Growing Pains

I have never felt this kind of pain before...It started with a touch of IBS mixed with strange palpations that seemed to be coming from my both my brain and my heart...and then just when I thought nothing else could hurt there seemed to be a touch of some kind of stomach pain maybe the start of a raging ulcer...they all just seemed to be mixing together...Pain...Pain...Pain...Well this has been my life since the moment I sat in the waiting room of the BMV waiting for my daughter to come back from testing to get her license...I kept telling myself just breathe...it will pass...you're acting silly... just as I was debating whether or not to call the doctor there they came...phew...first the instructor...Do they ever smile?..then my daughter with a huge smile and a soft "I  passed"...how can you feel proud and pissed at the same time...Couldn't we just prolong this for another month or two...She's not ready...In my eyes will she ever be ready?

Truth is she is an amazing daughter with a superb sense of responsibility and reality is I am not ready to see her take on that kind of responsibility...oh but I will because I don't have a choice...It's partially my fault because I have and will continue to raise her to be a strong independent woman...so this will be my life IBS, high blood pressure, migraines and stomach ulcers continuing every moment until she walks through the door and greets me with Hi Mom I'm home...How do Parents do this? Everyone says its hard but you just get used to it...no way never not ever!!!! Pray for us.

 

A Mother's Prayer

I pray you'll be my eyes

And watch her where she goes

And help her to be wise

Help me to let go

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Lead her to a place

Guide her with your grace

To a place where she'll be safe

I pray she finds your light

And holds it in her heart

As darkness falls each night

Remind her where you are

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Need to find a place

Guide her with your grace

Give her faith so she'll be safe

Lead her to a place

Guide her with your grace

To a place where she'll be safe

 

as sung by Celine Dion

 

Pick Me Up Tuesday, Get Dirty

My toddler loves to paint. I love watching her face light up with smiles but I don't really enjoy the mess. Do you? I looked outside and saw the beautiful birds and wanted to hear them chirp so that got me thinking. Minimal cleanup, great scenery, lots of laughs, all equals a win to me so outside we went.

Items Needed:

• any paint or markers
• paint brush
• rocks (this is optional as Ava also painted dirt)
• water

Ways to expand the "lesson" 

• texture: smooth, rough
• Size: big, little, bigger, smaller
• weight: heavy, light
• colors: mixing colors (can even see this in the water when washing the brushes)

Parenting Lessons from my sisters

Being the littlest sister I've learned many lessons from my sisters who have gone through this parenting route before me. Here are just a few of the things I've learned

• Julie: Trust your child. They may be climbing walls (literally) and you may have to hold your breath but trust. 
• Lisa: Have fun, create memories. Those memories may include buying out all the plungers from the local hardware store but it will be worth it. 
• Sandi: You may be a mom but you're still a person and you deserve a break. Go get that pedicure or go see a movie or drink that diet coke in blissful silence. 
• Jeanne: You don't have to follow the path your parents did, you can let your kids get their ears pierced before they turn 18.

Any good tips you've learned? I will take all the help with this parenting gig I can get.