Another month between blog posts. Shameful, I know. It's this and that and the other thing - everything that can prohibit me from posting has. Mainly my prioritization of recording the madness that is our lives right now. I want to do better and post more frequently, but it's hard.
It's a busy season for sure. I'm distracted right now listening to Max go through a vocabulary book and saying words that Steph is pointing out. He's gotten good. You can show him an entire ABC book with pictures and he knows and says 90% of everything in there. And always says, "um" in front of them. It's very cute. Nick is running at about 75% of the book and is much more deliberate in his word delivery and pronunciation. Now, Steph is disciplining Max to put something back. Sounds like a drink. That boy. Wow. He is going to make his mom older in a day and it's going to take me a couple of days, but he'll do the same to me.
They're on antibiotics right now b/c out of the blue, 2/3 of them got strep throat. I think the anitbiotics have some sort of steroid-type effect. They have been wired for the past 4 days, talking more than they ever have, destroying things like they never have, not sleeping....it's been eye-opening and just a tad exhausting. Just a tad.
I've been traveling quite a bit lately. Last week, I was in Denver for 2 days for a big pitch. Next week, I'll be in NYC for 4 days for a conference - I'm speaking on a panel at the conference. I know it drives Stephanie to the limits, her watching the kids all day/night by herself for days on end, but if she didn't do what she does, our family would be in shambles. It's hard. I know it's hard. It's hard work and it's hard for her to realize that she's doing an incredible job. It's hard for her to see the purpose in this many times, this staying home with the kids, being a full-time mom. The thought of a "full-time mom" probably sounds so ideal for girls, before they're actually in it, and once they are, there are few things elegant about picking up poop from the floor and refereeing fights and picking up "stuff" all day long and asking 5 times for something to be done and having 3 kids glued to your legs and loading in and out of the car and the store and the gym. I am convinced that there is nothing harder than being a full-time mom, much less being a good full-time mom, much less being a great full-time mom. This family is blessed with a great full-time mom. Kids - when you read this, when you can read this, go to your mom immediately and thank her for everything she did for you and then sit up in her lap and tell her a story. Or read to her. Or sing her a song. And tell her that you love her.
We went to our first parent/teacher conference of the year for Gracie on Friday night. The nut - Gracie is doing a good job. She's a very smart little girl. But she's "social" - she talks a lot. And her sociability gets in the way of her focusing and following directions. If she can learn to control her sociability, she is going to be the queen of her class. Valedictorian. She's going to be the queen of her class anyway ;) The best thing that the teacher said the other night was not about her smarts or things we need to work on or her report card (very first one!) - it was that she is a happy girl. The teacher (Mrs. Brown) said, "you guys must have a happy home because Gracie is a happy girl."
I rubbed Steph on the back and thanked her for everything that she does. We do try to set a positive example for our kids and we do things together and when I'm not irritated that I don't already have an iPad, things are more than pleasant around here. But it's the times when I'm not here, which is the majority of the week, that the real modeling takes place. And that's all Steph. Regardless of her mood (I know she's not "happy" all the time), she gives the kids everything (and more) that she has each day - energy, patience, teaching, discipline, compassion and most of all, love.
We have super-mom here at this house and we're all better for it. Homeade breakfast, of course, is now ready. Off for another meal, day, month of madness and fun.
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