My Crazy Life and The Blessings Within: September 2014

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Moms, School Starting Can Be Tough, but You are Doing Better than You Think

Moms, I just wanted to remind you that school starting is a hard transition, and you are better than you think.

This is a time of year for mothers of school aged children full of mixed emotions and issues. In some ways we are so excited to have summer over and in some ways it needed to last just a little longer. Here are some of the contrasts going on in my house.

I love the earlier bed times as school starts, but the early wake-up call can be a bear.

I love the more regular schedule, but I hate the loss of freedom that summer offers.

I love that I hear, “I am bored, what can I do?” less often but I hate how busy we are some days.

I love that sports start because my son loves them and I know they are good for him, but some days the rigor of the practice and game schedule is frustrating.

I love the socialization that school offers along with the additional playdates and birthday parties, but I do not always love the mess after a playdate or how expensive the birthday gift totals become.

I know how important learning is and love to see something “click” for my child, but I often want to kill the person who invented homework.

Then there are some things that I just hate about school starting such as the need to do laundry more often to make sure there are some “school clothes” and sport uniforms clean.

Moms of the world, this is a tough transition, but you are getting through it. You may be dropping off at early care or school in your PJ pants, but your child is there and dressed with their back-pack on. World-war three may have happened at your house last night, but the homework was completed. You may have battled over going to bed or waking up, but somewhere in the middle, everyone slept, at least a little. You may be dragging through the day, but you are making it. You are treading water. You are doing better than you believe…I promise. So, pat yourself on the back, grab your favorite beverage; pumpkin coffee, wine, whatever and rest for minute. You deserve it! And you know what? This transition is hard for the whole family, so tonight after the homework is done, sit together and play a board game, have a bowl of ice cream or watch a show together. Show them, that it is okay to take a minute a relax sometimes, even during this busy school year.

Who Am I?

Who am I?
Isn’t that one of those questions you ask yourself in your mid-twenties? You think deeply about it and come up with some philosophical answer that defines you and your path. Well, at this point, I am not sure that I have the time or the desire to define myself with a deep philosophical definition. What I can tell you is that my mind has taught itself to think in a much simpler and direct way. So, who am I?

I am a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, an aunt, a Godmother and a coworker. I am someone who puts in a load of laundry and may forget to hit the start button because the baby cried or a math homework problem needed some assistance. I am someone who loves that my son plays sports but still prays for rain every once in a while because we really could use a quiet night at home. I am someone who stays up later than planned because I am chatting with my older sister or I finally have the time and energy to clean the bathroom. Let’s not kid ourselves; I may also be up because I recently caught a Candy Crush addiction. We all like to think of ourselves as originals, and in some way we are, but I also know that I have many of the same joys and challenges as others. I hope you find that makes me relatable.