Who's loosing it?

Is it me or my mom, who is the one loosing it? I believe in the last 2 weeks my mom feels I have not remembered anything she has said, done or mentioned. Apparently she tells me her schedule, and I don't remember it or I forget that something a week from now is scheduled. Well, maybe she is right. Maybe I don't have the memory I used too.

Could it also just possibly be that I have a full plate?

I have two busy children to raise. Dance class once a week, violin every morning plus lesson and group class every week, school homework, projects and PTSA commitments.

I work and emotionally draining job as a child therapist part time, trying to assist children and their families to more fully function in everyday living. I also work a contract job every other Sunday, and a per diem social work job.

I have a mother, whom of course has her issues.

I try to keep track of my father and invite him to family functions and dinner (oh, and I seem to be his mail carrier as he has mail delivered to my house instead of his).

A sister who is in an intensive graduate school program, who has a dog with multiple health problems.

My husband has his issues too, I tend to lovingly tease him about his attention deficit disorder and the fact that some days he must not have "paid his attention bill."

So, maybe, just maybe mom, if I don't remember your exact schedule, if I don't realize what is scheduled a week out, please just cut me a little slack. Being the family "den mother" is sometimes just a lot to juggle.

Good Bye's

Our summer is almost at the half way point. We have had many fun adventures with family and friends thus far, but it has also been a summer full of good bye's. As many of you are aware, Carson has such a hard time with that. It breaks my heart and totally reminds me of me when I was a child and my heart just aches for him.

Here is our list of good bye's:

Grandpa

Cousin Ali

Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sam

School friends and teachers

Aunt Michelle

Cousin Mikele

Friends, the S. family including their two children

Carson has cried at every parting and Adeline had her times also. We love and enjoy all our friends and family, but the good bye's are getting tough.

Commonalities Across the Country

Recently our family flew across the country to attend a family wedding. We were at one of the family /friend dinners where a lady was telling us that she had grandchildren who were my kids age and they lived part time in the same city we did. How interesting I said, and we continued on with our conversation and found out we actually not only lived in the same city, but were literally in walking distance to each other. At the next dinner, the lady gave me her daughters phone number and said "please give her a call."

As I said I would, I gave this mom a call. We scheduled a little pool party with lunch. Amazingly the kids hit it off big time. There was not one issue between the kids, no refereeing, no behavioral disruptions, sharing and manners were displayed throughout the day. Icing on the cake was us mom's even had a great time. We were actually able to have uninterrupted conversations about parenting and life in general.

What a great day! Who would have ever known we would travel cross country to find a friend and neighbor in our own backyard.

Hotel Needs Help!

My young son told me one night that he wanted to stay at a hotel. I replied, we sure can, you can stay at the Hotel de Mama Mia Maria. You have a chef, a maid, a chauffeur, and activities coordinator an educational tutor, and talent coordinator (hence the name of my blog, described on my very first post).

Well, the satisfaction survey from the owner of this hotel, me, believes it is falling in the category of "dissatisfied." The maid is falling behind on her duties, the chef has not cooked a real meal in who knows how long, the chauffeur is hating the heat, the activities coordinator is exhausted, and the talent coordinator cannot hear Minuet 3 on the violin one more time!!!!

Maybe these people are feeling under appreciated, or under paid, who knows. But, this family is turning into co-owners of this hotel, and it will be a summer full of learning to take responsibility, pitching in and helping each other out.

First Week of Summer

We have sucessfully completed the first full week of summer vacation. Let me tell you, it was a rough one. This picture described how I felt for the first three days. I don't know if I was extra worn out from a very fun trampoline party we went to where I bounced and raced myself silly with my kids on 50 yards of trampolines (such a cool place), or if it was post school let down. Anyhow, I was wiped. I was so tired that I did not want to pry myself of the couch. I only did the necessities in life, and sadly to report, let my kids watch a bunch of cartoons.

This was all fine and dandy until it was time to return to work on the 4th day of summer break. I actually had to be there and be productive in my tired haze. It was also a day where I had all 6 of my clients show in a row. The next day was the same and Saturday I had 8 clients in a row with no break. I was lucky to be able to take a quick restroom break.

So, I am now done working for the week. I am totally emotionally exhausted. I thank my lucky stars that my kids can act 100 times better then the kids I see in my office.

The Heat

I always forget that living in the dessert is great in the winter, but is a completely horrible experience in the summer. In two days, the temperature seemed to go from the upper 80's to over 100 degrees! That gives the body no time to gradually adjust to the heat and makes it feel extra hot.

I was so excited my kids were out of school, I wanted to be out at the water parks, the pool and have fun in general, but I think all the heat has taken every ounce of energy from me. Even going to the pool to cool off seems like so much effort in the blazing heat. I have to mentally decided if whatever we are going to do is worth the burning heat. I guess the plus is the kids don't seem to be too affected by the heat. They will swim anytime, want to go to the park, and water park even when their little faces are beet red.

Here's to another hot summer.

Self Worth

Adeline had a little preschool graduation, although she still has another year in preschool. Anyway, it was a darling little ceremony. The kids sang songs and received certificates for participating in the school year.

The most wonderful part of the program was this great song about loving yourself. The teacher gave an introduction to the song by emphasising the importance of developing your child's self worth.

After this song I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. I still continue to watch this video at least three times a day.

If only as adults we could still maintain the self worth that a mentally healthy 4 year old has.

Home Sweet Home

We are home! I slept in my own bed, with my own blankets and pillows. It was a whirlwind the last week. It started with Adeline's preschool graduation, then 4 hours later jumped on a plane to North Carolina for a family wedding. We arrived in NC at 2:30 in the morning. We were at the zoo by noon after our few hours of sleep, walked and took in all the wonderful animal exhibits and kids area.

Our family visited the Natural Science Museum which was phenomenal, and two botanical gardens which were so green with colorful flowers, so different then our desert of rocks and cactus. We also had 2 family diners, and of course the wedding.

The wedding was at a beautiful hotel with a ceremony in the outdoor garden which seemed so magical.

Our last day we drove 2 hours to the airport, a delayed flight, more trips to the restroom then I can count (my little kids and their pooping) then sitting on the tarmac for 40 minutes. Late to our connection, yet another delay, another round of trips to the restroom, get on the plan and sit on the tarmac for 15 minutes. Finally landed at home at 9 pm instead of 7, and up at 5:45 am to start the last week of school.

I won't even begin to discuss the mass of laundry that I need to address.