Well, we missed putting out our shoes for the Feast of St. Nicholas. Of course, they do it at school today, so my kids weren't too disappointed, but I wish I could get my act together for all the saintly feast days.
John-Paul made the spring soccer competitive team. Go him! But it's a travelling team, so no go him. We just can't figure out how we will get him to weekly practices and games up to an hour away while still holding down the fort with the other four children, some of whom play baseball in the spring. It's times like this that make me wonder if the children in big families sometimes do get less than families of fewer children.
We are 1.5 weeks into Advent, and I still don't have Advent candles in our wreath.
Maggie has had bandaids on her elbow for a couple of days, which she wouldn't let us touch. I thought Phil had bandaged her up, and he thought I had bandaged her up, so we don't even know how or when she got hurt. When I finally held her down to take them off, she had a huge red bruise/infection under there. We are keeping it clean and applying antibiotic ointment and it's healing, but seriously, how terrible is that?
I've woken up twice in the past week to find John-Paul laying on my bathroom floor. He had woken us up in the middle of the night to tell us he was going to puke, and we told him to go to the bathroom. Then Phil set up a pillow and blanket for him on the couch. But he decided sleeping on the bathroom floor was a better alternative. Poor kid! We definitely need to bring him to the doctor because this random vomiting has happened three times in a few weeks. Not so random anymore. I'm thinking he's allergic or sensitive to something he's eating.
Andrew has been interested in Maggie's Bitty Twin, and keeps saying he wants the boy twin. I told him he needs to play with boy toys. There's something that just rubs me the wrong way when boys play with dolls...but I do want to encourage his nurturing side. What to do?
If we want Maggie to do anything that she doesn't want to do, we threaten to braid her hair. She is so set against having her hair braided, that she'll do chores, eat veggies, etc. just to avoid it. Is that wrong?
Share your own "real" mom moments with me!!
You are a fantastic mom! I can't wait to get me 5 so I can have similar war stories. In other news...though it stinks that he can't do the traveling soccer team, I actually think being told no, for the good of the whole family (as long as explained properly) can REALLY benefit not only your kid's Spiritual life- but his understanding of family. The doll thing, I'd just say go easy...too much pushing to 'be a boy/play with boy toys' can actually work against parents setting up a good healthy view of femininity and masculinity. Lastly, LOVE the hair threats. That is exactly what makes you a fantastic mom. (I know you weren't looking for validations/suggestions...but thought I'd throw in my two cents)
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts...
ReplyDeleteWe do not do sports. And my family is very close. We do things together. Camping, biking, hiking, rollerblading, etc...
We play kick ball, volleyball, badmitton, ping-pong, and we run together.
The boys have picked up activities that they like once they get into school...middle school, high school.
BIG HOWEVER, we live on 40 acres way way way way out in the country where driving a zillion miles into to town and out of town is crazy.
People that live in town can be in sports...I think. But every kid is so different. Some kids love sports...some like to read.
Love the hair threats. That is seriously funny.
All my boys have dolls. They sleep with them, and that's the extent I've ever seen of doll play. But they all love babies so much that it only made sense that they wanted a toy baby. It's hard to foster proper fatherly nurturing skills without a prop.
ReplyDeleteWe also have no advent candles, let alone a wreath, my kids don't even know about St. Nicholas' feast day, and I just realized I'll have to miss the Holy Day of Obligation on Thursday because the only Masses offered are while Ken is at work and I can't handle all 5 of the kids at Mass by myself.
*sigh*
When they're older, I swear I'll make us all go to daily Mass. If I survive their early years.
Letting a boy have a doll isn't bad. I agree with Cari about nurturing fathering instincts. I gave Clark my old Barbie doll and he named her Rapunzul from the movie Tangled. He kept her around for a few weeks and then moved onto a new toy. Stuffed tigers. lol
ReplyDeleteSince we have no girls, there are no dolls in our house . . . not sure my boys would know what to do with them! But, my youngest has a kitchen . . I never really thought of it as strange or weird, lots of men like to cook, so I encouraged it.
ReplyDeleteMy real mom moments (I have lots to choose from): my kids are playing wildly right now while they should be doing school . . .