Daddy's Girl

It's tough watching your kids grow up, especially when you know they are making mistakes.  One of the hardest things we have ever done is stand back and watch as our daughter learned a tough life lesson. We tried to intervene in the beginning, but it was just making matters worse, so we had no choice but to pray all would turn out OK.  And just a side note, she was in no harm just heading for a huge hurt.  After all was said and done and she realized we had been there for her the whole time, she is getting back to her old self. The hard lesson is over and she is back to being a part of our family. She's a little older, a little wiser and very grateful for those who are there to help her.  

The first few days back at home were a little difficult for ALL of us, but it didn't take long for her and her Daddy to pick up right where they left off.  Maybe no one will be interested in this blog and to be honest, I kind of wrote it for myself really.  I love the looks on their faces and the it warms my heart to see her so happy right now.  She loves to wrestle with her dad and brothers, and the day in these pictures were no exception, lol...so, I am just sharing with you a personal joy in my crazy life. 

  

OMG STFU

First let me just say, I love ALL of my kids...even the ones that act like assholes.  Yep, you read that right!  

You were thinking it, I just said it.  Hell I was thinking it too!  It's true, especially the older ones.  Oh the joys of parenthood!  It is such an extreme, ranging from being so proud one moment to wanting to gnaw your own arm off to get away to next.  Don't get me wrong, I love my kids more than life itself, but some days are really a true test of strength, sanity and your ability to cope with pure ciaos. 

The good thing is that right now, only 2 of the 4 kids are pains.  I have questioned and judged my own parenting abilities after dealing with them, and I have come to this conclusion...they are just being assholes.  Cruel you say?  How could a parent say that about their own child you say?  Well, live with them, deal with their antics and then you tell me.  Trust me, calling them assholes is actually a nicer alternative.  

Its really not as bad as it sounds.  An asshole is simply someone who disrupts the generally tranquil nature of a certain situation or place.  They can also be a rude, selfish and/or offensive person.  So see, I have just described the majority of the world.  We can all be assholes from time to time, but 2 of these kids are pushing their limits!  Much like a lot of kids do.  But what is a parent who has tried everything to do?  You buckle up and hold on...it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

For the most part they are not doing anything that the majority of others kids don't do or things we haven't done ourselves at those ages.  It is just amplified and extreme at times. At some point you just hope there is a cut off point where it all stops.  You pray for it, you live for it!  You want to protect them from doing wrong, you want them to grow up happy healthy and hopefully fully intact...you can only do so much.

I pray that all of my kids grow up to be spectacular adults who strive to improve their very existence at every given moment.  But hell, let's get realistic.  I want them to finish college, get a job that pays better than average and remember to call their mother once in a while!  I want them happy, healthy and full of the knowledge that no matter how much of an asshole they were in their teen/young adult years that they are still loved and cared for, barely, but they are.  Is that too much to ask for?

So, before you plan your revenge and before you sever all ties to them, just remember...being an asshole is NOT always a permanent thing.  They are capable of  change, not all of them, but most.  There will be a few of you that are unlucky, God bless you, you are in my prayers.  For those who have the ones that turn around and become productive and semi proper members of society, count your blessings.  And secretly hope that their kids give them a dose of what you dealt with!  

I am holding out for the turn around and hoping the other two never start...until next time, peace, love and sanity.

He's Got Jokes!

Well, some how I managed to delete my post from Friday night...so let me try this again!  


We have scheduled plans that we follow out just about every week.  Thursdays are date night, no kids, just the parents.  And kids are only allowed to call for emergencies, (and they always call at least once, lol...and it is NOT an emergency).  Our night consists of going to dinner, preferably somewhere where you do not order your food through a microphone.  And a place where you are served and do not bus your own table.  After that, being the rebels that we are we head off to the library!  We might even stay there a couple of hours, its quiet there!  We might log on to the computers or go over bills or discuss upcoming things, but it is our time! :)  Sometimes there is even a trip to Walmart or Target!  Hell yeah!


Next is Friday night dinner out with the family.  They think of it as a special treat, but actually it is just a night to not cook and clean, lol.  This Friday night was no exception.  Only two of the kids were home to go with us tonight, brats 2 and 4.  We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant.  It is nice to go to a place, be recognized by the management, greeted and socialized with.  And to top it off, he always brings brat 2 a huge bowl of salsa.  This is first and foremost GREAT customer service and second, it saves his staff the hassle of running to our table to refill brat 2's small dipping bowl every 5 seconds.  He literally inhales it!  He is a tall slender kid, but don't let that fool you!  He CAN eat you out of house and home!  He just applied for a job at this restaurant, lol.  


After dinner we are in car heading home, and brat 2 is sharing a story for his day and almost lets out a cuss word, lol.  Now mind you, he is nearly 18 and we as his parents do not have the cleanest vocabulary ourselves.  But he, like the rest of the kids have that respect and courtesy  towards us.  So, we make a joke about it and are having a little laugh when brat 4 pipes up and says, "I can't wait until I am old enough to cuss.  I have some great jokes to tell you!" WTF????  Hold it kid, what did you just say?  I kept my head forward, bit my tongue to not laugh and reminded him that he didn't need to worry about cussing, lol.  I know, I know, I should not be laughing about this, but I swear you had to be there!  Oh, the comic relief brat 4 brings to our lives...PRICELESS!

                                                

My Crazy Family

                                              






Let's get this blog started!  First a little about my family and I...There are 4 (lovely at times) children who are currently 19, 17, 15 and 7 (Lord help us!). We affectionately call them brat 1, brat 2, brat 3 and brat 4.  And they answer to this!  Brats 1,2  and 4 are biologically mine and brat 3 is biologically my husband's.  He adopted my 3, so he is the father of all 4.  Brat 3 lives between the 2 houses...confused yet?  


The oldest (brat 1) is the only girl and this first to test my patience at the most inopportune times. And yes, I see a lot of me in her.  I have the desire to call my mother often and apologize for any issues I might have caused her.  Then of course I come to my senses!  If the "I hope you have a child who acts even worse than you" curse was placed upon me, it just makes me wonder what terrible things my mother might have done, lol.  I was not a perfect child, but I was not a terrible kid either.  I know I gave my momma a run for the money at times, lol.


Brat 1 has graduated high school, pissed away 2 semesters at a local community college and is struggling to find her place in this world.  She will VERY soon be a 5 YEAR CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR! :) She is a free spirit and I believe born in the wrong decade.  I could so see her striving in the 60's, lol.  She has a heart of gold and loves to advocate for childhood cancer.  But lately she seems to have an obstructed view on life and how it works. Hopefully she will figure it out soon!  She has worked barely part time since graduation and has seemed to have lost her motivation.  I know she left it around the house somewhere, but damned if we can find it!  The search continues!


Brat 2 is soon approaching his high school graduation, just about 4 months away!  He has several ideas for life after graduation, but has not made up his mind which path he will walk down yet.  He is the kid to usually give us the least amount of grief.  He is a gamer and has recently started to discover there is a life outside of the house and his PS3.  Brat 3 is the silent type until he gets to know you, and he has also been dubbed the class clown.  He is in "training" with dad to get his license, (since kids driving scare the hell out of Mom!).  He is having his best year ever with grades and I could kick him in the rear for not getting these good of grades earlier! But not much I can do about it now, just going to be happy they are good!  


Brat 3 is currently not speaking to us, and I would need an entire blog to tell you the whole story. To sum it up, he views us as strict and it seems his mother lets him do pretty much as he pleases.  So yes, that means we are not that strict, we just don't allow free reign, lol. What would you choose if you could at that age?  He is lacking in the respect department and that does not go over well at our house.  He is a work in progress and hopefully we can get him on the right track in life.  It is tough knowing they are going down hill and you can't do what you want to do to fix it.  It is hard when you and the other parent disagree on what is right and wrong and just how to raise them.  Wish us luck, we want the best for him!


And then there is Brat 4...there are so many ways to describe this child, hmmmm...where to begin?  Well, he is considerably younger then his siblings.  I like to think of him as a sponge.  He is observant, he soaks it all in.  He is not often shy and pretty witty for a 7 year old.  His comic stylings are coming along, but it is often his normal everyday actions/questions/responses that are the most funny.  He very much has a little of each siblings personality in him.  He strives to be like his dad and is not afraid to try new things.  There is not a veggie he won't eat, a spot on him that cannot be tickled, or a joke he won't laugh at.  He likes school and excels with every aspect of it.  He is famous for his "rock on" look (throwing the horns) and at this point in his life plans to be a rock-n-roll drumming store owning doctor police officer.  You gotta love a kid with ambition!


So that is our kids in a nut shell...each of them terrific, each of them a pain in the ass, lol...but they are ours and we love them all.  We may have turned more gray, lost much sleep and stressed on a few pounds here and there over them, but that is life and we are ALL a work in progress.  

                                            

Disclaimer

Disclaimer:  I do not claim to be a perfect parent with perfectly behaved children.  I do not sensor myself well and I do not sugar coat life for my family.  I am a tell-it-like-it is mom...I expect respect from my children and they get that respect in return.  I have been known to nag, pester and drive my children nuts...all in the name of love.  My goal is to do what it takes to get these kids to adulthood alive, educated, without a criminal record if possible and with a good head on their shoulders.  I want them full of great values that will take them far in life and pass those along to their own children.  I will be there friend later, right now I am their parent.

With that said, welcome to my life...