Just another day in paradise??

My day begins HOPEFULLY before the children wake up. Most mornings I am graced with little Skyler screaming for his chocolate NULK (Skyler talk for milk). But most days the cell phone alarm goes off at six o'clock and I scramble out of bed, eyes half opened, and TRY to get a pot of coffee started. Usually I am thinking about how Ill never drink this whole pot by myself and soon I need to invest in one of those one to two cup coffee pots since its just me.

I put the coffee on and run to my room and switch the computer on to see if I have any interesting emails, usually I don't, but its worth a try. I check facebook, listen to the coffee brewing still hoping that the kids stay in bed a few minutes longer so I can maybe have one cup of coffee before the day starts. Then I remember that if Skyler sleeps to long into the morning (even six o'clock is to late) he will pee in his diaper and it WILL leak onto his bed. I decide that I am going to risk it and enjoy my one cup of coffee that now has finished brewing.

Six thirty rolls around and now comes the task of waking up the two middle children who's bus comes at seven twenty. Normally I would release them to walk to the bus stop (which is a short walk across the field and totally visible from my back porch) early, however, they have proven to me that in a few short minutes, they are capable of getting into quite a bit of trouble. So the new rule is they stay home as long as possible and wait it out till the bus comes. This also includes Chelsea (the eighth grader who takes a different bus at a later time but likes to go to the bus with her brother and sister so she can hang out with the "boys") who recently got into a verbal altercation with a lady who is twice her age because Chelsea thinks she is an adult and so she told an adult off. So, needless to say, the children do not go to the bus early.

Ahem...I left off at six thirty. The children are woken up (after about fifteen minutes of re waking them up). Luckily we get showers the night before and so all the kids have to do is get dressed, brush their teeth, get the back packs ready and shoes on. This sounds easy but it is not. I seriously have to post a "before school check list" for the kids because it truly drives me crazy to have to question the children each morning...

"Did you brush your teeth?"
"MOOOOMMMMM! You tell me to do that every morning."
"Well sweetheart, If you did it without me telling you then I wouldn't have to tell you then now would I?"
"OK mom!"

Two kids down...two to go. Time to clean up the bed full of pee and the baby full of pee but of course he isn't really a baby now is he? But he does still ware a diaper to bed, I just wish they would last the night. I think "I really need to cut off his drinking at seven o'clock....but then again I could wake him up earlier and make him pee." UGGG!! To much to think about so I just clean up the pee. Chelsea is on the computer again. I hate that. Any chance she gets she gets on the computer so I have had to make some rules. The new rules are that she isn't allowed on the computer until she is COMPLETELY ready for school or bed...whatever time of the day it happens to be.

I regress again....so she is on the computer and I worry...and I think "what is she doing on there? Is she talking to boys again? What are they talking about? I want her off the computer...it doesn't seem safe...but I don't want to be an overbearing mom." See the battles I have in my head. They are constant, and on going, never ending and they are soon to drive me to the loony bin.

Eight o'clock rolls around and I get Chelsea off to school. Some how in the middle of all the crazy "getting the kids ready for school" business, I have to get myself and my last child (little Sky) out the door so that I can get to work. But I have not made time to eat breakfast. I am a maid, so for me to leave the house without breakfast is not smart. I NEED food to get me through the three to four hours of hard core cleaning or I wont make it. So, usually I eat the lunch I packed for breakfast, while driving, leaving me with no lunch but of course I will worry about that later.

Grab my stuff, grab my son, hope he doesn't have to pee in the fifteen minute drive to day care (he has no diaper on just big boy undies) try to remember if I am forgetting anything and walk to the jeep.

Arrive at day care, go in and hope that Sky does OK for the day. I'm wondering if he has extra clothes because no matter how good Sky pees at home, at day care he has one or two accidents and I just cant figure out why. I kiss my little guy good bye and I'm off to work.

Rebekah is my name and cleaning is my game. I do enjoy my job but it is very very hard work. By the time I am done (because of my weight) I am beat. My feet hurt and my legs hurt and I walk about ten times slower then I did when I started. Its quite a work out. When cleaning time is over I head straight home....wait for the kids to get home from the bus (which is usually about five minutes after I get home)...and basically start the morning routine over again but in reverse, just throw in a meal...a lot of clean up and a few dirty kids and its sort of the same.

I'm exhausted when eight o'clock rolls around. I truly have nothing left in me and tend to be a bit crabby (which I'm trying to watch). I try to remember that I am the one that sets the mood of the house and If I am irritated and punchy, then the children will be as well...and that's not a good thing. It leads to all kinds of problems. LOL

Needless to say, our days are very busy, disorganized, and I worry a lot about the choices I make. I'm not talking about the big decisions you have to make for your kids, I'm talking about the teeny weeny little decisions you have to make on an HOURLY basis that make a HUGE impact in your children's future. Those are the ones I worry about. I find my mind wondering all the time to things like "Am I doing this parenting thing right? Am I screwing up my kids? How Can I make Victoria loose weight so she doesn't get teased? Why is Matt so angry? Why is Chelsea so boy crazy? Is that cut on Skyler's foot infected? I need to take Matt to the doctor for his asthma. What? Chelsea has a dance? Is she kissing boys at school? I never went to dances. Will she be touching boys at this dance...will they be touching her? Am I doing this right...am I screwing up my kids?....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! It drives me crazy.

Paradise? I don't think so...but...and there is always a but...anyone who is a mother would back me up...I wouldn't have it any other way, well thats not entirely true...I would change the fact that I am a single mom. God did NOT design parenting to be for one person...its just not normal. So If I could change anything it would be to add a wonderful, loving, honest, hard working, lover of God, and lover of ME (its all about me ya know LOL), MAN to my house. Thats it!!