Night time Prayers

The other night we were saying our night time prayers. I tuck Timmy and Bo in and the same time. I pray, then Timmy prays, and then Bo prays. Now, something you need to know about Bo, is that he is Bilingual. The problem is we can’t find anyone to translate his other language. So one night this is how his prayer went, “Thank you Wuord(Lord) for this day, uh dee dooo, lee ma na, ba doo, da doo, bee dee da, na na do, DUCK, DUCK, DUCK, DOOSE, we wuv(love) you Wuord(Lord) Amen. I just thought it was so cute that he included the game of duck, duck, goose in his prayer.

As for the rest of my week it has been pretty busy. Had the parenting class last night and now I am getting ready for the Women’s Expo in Jackon! So back to work I go!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I just stepped in poo with my bare foot. Seriously, what else is going to happen today? It all started this morning when I ate 3, and I mean 3 corn pops. I was going for my 3rd attempt to get my blood drawn. The first attempt is back in my blog post “being productive is over rated”. The second attempt was yesterday. I scheduled a chiropractic appointment for the afternoon and planned on getting my blood drawn then since the lab was right across the street. Ya know, trying to be efficient with my gas money. Problem is I was supposed to fast. I was going to try to make it with out eating, but I woke up and I didn’t feel good and I was cranky. I figured this increased the odds of me eating Bo if he got to annoying, so since I do rather like him I thought I would reschedule the chiropractor appointment. So today I was all geared and ready to go and then without even thinking I grabbed up the 3 pops on the counter that must have fell out of someone’s bowl and ate them. Ugh! Seriously. So I called the lab to see if those 3 pops would make a difference. Their response, and not so friendly I might add was, “Well, that is like you just ate 3 blobs of sugar.” And yes he said “blobs”. So I drove out to the chiropractor and then headed in to do some grocery shopping. My first stop was Sams! Things went pretty smoothly in Sams, other than they were serving samples and it was lunchtime so I kept buying what they were promoting. Then we went to check out. I swiped my card and then realized they don’t take Visa. But I couldn’t use my Discover because we canceled that card from when I lost my wallet and our new card hadn’t come in yet. So I said I could use debit. But the cashier, a young guy who seemed less than thrilled to be working today, said that their “debit” system wasn’t working. I didn’t have my check book with me cause I used it this morning to pay off the hot lunch bill I was acquiring. “Well, I don’t have anything else on me.” I told the kid. In a monotone voice he responded, “Well, maybe you could just go home and get another card.” So I said “Dude, do you think I just keep a stash of credit cards under my pillow so when the Sams debit system is down I can just haul my butt 45 minutes back home and 45 minutes back into town to use a different card.” Just kidding, that’s what I wanted to say but I didn’t. I did however tell him that I lived 45 min away and asked if there was a credit option on the sams membership. He sent me to the service desk to apply. So at the service desk she said she just got the credit system to work again and I was able to use my debit card. Thank God, cause if I walked out of that store with out groceries I wasn’t coming back. We would just have to eat cereal for the rest of the week. After the escapade at Sams I headed to Meijer where they did take Visa. Bo wasn’t in the shopping mood by the time we went into Meijer so just think about everything you know about Bo and I am sure you can imagine what it was like in Meijer with him today. But somehow or another I managed to get my items and make it to the check out where yet another escapade began. My Visa was declined. Now, I am aware of the stigma that people have when there card is declined, frankly I don’t care what the cashier was thinking, I was frustrated at the dang inconvenience. I only had the one credit card, so I had to call Michael to make sure I could use the debit card yet once again. I didn’t want to overdraw our account. He made sure everything was ok and I made it out of there with my groceries. Finally, we were headed home with all our food.
I had just enough time to unload my groceries and then we would need to head up to the school to pick up the kids. As I was unloading the van I notice it smelled like a poopy diaper. But it couldn’t be a diaper cause Bo was “potty trained.” Turns out Bo pooped his pants. So I sent him to the bathroom to get a head start. He had done it before in the past so I wasn’t too concerned. I through the rest of the cold items in the fridge and then went to help Bo. First I had to use the key to pop the lock on the bathroom door and then I stepped into the bathroom and stepped on a turd. And yes I was barefooted. And it wasn’t the more solid kind; it was the eeewww squishy kind. Just want to make sure you understand what I was going through. So I got the mess all cleaned up and raced up to get the kids. When we got home I begged them to just leave me alone for 15 minutes so I could lie down and the painkiller for my headache could take effect. Yeah. They do not have a good understanding of what “leave me ALONE” means. Finally it was time to throw dinner together, eat and then head up to soccer. While I was cooking, Bo was sitting on the counter. I hear him say “uh-oh” and looked over to see a big pile of hot, ploppy margarine was plopped on my counter. It was warm from sitting out today and when he picked it up it tipped and dumped. Oh, good, cause I thought I was done with the blog material for the day, nope. I just left it on the counter and dipped into from there while cooking the eggs for dinner.
The day is now done and the kids are tucked away. So now I am lying here next to a bag of chocolate. Hmmmmmmmm. Tomorrow I will try to have a less eventful day. We shall see.

I dance like a "white" girl.

They say, “white men can’t jump” and “white men can’t dance.” Well, I dance like a “white” girl. I got these salsa dancing aerobics videos. I thought it would be fun. I keep hearing how fun Zumba is and I don’t have the time to get to the classes, so I thought I would try the videos, this way I could workout at whatever time of day worked for me. I expected to be a little clumsy at first, but it has been 2 weeks now, and I swear I do not have the same parts the girls on the video have. Either that or I need some extra grease. I would have thought that I could “shake it” but wow, these girls, I honestly don’t know how their hips don’t just fly off their legs. I was telling a friend of mine I was doing the videos and their comment was, “oooh, Michael will like that.” Yeah, I thought so too. The problem is watching me do the videos is more like slap stick comedy rather than a sensual dance. Seriously, this one move is stepping forward while supposedly shaking your caboose, and I mean SHAKING. Well, I just cannot “shake” it and walk at the same time. Sometimes I try to just get into the music even if parts are not swinging the way they should be, but I usually just end up tripping over my own two feet. Maybe I am a slow learner or maybe after a few more weeks of this I will ended up braking through what ever glue I have holding my hips in place, glue those girls on the video obviously were not born with. Time will tell. Until then at least I am getting my heart rate up, I guess that is all that matters.

Football

Football. Hummmmm. So you go and sit outside in the freezing cold, sometimes raining and sometimes snowing. You have five layers of clothes on starting with your long johns and you are wrapped in your “Go Team” blanket. You grab a cup of hot chocolate hoping to drink it all before in turns into a slushy chocolate. And you sit there and you watch a bunch of guys line up, you do your best to keep your eye on the ball only to lose it cause you followed the fake play and find out where the ball is by looking for the big pile of players on the field. Nope, not me! I am more of a baseball girl myself. Sunshine, hotdogs and cracker jacks. Oh yeah! However, this weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Big House and watch the game from a suite due to a company perk that the people who were “supposed” to go couldn’t make it. If I am going to go watch a bunch of guys throw a ball and then end up in one big pile I definitely vote to do it in a warm room with no rain. It was funny though I kept hearing words like tight end and off sides, delay of game, and illegal motion. Yeah. The only football terms I know are line backer (although I have no idea what a line backer does.) quarter back, interception and touch down. The later 3 I named at least I do KNOW what there are. I have heard the term “wide receiver” also, but I am now wondering is there a narrow receiver too. I will have to ask Michael. When Michael watches the game he hollers out the plays as they are doing them. Me not so much, I just see first there are guys in a straight line, then they end up in one big pile. I do keep up with the good clean passes and I can appreciate a really long one. I must admit though, I used to be jealous of football. I would say to Michael, “ Hey baby, you want to go out to dinner tonight.” And he would respond with “sure that sounds good.” But Michigan makes a touch down, and I hear yells and screams with fists in the air “Yeah! Yeah!” Oh and if they lose. Whew, it is not pretty. Michael, my non-emotional husband, I think he actually sheds tears. It is quite entertaining to see. By far baseball is my favorite, however, going to the “Big House” and watching the players pile up on the field in person rather than on TV is a real treat. It was a good game this weekend and my husband is a happy man.

Being productive is over rated

So I put Bo in day care today. That was really strange, my last baby going to day care. I decided to send him once a week for just a couple of hours so I could get work done. I have a parenting class that I am teaching in 2 weeks, I am going to be in the Women’s Expo in Jackson, and have other stuff to keep up with for TurningLeaf, so I figured with Bo in day care for a couple of hours I could work VERY EFFICIENTLY. No stopping to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, no one there to push random buttons on the keyboard while I am trying to work on the computer. I could just work for 3 hours and actually accomplish something. Well, I had to go get my blood taken. I just had a yearly physical and they wanted some blood work, so I thought, hey, I will go while Bo is at day care so he can’t terrorize the lab room. As much as this experience would leave me with an abundance of blog material, I was looking for a little more of the “boring life” approach. So I dropped Bo off today, crossed my fingers as I walked out the door hoping he would pee his pants today, or “worse”. And headed into Lansing “kid free”. I could hardly contain myself. No sponge Bob playing on the DVD player, no one asking me for nuggets as we passed McDonalds, no one crying to get out of his seat. It was just heavenly until I remembered that I was supposed to fast before getting my blood drawn. I was now 25 min. into my 35-minute drive and all my calmness was floating away from me only to be replaced with pure frustration. Dang it I had a glass of juice this morning. Before I turned around I called the lab to see if “juice” was considered “not fasting”, and yes it was so I had to go home with all the blood I left with. I really wanted to say to the lab tech “You don’t understand. My 3 year old is in day care today, I live 35 minutes away and I am supposed to be productive!!!!!! Not take joy rides in the van daydreaming about being productive! And if I don’t come in today I will have to bring my 3 year old with me tomorrow and trust me YOU do not want me to do that!!!! Please, please, please take my blood, it was 100% juice, I can’t be THAT contaminated.” But I refrained from my “crazy mom rant” and just said, “Oh, well that’s a bummer.” So I drove home doing my best to find the “silver lining” in an hour of “unproductiveness”. I flipped through the radio and the song “Girls just wanna have fun” was playing. So I got my grove on and danced to the music in my “kid free” van. I guess I will try to be more productive next week? I did get a few phone calls made, so all was not a loss. Besides, being productive is way over rated.

I am human, and I bleed.

I am human, and I bleed. Tonight I feel as though my heart is hurting. I just watched a video of old pictures put to music. Old pictures of my Grandma and Grandpa, and my Dad as a kid. All my Aunts and Uncles and my cousins. It was funny for me to see pictures of my cousins so young. I remember when they looked like that and as I watched I could go back in time and literally feel the moment. Then pictures of my grandpa would come up and I began to miss him. And pictures of my Grandma when she was young and vibrant. I still remember standing next to her watching her sew me some homemade clothes for my Barbie doll. There was a picture of us kids swimming in their pool. This was the pool I learned to swim “in the deep end” in, and the pool where my Dad and Grandpa taught me to dive of the diving board without plugging my nose. I have so many happy memories. Then pictures of my Dad came up and a twinge of pain hit my heart. I miss my family before the divorce. All these emotions that I had worked so hard to get over were now resurfacing again. My first thoughts were, “Jamie, seriously. Get you self together, it has been 10 years now, it is time to quit crying about it.” I found myself wondering if it would ever not hurt. Granted, I don’t cry everyday about it. My Dad is remarried now and I have grown to enjoy and appreciate my “step-family”. And I look forward and embrace the day my mom will remarry. But today I feel the pain again. I don’t like these days. However, I am “learning” to embrace them and grow through them, but it still hurts. I really don’t like to hurt. I was talking with my life coach one time and I told him I wanted to learn how not to hurt anymore. I told him I didn’t want to feel pain in my heart ever again. His response to me was “oh, you don’t want to be human then.” When he put it that way I realized if I were physically able to never feel pain, I would eventually die, just like a leper. And as I pondered it further I realized if I were able to shut down every emotional pain sensor in me, if I were able to never have to cry again. If I were able to never feel this ache in my heart over anything, then I would be dead. I would be dead emotionally, therefore not really LIVING. To live, truly live on this earth as a human being is about experiencing LIFE. And life is a journey with up and downs. Sometimes things happen and to be blunt it just plain SUCKS. But when it comes down to it living as an emotional human being is better than an indestructible shell. Because as hard as it is sometimes, pain is my teacher. The trials I have went through concerning my parents divorce has shaped me as a person. I have learned a lot about myself through it all and that is very valuable to me. So I cry today. I feel the pain and I cry. A part of me still wishing the pain away and wanting to stuff it, but a greater part of me knowing it is better to face it and walk through to the other side. Though the tears may roll down my cheeks this moment, this moment to shall pass. Tomorrow is another day. And I love my Dad. I love my mom. I love my wonderful family. For now I will embrace this moment of sadness and growth so tomorrow I can feel every bit of joy. Cause the good thing about embracing the pain, is the joy is that much greater once you walk through it.

Found it!

Ok so I was without my wallet for 2 weeks. Finally, I start canceling cards and went for my license just yesterday. I figured I better get my ID and own credit card before I went on another shopping spree to the Goodwill. Wouldn’t want them to get even more suspicious of me taking 2 shopping sprees to the Goodwill with my stolen credit card. Today, I came home and the grocery store had left a message saying they had my wallet. I must have left it in a cart or dropped it in an isle. Turns out they had tried calling me all week but couldn’t get an answer. Well, this was due to the fact that I was cleaning behind the desk and was trying to untangle some cords. Being the “patient” person I am I yanked on the phone cord trying to get the end through and broke the little tab off the plastic end that keeps the cord hooked into the phone. Yes, we have phones scattered across the house, but they are all connected to this particular phone base in the office. So Once that was disconnected they all were disconnected. Michael fixed it Saturday, and today I got the call. I figured it had to pop up eventually so I waited as long as I could before canceling cards and getting my license. Guess I should have done it sooner.

I lost my wallet

I lost my wallet. Ugh. Not fun. I haven’t had it for about two weeks now; I just kept waiting for it to show up. Finally, this morning I went to get a new license. I really needed my ID and I figured this was the for sure way to find my wallet. Just get the new license and the new credit cards and I was bound to find my wallet soon after, right? Well, we shall see. Shoeless Bo and I went into Secretary of State to get it done. (I couldn’t find his shoes) I went into Albion and there was absolutely no wait. Perfect! Thank goodness there wasn’t a wait, because Bo was able to stir up enough trouble while I was filling out the forms. The lady had to stop me in the middle of filling out my address to tell me he was no longer sitting in the chair behind me, but standing on the table. After I got him down he spent the remainder of our time there rearranging the chairs. Finally, everything was approved and the lady said, “That will be nine dollars please.” Oh right, I forgot about the fact that this would cost money. I was to busy trying to locate three items with an address and MY name on it to prove I was me. Well, I forgot my checkbook and the only card I had on me was Michael’s Visa. And they only accept MasterCard and Discover. My Discover was in the wallet, which I no longer have. So I had no other choice than to go home and get my checkbook. On my way out I came of with the grand idea of going to Felpausch and buying some groceries and then just getting “cash back”. I am just glad I remembered I had to have a Discover card to do that before I was in the check out line. So I just headed home and then went right back. Finally, I am legal once again. I have been using Michaels Visa for groceries and such just hoping they wouldn’t ask for my ID. Funny thing is the only place that asked me for it was the Goodwill. I found it quite ironic that THEY were asking me for ID. Seriously, if I stole someone’s credit card, I would be at the GAP!!!!!! Not goodwill. I had to laugh. Fortunately they let me make my purchase!!!

I see you

In this post I will be referring to the movie Avatar. So if you haven’t seen it yet you may want to wait on reading this post.

I was dragged to the theater by my husband to see this movie, only to come out thanking him for getting me there. It really was great. But to be honest it wasn’t about he special affects for me, I am a sap for a good love story, and this certainly was. But that is not entirely what I want to talk about.

In the movie, as always, the loved one finds out the truth. Well, Jake’s girl finds out the truth of Jake’s initial deception and tells him to leave and never to come back. I love it when Jake returns riding this, well “flying thing” that they are all amazed to see him on. Jake returns after being rejected by the avatar people and his girl, he walks through the crowd and right up to her and she says, “I see You.” She said, “I was afraid before, Jake, but now I see you.” This is a line the avatar people used signifying that they truly saw eachother for who they were as if they could see into their very soul, see their thought and feel their feelings. And it hit me, how often to we REALLY see each other. How often to we look at each other and see each other for who we really are. Often times we are looking through eyes of fear responding to everyone else’s fear. We are constantly judging and setting up our preemptive strikes as to not get hurt. If we could all look into each other’s hearts and see the amazing people we are behind all the facades created in fear I believe we would all be softer with each other.

They grow up too fast.

It has been strange for me to watch my oldest kid venture off to middle school. Eleven years ago when he was born to me, just a kid myself, I remember thinking I would never sleep through the night again. Well, I hardly ever did sleep through the night sense then, as most of you moms know, especially now with four. If one kid gets up just one night a week, well that is four days out of my week. I remember people telling me “It will go by so fast, cherish every moment” Whenever I heard this I couldn’t help but think, “Yeah, you didn’t have the night I had last night. It was anything but FAST.” Or during the potty training. Ugh. Seriously, there were times I thought he would graduate in diapers, despite my dad telling me that he wouldn’t. But sure enough by the time he was 4 he had mastered it. And now here he is in middle school and I think to myself. “They were right. It went by so fast.” Now I am dealing with toddler issues with Bo, and even though it is exhausting and some days I just imagine him at five, I am not naive to how fast it will slip through my fingers. Now I believe it when people comment on how fast it goes. Now Josh is in sixth grade. It is crazy to see him getting older, but I gotta say I am quite fond of him. I am glad we didn’t give him away as an infant. I think that is why we still have Bo, we are hoping to like him better later. Haha. He won’t be little forever. Some day he will be off to middle school himself. So now I must cherish all his little disasters. For it is true what they say. “They grow up too fast”

I am teaching a Parenting Class, Are ya interested?

Dean Nixon’s
“Value Based Parenting Class”

With: Jamie Lightner

Hosted by: Calvary Chapel Lansing, MI
1611 E. Kalamazoo Ave



8-Week Course Sept. 28th- Nov.16th
Tuesday Evenings: 7PM – 8:30PM

Cost: $90 per couple

Register with Jamie Lightner 517-242-0224 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              517-242-0224      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              517-242-0224      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

jamielightner@yahoo.com

Early Special: All those registered and payment made by September 21st will receive a $10 discount.

Value Based Parenting
Value Based Parenting method gives parents the knowledge and tools to instill and reinforce solid principals and morals that their children can carry into adulthood. This method isn’t just about getting a child’s behavior in control, but rather it’s about developing the child’s conscience and integrity- their values. Value Based Parenting is a positive and affirming way to teach healthy boundaries with which the child can begin to govern themselves as they get older. Children raised with this method learn to feel satisfaction and achievement in accepting responsibility, making wise choices and contributing to the family structure. Value Based Parenting helps preserve and strengthen the integrity of the family unit through consistency, communication and love.


About this course.

*Greatest Human Need

Focus on the job of a parent and learning how to make the shifts in your own life that will automatically have a positive affect on your children.

Week 1: Greatest Human

Week 2: Relationship ripples



*Creating Rapport with Your Children

Focus on your relationship with your children, and what they need from you. Learn how to motivate with love, and use your POWERFUL tool of INFLUENCE. Also learn how to communicate more effectively with your child.

Week 3: Fear/Love

Week 4: Control/Influence

Week 5: Three Types of Dependencies

Week 6: Three Steps to Communication



* Application as a Family

Build your family values and start using them as a guide for your family, as a family. Also learn the difference between a punishment and a consequence.

Week 7: Ten Core Values

Week 8: 3 Consequences (picked by the FAMILY)

Last day of fun in the sun, well kina.

Today we all hit the water for one last spin on the boat before school starts again. The roles were a bit reversed today. At about 2:00 Michael was telling the kids to get there swim suits on, and each one of them responded with “But Dad it’s too cold.” So we all put on our suits, and then put sweat pants and sweat shirts over top of them to shield us from the wind chill. It’s kinda funny how cool 70 degrees is after it has been 80 degrees for so long. The boys were all brave enough to hop in the cold water, but as for Kate and I, we chose to just chose to soak up the last days of the gorgeous sunshine, the rays we could get through are parkas anyway. Michael was the first to go. He wanted to try this wake board thing. It is like a mini serf board. He had fun for a bit and then one of his boots broke. Being the immature middle schooler he is, oh oops, I mean the determined courageous man he is, he decided to try to do it with one good boot. Well, there were screws sticking up from the ripped boot and we ended up taking Michael back to Jess’ house with his foot wrapped in a towel. Back at the house Jake played EMT and enjoyed dumping the alcohol on Michael’s sliced heal just a little much. Jess and I just watched both cringing at how gross it was and laughing at the boys and this whole process. By the time the “surgery” was over it was actually pretty nice outside and we headed out for a little more sun. I still didn’t brave the icy waters, but it was fun watching Jake and the kids be hooligans. Michael was the boat driver for the rest of the night. I am just glad we didn’t have to go to the ER. My dad had to go to the ER on Labor Day some years back due to a water skiing incident gone wrong…but that is a whole different story. Let’s just say he wasn’t really “meant” to do the splits.

Bathrooms with Boys

“Put the seat up before you pee! Then put it back down when you are done.” I said for the millionth time in my career as a mom. Boys and bathrooms, what an adventure.
Often times over the years of raising boys I have walked into my bathroom and it smelled like a giant urinal. Now I’m not saying that I went for weeks without cleaning my bathroom and so it began to smell. Well, ya sure that did happen on occasion, and how often those occasions happened I am certainly not saying. Far to incriminating. But yes on the occasions that I just scrubbed my bathroom with bleach I would find 2 days later it would stink again. Well naturally I assumed that this is because my boys all came with their own personal squirt gun. And the problem is this squirt gun did not come with a scope. I have noticed the ability to aim is seriously limited. And it is crazy where the stream can end up at times.
There have been times I have sat on the toilet seat only to feel a wet sensation on my cheeks. Now considering the fact that I don’t have a “bidet” my only hope is that a freshly showered kid sat on the seat with their freshly clean wet butt. But reflecting on the fact that just before I stepped into the bathroom I was just looking at my sweaty grubby outdoor kids thinking, “Eeeeew you need a shower” this was probably not the reason for the wet seat. So, now my mind wonders to all the times I see my boys aiming to high and hitting the back of the toilet seat before shifting things downward. So here I was sitting in little boy tinkle spatter. Yuck! After disinfecting myself, I then disinfect the seat, also noticing the puddle that has collected on the side of the toilet. I’m sure this isn’t helping the smell either.
As I continue washing my hands I notice my trashcan has splatter running down the side of it. Now, I am sure there are many explanations for this. So I can’t just assume it is another aiming project gone awry. It could be opening up a pop can after it was dropped, um near the toilet? Or maybe it was a squirt gun fight in the bathroom. Now that is quite probable only I believe the water would have evaporated, not turned into a sticky, gross, gue running down the side of my trash can.
Seriously, how do they get it everywhere? Well, some of my questions were answered one day while I was standing at my vanity doing my hair. My son at the age of 5 walked in fresh out of bed for the day and assumed the position. He was actually aiming pretty well, when mid stream he lifted his hands in the air and began stretching. His head now looking toward the ceiling and both arms are stretched out, leaving the stream to wander all over the place with every shift of his stretching body.
“Timmy!” I exclaimed “Hang on to yourself, you have to aim.” I mean seriously he didn’t get the hands free model, those cost extra, and let’s face it kid’s are expensive enough.
So this was definitely shedding some light on the “smelly” subject. Boys and their toys. Although I can’t say it’s worse than the day I walked in the bathroom to find Bo, my 2 year old at the time, brushing his teeth. Sounds like a great kid I know. Problem is he was dipping his toothbrush in the toilet to wet and rinse it. Eeeeewwwwww. I could see now that getting the boys to put the toilet seat up before they pee and then back down was the least of my worries.

I could only imagine

Remember that day you brought that beautiful baby home. You were a brand you parent and had so many emotions running through your body. First love and excitement then fear of inadequacy, and back to joy and excitement, then back to “oh no, what do I do with this thing.” For 9 months now you have imagined watching them sleep, feeding them and making them laugh. You imagine their first step and even their first ride on a bike. You imagine all those fun times at the playground and days at the beach. In a only a moment you have flashed ahead and now anticipate those wonderful experiences to come, and they will. But what you forgot to imagine was 3 months of sleepless nights. Yeah sure the first few nights you will wake up all excited, talking your little baby talk, “Hi wittle angel, are you hungry again? Oh, let’s change your wittle buns, and get you sompin to eat. Oh you are so sweet.” By about the end of your second week of getting up every 2 to 3 hours you are dragging yourself out of the bed one appendage at a time hoping your legs will hold you up once you finally put all your weight on them again. You sleep walk yourself to the baby and finish the routine with one eye open and only half your brain cells functioning. You think to yourself, “Oh, when will this baby sleep through the night, heck I take just 4 hours in a row.

The other stages that were not in your “mini-flash forward” come after you are getting a full nights rest, well technically anyway. Did you imagine the crazy weeks of potty training wondering if you will ever be done cleaning poopy underwear? Did you imagine all the panic you would experience when your kid is out of sight for a second in the grocery store? Did you imagine the sleepless nights worrying about your sick baby? Did you imagine the 2 year old that is whining cause he hasn’t had a nap, or the 5 year old crying cause someone took her Barbie, or the 9 your old stomping to their room screaming “you are ruining my life.” Did you imagine the 12 year old who could get a degree in law for his amazing arguing skills, or the 15 year old who thinks they know everything. We really don’t know what we are getting into as parents and just can’t fathom it all. However, before parenthood we also can't begin to imagine how much love we can have for someone. It is much greater and and more powerful than we could ever fathom. Parenthood is full of many joys and many hardships, but as parents we wouldn’t trade it for the world!