Team Peak

First, I am glad every week that I had a great mom, but now that I AM a mom I have a new appreciation for some things I would never have thought of before and this week some new ones crept up.

1. I am greatful that my mom was/is a problem solver and that she taught me to be one too.  I am not the worlds greatest problem solver, but I try.  For instance, if the vacuum is not sucking junk up off the floor, WhY not?  Figure it out, clean the filters, send a hanger down the tube to clean it out, fix it.  It sounds simple but you would not believe how many (it seems to be mostly girls that I run into) people don’t take the time to at least TRY to solve a problem.  It made me realize that I want to raise my little girl on the way (and Liam too) to think and do for herself.  Letting her know that it is ok to get help, but to just wait for help forever  just won’t cut it in today’s world.

2.  I am glad that my mom still made dinners for the family after surviving us as little ones.  I don’t know if there is anything more unfulfilling than taking the time to make a “home cooked” meal only to have the little one cry or be bratty the whole time you are working (hunger in the tummy no doubt) and then sit down to eat and more of the crying and bratty-ness.  Charlie and I cheers-ed our spoons full of homemade chicken pot pie tonight as we sat trying to ignore the awful sounds coming from Liam.  It is our understanding that giving no attention to bad behavior is the best solution.  We laughed and tried to enjoy the first sit down dinner we have had time for in a few days, but really is it that funny?  It made me wonder how my mom did it all those years, with three of us I am sure being total brats.  Yet she cooked anyway, until we were ten, then teens, and still now.  I will do it too, I hope, but it may be a battle some days.

3.  I have been working to get the house not just picked up, but CLEAN for two days and I am not sure if it is actually possible.  I remember that when I was growing up we were expected to help with cleaning tasks, but that was when we were older.  How did she do it when we were little.  I try, and Liam bless his heart wants to “help” even at his age.  So I do my due mommy diligence and give him the baby sweeper and the dust pan, and he spreads the crumbs I just swept up into a nice neat pile BACK out to the ends of the room.  I must say that I think it is important to let him help, who would want to discourage a helpful child right?  So I am getting tricky-er.  I try to divert him to a different area of the room while I quickly try to get my pile up before he realizes it is gone, but he is getting quicker.  I guess this parenting thing is all about trying to be sharper and faster than they are until they finally overtake you, which I am sure will be when he turns TWO. 

I am grateful that I had a mom who taught me to clean, and cook, and problem solve, and teach and be patient and love through it.  I can’t imagine trying to parent without these skills, and I can only hope that I will be able to pass them on to my kids.  Thanks mom, you are great!

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 10:45 pm and is filed under Nicole. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.