Guilty Pleasure: Buffy

This week has been pretty crappy. It started out freezing cold. It snowed for 24-hours straight, leaving my front yard with a mountain of snow...a MOUNTAIN I tell ya! We had a snow day on Tuesday, a snow day on Wednesday, yet another snow day today, and tomorrow is a "Professional Day", so again, no school. Mr. Smarty Pants broke his collar bone while trying to do a flip off of our couch, which, rightfully so, has resulted in a lot of whining and complaining. My car battery died because I left the light on all night. It is still freezing cold. And to top it all off, our elementary school caught on fire this morning. What the heck is that all about? I thought that was something that only happened in children's wildest dreams. Crazy!

So, this brings me to my post today: Guilty Pleasures. I have many. Today though is special. Today is a Buffy day. I like the t.v. series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There, I said it. (Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest.) I like watching Buffy. I have been watching Buffy from the beginning on Netflix instant cue, and I'm now almost through season 4. It provides a nice break from reality, and heaven knows, I am in need of a break. Sometimes reality bites.

But Mom....

I consider myself to be a pretty patient person. I'm pretty laid back when it comes to my parenting style. However, there is one thing that I CRINGE at every time I hear it:

ME: Hey boys, time for dinner

Boys: But Mom!......

ME: Let's go get in the tub...

Boys: But Mom!.....

ME: Put the Legos away, it's time for bed...

Boys: But Mom!.....

You want to see me lose my cool...then just repeat those two dreadful little words and you may get your wish.

Ulterior Motives

I have a deep, dark secret. Okay, well it's not actually a secret, but it does run deep and it is dark. I have Multiple Sclerosis, MS for short. I was diagnosed at the tender age of 29. In my opinion, much, much too young to be diagnosed with an incurable disease. Of course, if I had been diagnosed at 59 I'm sure I would say the same thing.

I have had some experience with MS in my life. For a while I was a home health aid for Intermountain Health Care in Utah. I worked the hospice route and one of the women I visited had MS. Til my dying day I will never forget her.

She was in her early 40's. She had 3 tween-age boys. She had a loving husband. She was imprisoned in her body. Her bedroom had to be moved to the dining room on the main level. A hospital bed was placed in there, and there she lay, day after day.

She could not walk; she could not move at all save for the occasional spastic movement of her arms, legs, and neck.

She could no longer speak, yet you knew that she was in constant pain because she could still moan.

She could no longer eat or drink. She had to be fed through a feeding tube inserted directly into her stomach.

She passed away 3-months after I started seeing her. My heart broke. She lost her life to MS.

It has been 3-years since my diagnosis and I am happy to say that I am just fine...physically and emotionally. However, I know that it could be taken from me at any moment. For the past 3-years my thoughts have gone back to this woman. What if I end up like that? Well, if I do then I do, but I'll be darned if I will go without leaving the essence of who I am behind. And therein lies my ulterior motive. This blog will be my life: my thoughts, my advice for my children, my favorite moments and memories, MY recipes...things that will help my family to know me if the day ever comes when I can no longer tell them.

Diapers, Pull-Ups, and Underwear

I have been changing diapers for a long time...a REALLY long time! I have been wiping bottoms for 6 1/2 years straight, and there is currently no end in sight. However, today is a momentous day. My Sweet Boy is turning 4-years old. What does this have to do with diapers you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

This little guy is actually not so little. He is huge...like 100%+ huge. He has also refused to go potty on an actual potty. It has been a big struggle. And oh, am I tired of wiping the poop off of his big little toosh. The Artist and I have tried for 6-months to wean this child from diapers and have failed miserably. Being the great parents that we are, we finally gave up (Hey, we didn't go to college for nothing; we know when to admit defeat).

Well, about 30-days ago I felt a second wind coming on and geared up for another round of potty training battle. I told Sweet Boy that he had until his 4th birthday to wear his pull-ups and then they were going the way of the wind. We have been counting down the days so he wouldn't be surprised when the blessed day arrived. Today when he woke up, we threw the pull-ups away and he donned the treasured Thomas the Train underwear. I'm not gonna lie to ya, he looks super-cute in his undies.

I realize that it is only half-way through the day, but so far so good. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it would be so great to have only one child in diapers instead of two. I'm crossing my fingers...and all my toes...and my eyes...and heck, I even put my hair in a braid...that THIS time potty training will stick.

Addendum: Well, I spoke too soon. No sooner had I pressed "Publish Post", then Mr. Smarty Pants told me that Sweet Boy had pooped in his Thomas underwear. When I looked at Sweet Boy, I realized that not only did he poop in his pants, but he peed also.

(My eye is twitching...can you see it...?)

Being A Mother is Wonderful

I was NOT prepared for motherhood. Yes, I graduated from BYU with a degree in human/child Development. Yes, I worked in a hospital helping children and their parents cope with an upcoming surgery. Yes, I helped parents of children with Autism with THEIR parenting skills. Yes, I read ALL the parenting books. And yet, still not prepared. My advice to soon-to-be moms is always, buckle up.

Being a mother is hard.

But, being a mother is also wonderful. No seriously, it is. I know that it can be tiresome, annoying, lonely, bitter, monotonous, painful, humbling, (insert your own adjective here ____________), but it is also sweet, tender, funny and joyous. I think the reason that being a mother is so wonderful is precisely because of all of these jumbled up emotions. You know what it is like to feel tremendous heartache and sorrow, which makes it possible for you to feel the joy and happiness all the deeper. You have felt bitterness and despair, so you are able to more fully appreciate the sweet and lovely.

So, I will say it again: Being a mother is wonderful.

You Are Now Entering The Bloggosphere

Okay, so this title is a bit misleading. I am not new to blogging. In fact, not only am I not new to it, but I am a down right veteran blogger of 6-years! (I know, I know. Try to hold in the gasps.) I, like so many others, need an outlet to get it all out. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to write in my journal. I just can't get past the actual "writing" part; Black ink on my fingers, cramps in my hands, writing that only a mother can love...I'm sure you can relate. But the thing is, I really do want to write all this stuff down. I want my children, my children's children, my children's...okay you get it...I want my posterity to know who I am. Maybe they won't care, but then again, maybe they will. Whatever they choose, this blog is for them.