The Traveling Circus

Are there days where the insanity of your life just makes you shake your head and laugh? One of our fabulous mommies, Mama Sandy, shares insight into her crazy world with 5 children- and a trip to the vet!

The Traveling Circus

I was reading Ashley's post about how much she loves her kids and a trip to the doctor's office and it reminded me of a couple weeks ago when I took the dog AND the cat to the vet. I was fortunate that the older kids were in school that day so it was just me, Averie, the ginormous Chihuahua and cat. I had a 9:00 appointment (what was I thinking?). I got up and got the older kids off to school so I could finally claim my spot in line for the bathroom. I showered quickly while Averie was in the bouncy seat then gave her a bath. While I was getting dressed the elusive creature that is our cat was lounging nicely on my bed so I shut the door to keep her accessible in that room. After dressing Averie she had one of her usual poopy diaper explosions; is that considered a wardrobe malfunction? Time for another bath and change of clothes.

After a quick nursing session Averie was asleep and gave me time to wrangle the critters. I got the cat into the pet taxi with surprisingly little effort and the dog on the leash. Okay, now what? I have to load the baby into the carseat, put the carseat, pet carrier and dog into the vehicle. So, after a quick trip to the car with the whining cat in the powder pink carrier I rush back into the house to manhandle the dog and baby to the car. Talk about concierge!

The trip to the vet's office is only about 5 minutes but was filled with many different sounds; the cat whining, the dog whining and Averie wide awake and cooing which sounds more like a cat with it's tail stuck in a door. I am giggling like a crazy woman all the way there.

This is where things get interesting since I made two trips to load the car but only have one shot to unload. I wore my Moby wrap for Averie. I get out of the car by slinking through a crack only a small child should have been able to fit through so the dog doesn't get out also. Go over to the back passenger door and put Averie into the Moby while holding my knees against the door to keep the dog inside the vehicle. Then I have to grab the leash and walk in circles while the dog wraps the leash around my knees and grab the pink pet carrier. This is where the traveling circus comes into play. All I needed was a whip and a tutu; the whip for the "viscious" lion in the cage, the tutu for the dancing dog. Of course Averie and I were the main attraction of the side show in a display reading "Mother/Daughter Conjoined Twins".

Luckily the vet was quick and thorough. The nurse was kind enough to feel sympathy for me and carried the cat out to the car while I whirled in circles so the dog didn't turn me into a May pole.

Needless to say I took a nap when we got home

Do you have a story about your kids to share? Join us at the Kiddie Pool @ www.mothershideaway.com!

Memorial Day

Mothers' Hideaway would like to take this opportunity to thank our troops and veterans and their families for all their sacrifices and dedication. Because of them, we get to enjoy our lives, liberties, and freedoms. Thank you.


Come share what you are thankful for at http://www.mothershideaway.com

Appreciating our children

Our children all make us want to tear our hair out at times. They can exasperating little things. But, the love and joy they give us overrides any of that. Today, I'm going to share some thoughts of one of our members, and her very energetic little boy!

I love my son. I know that's true about every mother, but today....I realized that even though he's a handful, even though he's stubborn, even though he's difficult in so many ways.....he's my baby boy and I love everything about him.

Today I had a doctor's appt that typically lasts 3 hours. I was nervous because I was bringing him with me. I was wise enough to make the appointment for his playtime and not naptime or food time, but I was nervous. I expected the worst. We're talking screaming, crying, hitting, dirty looks from people, throwing of food, and more. Today, what I got was happy screams, flirting, waving, talking, laughing, some crying (he hit his head on the chair), and just overall good behavior.

First I had my appt and he flirted with the nurse and the doctors. While we were waiting in the exam room he kept laughing, but bent over and left a mark on his forehead (even more to make him look like an abused child). Then he kept walking from my doctor to her fellow and giving them high fives and laughing. Then when he was ready to leave he walked to the door and kept saying "Bye Bye" and waving Then he did the same when I went to have my bloodwork done.

At the very end of the appointment I had to have an xray of my back and they took him back with us and put him in the nurses station. At first he cried because he couldn't see me and there were 5 female nurses going googly eyes over him. It was dinner time for him, so I'm sure that didn't help. Then, once they learned that he loved high fives and "Zzzz" (taking his pointer finger and zapping you) he was flirting and laughing up a storm. They were laughing the whole time I was on the table getting turned and twisted for the xrays When I said it was time to go he said "Bye bye" and waved.

We came home, did dinner, bathtime, and bed time. He was so worn out he was falling asleep in my arms as I sang him his bedtime song.

He made my day so easy....I really really love him for that.

Read about other thoughts and tell us what thoughts your children evoked today at http://www.mothershideaway.com/forums1/showthread.php?t=823!!

Weather and Moods

Consider the following quote:

It's raining..

Yes! Here too!!!

All friggen week. It's annoying. I think we had about 6 hours of total sunshine. It's so depressing when the weather is like this.

True, isn't it? I find it interesting that the weather can so well influence our moods. I know that when I go outside and the sun is shining, my mood instantly lifts. Tell me who doesn't agree that driving with the windows down, the radio blaring, and a warm breeze drifting through the car is one of the greatest feelings? Sometimes we need elements to combine to help us reach the right level of relaxation, that zen level of just right.

Then there are those rainy days. Now, every now and then I enjoy a good storm. I like a vicious one, with the clouds angrily swearing at the world below, the rain thrashing about, angrily soaking us all. The darkness can create a wonderful cloak, under which only a glass of wine and a great novel will satisfy.

But, life dictates that these situations are not typically meant to be. Trying to run errands, take the kids to activities, and just dig out the energy to complete a day can become insurmountable tasks when the weather turns on you. What was once our radio-loving friend is now our fatigue-inducing foe. When life is pouring things on us faster than we can drink, losing the boost of a friendly weather day can be devastating.

Why is this so? Because we are women. That's the easy answer, but it's true. As women and mothers, we take the weight of the world on our shoulders. So when it's a nice day, things can maintain at the status quo. But when it's a dark day, it's on our shoulders. It weighs on us, as though it is our fault the skies are angry. It reflects the things that are bothering us that we just don't have time to deal with in an ordinary day. In essence, it embodies what we do not have time to address.

It's our hidden mood. So, when we can enjoy beautiful weather, not inhibiting the tasks we rush to get done, we can find an element of joy to boost us. But when the weather dares to infringe on our hectic days, when it dares to hinder what we try to be.. well, that's why weather impacts our moods.

What are your thoughts? Do you want to complain about your weather, or share your thoughts on something else? Join us at our new and improved Mothers' Hideaway!!

http://www.mothershideaway.com/forums1/index.php

Happy Birthday Farah!!

Today is our administrator's birthday. So, I'd like to take a moment to wish her the best year yet!

Farah has done a fantastic job developing Mothers' Hideaway into just the right place to be. Her dedication to ensuring that the details are seen to so we can all have a place to chat, relax, and relate has been amazing, and the end result is a fantastic site with all the capabilities one could want. She followed her vision to make a place where women can find support, friendship, and a little bit- okay, a lot!- of fun. As a result, we wish to introduce the new and improved, Mothers' Hideaway.

Join us! http://www.mothershideaway.com

And Happy Birthday Farah!

Happy Mother's Day!!

I have been mia this week, but Mothers' Hideaway has still been hopping! We had family in town, so I was off doing that. But today, Mother's Day, we are back to having a house with no guests, and I am back to my regular computer time!

Mother's Day is an amazing day. It's a day where all us moms get to be celebrated. However, I think it's important to realize that while we enjoy being appreciated, Mother's Day is an excellent day for us moms to be thankful for how lucky we are. We get to enjoy the greatest gift that life has to offer, every day. Whether we are cleaning that mess for the umpteenth time, scrubbing jelly out of the table, or doing our tenth load of laundry for the week, we are doing it all while experiencing our children growing and learning. The smile that lights up my kids' faces when they see me in the morning is something that means the world to me, and something I'll keep with me forever. So today, as I let my husband and kids spoil me for being mom, I'm also taking a moment to be thankful that I get to be "mom".

Happy Mother's Day! Come join us at Mothers' Hideaway and tell us about your Mother's Day plans! http://mothershideaway.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=339

Your first job

What was your first job? What memories do you have from it? How would you sum it up? Here are a few from our discussion:

My first legal job was as a front desk clerk in college. It was a suite hotel in my college town and I worked there for 3 years. I loved it. I had all sorts of perks and I could use the outdoor pool/spa anytime I wanted *sigh* The good ol' days of my college years

I babysat a lot then I worked at a summer recreation program for a few years. Then after college got a teachign job where I still work.

My first job was picking strawberries and blueberries at a berry farm just outside of my hometown. I think I was about 14 at the time. After that was doing dishes and working banquets at a golf course during the summers through part of high school. I don't count the berry picking as "real" work because I'm pretty sure that I ate more berries than I picked...

I was a grocery store clerk at Foodland. It was a blast. (rolleyes)

What I find interesting is the tone in the different responses.. some look back fondly, some look back with annoyance. What do you remember?

I have good memories of my first job. I worked for a doctor and his wife in their practice. They treated me like I was their own, and would check on my schoolwork constantly. If they knew I had a paper due or an exam coming up, they wouldn't let me come into work! However, the one thing beyond memories I have taken with me from them is the how to truly enjoy a work environment. These were two people who truly loved what they do, and that is not always such a common thing.

As teenagers, experiences shape your views, some which stay with you for a lifetime. A person's first job often influences how they approach future employment endeavors. So, how did your first job influence you?

What do you think about this? Visit our forum and tell us! See our topic of the day, plus a ton of others! http://mothershideaway.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=287

Weekend break!

Sorry for the missing entries, it was a busy weekend! I'll add a new one today, but for now, check out www.mothershideaway.com.forums to be entertained :)

Your children's future profession

Today's topic of interest: your child(ren)'s future profession. What do you want your child(ren) to do??

I'm going to start with this post:

Oh, I'm going to be the lame one that says "Whatever he chooses". I was raised by parents that had my career and lifestyle chosen for me and I hated it. If I had been a weaker person I would have listened to them instead of following my passion of teaching. You know?

Now, be honest, who else had the initial thought of doctor or lawyer, etc? Me, me!! LOL. Seriously, you can't help but think, I want my kid to be that above and beyond all profession, where he/she is the best of the best and makes a gazillion dollars. But, let's consider our poster's thoughts; what happens if we push our kids to something that would ultimately lead to their unhappiness?

Would we know that we were the cause of our children's unrest? Would we care if they were quote unquote Successful? Would we care more if they were unhappy without financial security? What standards need to be in place before we decide that our children's fate is truly up to them? Also, at what point are we thrilled if our children decide to buck everything we want them to pursue? Do we say never? Do we say always?

I say somewhere in between. Because, at the end of the day, I don't want my children hurting for money. I don't want to have to support them (come on, you know you thought that too!), I don't want them to have to have several jobs, and I don't want them to be scraping by. I want my kids to have a profession that both makes them happy and pays their bills.

Shooting for the moon? Probably. But I'd like to think I'll land among the stars.


What do you think about this? Visit our forum and tell us! See our topic of the day, plus a ton of others! http://mothershideaway.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=233