Twelve Kids and Counting ....

Yes, I said TWELVE kids!  Can you believe that my three best friends and I have 12 children between us? (And we all have full time jobs!)  If you ask any of us we will all say that the way we make it through the trials and tribulations of motherhood, husbands, jobs, etc. is by having great friends.

We are all blessed with husbands that support and appreciate us.  Each of them, in their own way, realizes the importance of us getting together.  For the past few years, we have started a Mother's Day tradition of treating ourselves at the spa.  It is one day out of the year that we don't make ourselves feel bad about spending more than $25 on something for just us. Normally, we would rush down to a casino for an afternoon massage and try to relax in the fluffy robes, while deep inside we all feel guilty that our husbands are home alone with the children.  This year, we got smart.  We planned in advance, made some contacts, and booked a room at the Beau for the entire night. 

The evening began with massages for most of us, followed by the four of us gathered around one mirror while applying each other's make-up, just like old times. We wore the cutest tops we own (you know, the ones without the spit-up stains) and the finest blue jeans that the Gap clearance rack has to offer.  After deciding that $30 per person was just too expensive for dinner (because we do this so often), we ended up at the Coast pub for burgers, fajitas and pizza, listening to basketball on the big screens and talking about the NFL draft. (Go figure!)  By the second cranberry and vodka, we were feeling like college students again! We just knew that because we had a hotel room upstairs and no one to answer to, we would be partying it up until the wee hours of the morning.  (Unlike our usual return home by 9:30 at night.)  We should have known that just because you have all of those things, the body of a 30 year old mother still thinks that when the nightly news is on, you should be in bed watching it. We know each other well enough to know what we were all thinking: we would rather be in the bed just catching up than feeding a slot machine money that really needed to be spent on formula and diapers. Needless to say, we were ready for bed and taking silly pictures by 10:30. The following morning was spent at a breakfast buffet and laying out by the pool watching families with their children.  We wrapped it up by 11:30 with the thought that we better get back home and put the house back together.  Overall, we had a fabulous time doing exactly what we sought out to do.  The reality of it is, once you become a mother, there really is no place you would rather be, other than with your children. However, in about a year, we will all be ready to challenge that theory once again!



From left to right: Ava's rear end, Morgan, Peyton, Mackenzie,
Mia Clare, Kaleigh, Baby Myles, Alexander, Ashlyn,
the back of Sophie's head, Charlie, & Sammy



Hard Work (x2)

I'm so excited that I have finally gotten around to learning how to blog.  Thanks to my cousin, Katie, I have been inspired to put it all out there. There is something very therapeutical about putting your thoughts into words, and if you haven't noticed by my blog title, I am in need of any type of therapy I can get!

I'm a mother of 3 precious children and a lead teacher at a local elementary school. Both of these titles come with great responsibility and obligations.  I often find myself thinking, "Should I quit my job, sacrifice the nice things we have, and stay home with my babies?" Then summer rolls around and I am acutely aware of why I choose to work.  I find that I can be a better mother when I am not with my children 24 hours a day.  In  some aspects I am very career-centered -- thanks to my fabulous father who has retired from the Navy, is working a civilian job on base, and runs two businesses out of his home office .... love that man!  But then I portray other characteristics that deem me as family-centered -- all thanks to my marvelous mother who is content as can be when she is bunkered down in her house with her family cooking, cleaning, making costumes, babysitting, or doing one of the thousand other super-mom things she is so good at.

I have just recently joined the techology world of Facebook.  I'm still not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I enjoy seeing what other people are up to, but on the flip side, I feel like such a slacker mom when I see week to week photos of babies, or other activities that stay at home moms (or SHM) are able to do with their children. Especially since baby #3 (who will turn one next month) still doesn't have a completed baby book.  Being a working mother is HARD WORK!  Giving 110% from 7:00-4:00 and then coming home to the motherly and wifely duties can wear a woman down real quick. I thank God every day for my mother, who keeps Mia Clare at my house and tidies up while I'm at work.  Nine times out of ten, I come home to laundry done, dishwasher unloaded, coupons clipped, etc.  (She's my hero!)  But I realize there are other mothers out there that do not have this luxury. 

So....long story short .. this is my sad attempt to reach out to all of those mothers that can't, or choose not to, stay at home. More importantly, this is my way of journaling my days because who has time to pick up a pen and paper anymore!  My goal for my blog is to write letters to my children, share my thoughts about the woes working mothers (and mothers in general) face, and just vent.  We can all use a good ear every now and then.  For the time being, mine will continue to be my mother, fabulous friends, and my Dell.  Feel free to follow along.  And thanks to everyone else that has posted blogs and gotten me motivated.  (We'll see how long it lasts!) 

As it is now 10:00 and I've spent 3 hours messing with all of the features my blog has to offer, I need to call it a day. For tomorrow will be another day in paradise!