their bad behavior than it is to discipline them for their bad behaviors.

There.  I said it.

I'm lazy when it comes to discipline.  I really am.  I own it.

I started the summer with really good intentions.  We started a new behavior management technique, where each kid has a jar in which we put marbles for good behavior; in turn, we also remove marbles for bad behavior.  When the jars are full, the kids get $5.  Now here we are at the end of summer and their jars are only half full.

And there is no chance they will be full any time soon.

In the last two weeks especially I feel as if I have taken more out than put in.  And now I find myself saying things like, "Do you want to lose a marble???  Do ya?  Do ya?"  And Kendall is really tricky about it -- when she loses a marble, she'll go right ahead and do something to make it up and get another one right back in the jar.  I told you -- she's no dummy.

So here we are today, the last Wednesday of summer break, and all I can think about is getting them to leave me alone.  I have considered many different options to keep my sanity.

A) Lock them in their rooms separately for the entire day.
B) Lock them in one of their rooms together for the entire day.  And let them duke it out.
C) Cram ear plugs in my ears so I can't hear them fighting.
D) Get drunk.

Please notice in the above list there is no mention of actually disciplining them and trying to get them to change their behavior.

I am all referee-ed out.

And it's not even that they are physical with each other.  It's more of a constant whine from Tanner.  And a constant smart-assness from Kendall.  And the bickering.  That's what is setting me over the edge now.  I feel like we are in a forever state of "Yes-huh" and "Nuh-uh."

So I'm tired.  I want my sweet kids back.

Maybe the beginning of a school year will bring them back -- once they realize they miss me when I'm not around. :0)

Favorite Photo Friday

 

July 22, 2000 - My SK Girls and Me before the Bachelorette Party

Man, I love these girls.  You know, the ones I'm always talking about when I say I "paid good money" for them? ;0)  Well this is just a dab of them ... and they made that night so much fun.  I was the first of our group to get married, so we did it up big time.  We did the lingerie shower complete with disgusting penis corsages and bottle tops.  (I chose not to use that photo ... a bit graphic.)  We had fun laughing about how the honeymoon would go with the "Bodacious Ta-Ta's" set.  We drank some beer and some wine.  Then we headed out to Buckhead.  That was back when Buckhead was still somewhat safe and fun.  We drank some Fishbowls and danced on some bars.  The next morning we had hangovers and handprints on our butts.  What a night!!  And even the moms were able to hang for a while!