Category Archives: mother

Priorities

It’s funny how priorities change. When I was younger I didn’t know. Actually, when I was younger there is a lot I didn’t know. How life changes is definitely on that list.
I have always known I would get married and have kids. But I always assumed this would happen after I finished school and had my awesome career under way. Some of that did indeed happen. I finished my BA prior to marriage and kids. And the beginning of a future career was happening.
I was in the middle of my MA when Munchie came along. I decided to stop school, because apparently giving birth mid semester is a bad idea. Who knew? But I was certain I would return in a few months. Well, to my further surprise a few months after Munchie was born, Ducky was en route. Again, I thought it best to wait. Ducky came, and I resumed my burning path towards success.
But it wasn’t the same. Success, somewhere along the way, became redefined. I am not sure when this happened, but at some point, in between changing a diaper and preparing a bottle, school was no longer the end all of life. Success started being defined through my new role as mother, and school got shifted to a means towards a career, and that as a means for providing for my family. A better career means a better life for my family. My education and my career still define me, but only in a parts, with the largest part being allotted to hubby and kids. I am a wife, and a mother. Oh, and I went to school and have a job too.
Ten years ago my priorities were school, then work, and if I ever got a spare minute in there, then the third priority was my personal life. Now my kids are the most important, on par with my husband, then comes my job, and somehow I manage to squeeze school in there. Sitting in class last night I couldn’t remember with any certainty of when this happened. Was it when I found out I was pregnant? Was it when Munchie was born? Or was it a slow process that came into existence at some point after that? I realized what an amazing process it must have been. And I wasn’t even aware it was happening! Hubby is right, I am oblivious.
How has your life changed? Were you aware of the change as it was happening? 

3 Must Haves On Your Christmas Shopping List

I am a meticulous shopper. I do all my research before buying anything, and I have put a lot of thought into my Christmas shopping list. The following three items are absolute must haves for this season… for a toddler. If you don’t have children, and are not planning on buying anything for anyone else’s children, then please feel free to read my other posts. They are very good. I promise.
If you are interested in shopping for small children, I guarantee the following three items are a crowd pleaser. Even if your crowd consists of itsy bitsy ones.
They help your toddler further develop their fine motor skills, and expand their imagination. And if you don’t mind finding duplo blocks all over your house, they will keep your toddler occupied for hours. Totally worth it.
It gives your toddler oodles of buttons to press. It is instructional. Best of all, it keeps your little one off of your laptop. Next time he/she reaches for yours, hand them their own. You will both be happy.
Your little one is getting to the age where they will see puppies and kitties and want a pet. This one is perfect. You don’t have to feed it. And walking is optional. If you already have a dog, this one is easy for your little one to walk, and it will play with him/her endlessly.
All of these products are affordable. Also, they make minimal amounts of noise (even the laptop is not terribly annoying). Happy shopping!
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to read my other ones, they are all equally good. If you read this far, and did not care for this post, I swear this is the worst post I have ever written, so read others because they are much better.

4 Things Motherhood Has Taught Me

When you have children you learn basic things, such as taking care of your kid, changing a diaper, how to get an itsy bitsy onesie on an itsy bitsy baby, and so forth. However, there are some life lessons your kids will teach you that you may not have anticipated. These are some of the things motherhood has taught me:

Patience

Before you say “I already have loads of patience,” let me tell you, no you don’t. You do not have patience until a small child screams uncontrollably for three hours at night, and all you can do is hold them and hope they calm down so you can go to sleep yourself. Patience is when you are trying to perform a task that would normally take about ten minutes or less and has now dragged on for over an hour because your toddler does not feel you should be doing this particular thing.

Functioning on Little to No Sleep

I use the term “functioning” very loosely here. You are going through the motions of the day in a zombie like state, but nevertheless can perform some basic functions. Remember when you were in college and were able to go out partying until three or four in the morning, and then go to class and work the next day without missing a beat? Yeah, having kids is a lot like that, except there is no party and a lot more is expected of you. Fortunately this phase only lasts the first few months, after which, with any luck, your child is sleeping through the night for the most part.

Plans Do Not Count

I have to admit, this is still a lesson in progress for me, but I am slowly catching on. A little planning can in fact go a long way. However, for the most part, kids have a way of derailing even the best laid plans. They do not do this intentionally, and it does not necessarily happen all the time, but there are those occasions when you were planning on being somewhere at a certain time, or even going somewhere at all, and your child just would not allow this to happen (he puked all over himself and now you are late, she woke up with a fever, your babysitter cancelled on you and your destination is not kid friendly, etc.). You will eventually learn to just go with it.

Your Life Is No Longer About You

This is pretty self explanatory. In fact, if I even have to begin explaining this one, you are not ready for kids.

What have your kids taught you?