Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Growing up!

As I reflect (since that's the name of my blog) on my life, I realize that my kids moving out and moving on isn't the most difficult part of the process. The difficult part is....that for the last 18-22 years of their life, I have been the most instrumental, influential person in their lives. I am no longer that person. My entire existence for the past 22 years has primarily been to mold and shape and (maybe sometimes) inspire my children to be the people they are. Like I said in a previous post....I have to change my purpose. I am one of those people that need a purpose. So laying here in bed until 10:30 am does not fulfill me. There is only so much you can do on Facebook or on a blog.
It's hard because only a handful of my friends can relate. And it's kind of a silent sadness that we all face, yet we don't talk much about. I think maybe because we've lost our own identity somewhere in the raising of our children, and it's a bit sad a pathetic that when they are gone and grown up, we don't know what to do with ourselves anymore.
I was never going to be one of "those" moms. I was going to celebrate when they were gone. Yet, I am not celebrating. I guess when you feel the only good thing in life you have accomplished is the children you have born, it's a dose of reality, that the good things have moved on.
Oh my life isn't completely over yet. I still have football 4-5 nights a week and dance 4 days a week and piano and jiu-jitsu. It's definitely, not over yet.
Syd is off at college, she's on her own. She rarely calls home (is that a good thing-or bad?). Ty is planning his life when he gets home. Everyone he knows is married, so that will probably happen soon after getting home. Kenzie is working and driving and home so seldom we hardly know she exists. The boys....oh the boys! They make me feel so old, and tired. I'm tired of hearing fighting, I'm tired of nagging to do chores, I'm tired of telling them to do their homework. I'm just tired! Yet I still have some time left. How do I make the most of it, when the enthusiasm has dwindled? I still want to make it exciting for them. I want home to be the place they want to come to. I want them to want to come to us for advice.
I was looking through photos of my kids yesterday, and Kenzie said, "Oh I wish Brady was that age again."  I look at those and wish I could just for one day go back and be with each of those little babies again. I wish I could swoop them up in my arms and tickle them, kiss their tears when they get hurt and snuggle next to them, when they fall asleep. The time has gone so quickly, like everyone says, and I feel as though I failed to enjoy it as I should have. If only we could capture a moment or two that we could go back and replay every now and then. I think that would help to ease the pain, of a time gone by.
"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."
-Bob Marley

Monday, September 12, 2011

County Fair!

Brady in the hamster ball.

So one of my very first posts was on the County Fair. I talked about the quality of people that attended and worked there. Every year we go, (why, I don't know). It's the same thing every year. I guess the hum of the whole thing is exciting. It smells bad, the amount of drunks is uncountable and the Carnies just give me the creeps. I don't understand it. It's like voluntarily being water boarded. UGH! Why, I ask, do we do this to ourselves. Don't even get me started on the whole expense of it all. My goodness you have to be a CEO of a corporation just to afford to go on the rides and eat the food. It costs more to go to the County Fair than to take your kids to Lagoon for the day. I'm not kidding about that. And believe me, there is no comparison.
So the whole reason I'm writing this is......everyone says they are going to the fair, for fair food. And every year I think, "ok, maybe I am missing something. I will try something different this year." So far the only thing I have liked there has been the Elephant ears and the Corn on the Cob. Maybe I'm just not into fried food. That must be it. Or maybe old food, or perhaps cold food. It's just gross people. I can't stand it. Yet every year I endure it. Well, maybe that will gain me some browny points from my last blog entry. The things we endure for our children.

About Me

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I am a stay at home mom of 6 kids. My oldest has just left for college and my youngest started kindergarten this year. Life couldn't be sweeter. My husband and I have been married for 20 years...wow did I really say that...ok I'm old.