Mommies need to stick together before we all fall apart!

I have had a bad few weeks. Anyone who keeps up on Facebook or has seen me in person already knows that. My dear, sweet, wonderful son Samuel spent about three weeks waking me every night around 2 (sometimes earlier, rarely later) and somehow we didn't manage to get back to sleep until around 5. At five up here in the north, the sun is coming up and by 5:30 it is full daylight. So going back to sleep at 5 is not fun. I was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night. This for my two-year-old. And no one to take a night for me or let me sleep in one morning. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Completely worn out physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Funny how sleep affects every single part of your life. Nothing was getting done except the bare minimum and that only getting half done. We've been dressing from the dryer and setting the table from the dishwasher for a while now! Not only was I worn out, I was getting pretty whiny about it. And I hate to be whiny. I hate to admit defeat but I was there.

Thankfully on Monday Sam started sleeping again. I promptly came down with a sinus headache for four days but that is starting to go away. I've gotten to sleep for three nights now (although we were up at 5:30 this morning -ugh!) I feel like a whole different person than I did three days ago. Still tired? You bet! Way behind in every part of my life? Sure thing! Overwhelmed by what needs to be done? Yep! Still want to whine about it a little? Of course!

I was resting yesterday - still taking the opportunity to rest when I can- and watching Nanny 911 on CMT. (I have to say I can't figure out why CMT thinks showing a week of Nanny 911 honors Mother's Day, but I was watching it!) There was a lady with three little ones under 4 whose husband was deployed. My heart went out to this lady struggling through what we all know to be so hard with little help. Then in the last couple of days I have heard from two younger mamas of their first babies who are struggling. Worn out. Lonely. Just want to go to the bathroom by themselves. Or sleep all night. Or do something when the mood strikes them. Or have two hands free.

What we do is hard Mommies!! Why do we feel like we don't want to admit that to anyone else? Why are we so tough on ourselves? Sometimes it sucks! Sometimes I know that the next time someone yells "Mommy!" I'm going to scream! Yes, I do feel like locking the bathroom door just to get a few minutes of privacy! I do fondly remember my days before kids! I do dream of sending them off to college! Or at least to school! (God bless the homeschoolers!) Or of giving them some magic potion to make them sleep for 24 hours so I can sleep! You know what? It's ok. It's ok to feel that way. It's ok to say it. Share it with the struggling moms around you. Even if your kids are at college or past, let them know about the times you felt that way. I was so thankful for a lovely lady with kids in high school when Gabby was a baby that said she remembered being overwhelmed by all the little socks in the laundry and thought she just couldn't deal with another one. Made me feel like I wasn't crazy for feeling the same way. Stand by your fellow Mommies this Mother's Day weekend. We have to stick together or we will all fall apart!

By the way, this was really hard for me to post. I'm still being hard on myself. I do, however, love my kids like crazy. Of course right now one is sleeping and the other is at school - LOL!

Gabby as Catcher

This picture was from two weeks ago. It rained at the game this past week and I didn't get any pictures. Gabby had been dying to play catcher this year. She was so excited when they sent her there and so cute sitting there. She looked like a pro sitting out there. However, she didn't like the way the helmet fit (it was a bit big) so she now thinks being catcher is no fun. Glad I got some pics of it because she probably won't do it again.

Sammy's Birthday!

My little birthday boy! He's a big boy of two now. He had to spend the morning in childcare, but had a big afternoon. It was a nice day so we went outside and played, opened presents and had cake. Our next door neighbors came over for a few minutes to have cake with us. I baked the cake and Gabby decorated it. Well, she helped me mix it up too. So I just did all the hard parts and she had the fun! He got trucks, trains and Queen stuff. All the things he loves! Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!

"Funny" Sam

Sam has gotten funny. Not sure if he means to be but he says the funniest things. A favorite lately has been to say others are funny. "Gaga funny." "Mommy funny." "Jordan funny." Well a couple of days ago Gabby went next door to play and I had just folded a load of laundry that was sitting in the basket. I came in the den and he had dumped the clothes out onto the floor. When I started fussing at him, he said, "Gaga funny." Yeah, Gabby wasn't even here.

He has learned how to tattle on his sisters, too. I never know exactly what he is saying but he comes a-runnin' after the squeal from whatever torture is happening and says, "Gaga" followed by lots of serious words. Once he even told on Jordan.

The funniest was today. He has started saying "Mommy help me!" when he can't quite get something or gets stuck somewhere or just wants me to come do. So at naptime today I gathered him up to take him upstairs. On the third or fourth stair he leans away from me and says, "Gaga, help me!" Silly boy!

Miss California

I can't let it go. I love how all the stories take the slant that her answer cost her the title. I have to admit I didn't see the show but it seems from the stories she was the only one asked this. Could that have been because she goes to a Christian college and not because she is from California? She feels the way a majority of Californians feel according to the last election. Other states have voted on this matter with the same result as well. So why is that so scandalous? Would she really have won if she said she agreed with same sex marriage? So much for the pageant trying to keep it's image above the shallow. Seems pretty shallow to me.

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First T-ball Game

Gabby had her first T-ball game on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and she had a great time in case you can't see all the smiles.

Robert's Birthday and Cake

Robert's birthday was April 9. Since Gabby was so worried about having a party, I told her we could get a cake. We mailed him some cookies and other goodies. I was kind of tired that day and we were in Costco so I just let her pick out a cake there instead of making another stop at Wal-Mart. This is the cake she picked out. Of course it was huge since it came from Costco. Really too much for the three of us, but sometimes you just do what you have to do.
This is the first cake I have ever bought from Costco and I have to say it was good. This was a white cake with a whipped chocolate layer in the middle. Yummy. My big complaint is the box they sell it in has no reusable option. No top that opens and then closes back over it. Just wrapped in plastic, which you have to pull off. Then you are stuck with no way to store the cake. This was complicated by my irritating side-by-side fridge. I had to cut the cake in half and put one half in my Tupperware cake taker. The other half I wrapped the box around and enclosed in foil. So now this cake took up two whole shelves of my fridge. Every time I opened the door, something fell out on me. We worked on that cake lunch and dinner for a long time! Now we get another cake for Sam's birthday on the 1st! We'll be caked out.