Working Mum

I am now coming to the end of my first year back at work since having my son. As a mother I confess I had many ideas and judgments on working mothers. Not necessarily all bad, but I had ideas on what it would be like and how as a mother you must feel. So after a year of working some of those ideas have been confirmed others not.
Before working I would feel guilty over not having a clean house and making sure I was doing educational stuff with my little boy. Now I feel guilty over feeling tired after the end of day and not having the laundry done at the end of the week. Each week is a matter of survival and by the grace of God I do just that. Looking back over the year I have achieved more than I thought I ever could. With a three year old, evening classes, course work and my first year of teaching special education and all the paper work that goes with it I am still standing and my family still know who I am.
Schedules have become a lot more busy and some of the more pleasant moments in life have had to take a side step as I have juggled, wife, mother, home manager and everything else with it. I struggle with time between my husband, my son, myself and God. Sometimes you wonder how you can fit everything in. Whether I have time or energy I must buy groceries and do laundry. I at some point need to clean bathrooms and tidy up. But through the year I have been able to understand priorities in life. My house is not as tidy as it used to be but my son still gets excited when he seems me and tells me about his day. My heart longs to be with my son all day but I know that he is happy and doing well as he plays with friends.
Through all the year I have had to deal with guilt of not being with my son, for not being able to clean my house when I should. But God has allowed me to be successful and my family to be happy over the year. I know next year I need to be better with my goals and priorities but God will meet me where I am at and will show strength in my weakness.

Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day in America. I got breakfast in bed and then taken out for lunch after church. The best part however was when my little guy laid his head on me and said "but I love you so much mummy." My heart melted. It is amazing how such a tiny thing can take over your life so completely and yet you are totally OK with it. I can't believe how big my little boy is. Each new day holds something new whether it is tears because we have missed our nap or giggles over something funny. I would not swap this for anything that is for sure.

THREE

On Monday my little boy turn THREE!! I can hardly believe it. Over the weekend we had a little party that was great fun for all. My little boy had his friends over or hot dog's and cake. I did make a blue train cake but I must confess it wasn't completely like Thomas. The afternoon was interesting as during nap time there was no sleeping. My little guy found a tub of diaper cream. About 35 minutes later a cry of Mummy dragged me upstairs. "I do mess" Diaper cream was over the shirt, hands and hair. As my little one led me into the room I found his diaper table painted with diaper cream. I look forward to the next year of development and fun as my little boy grows up.

Nearly Three

This the month that my little guy turns 3. I can't really believe it. Over the last few months we have been to the Zoo and I think my little guy enjoyed running up and down the ramp in the bird house than anything else. Although we did see the panda and the elephant and the gorillas which where very good to. This weekend my little guy had a friend who also turned 3 and had his birthday at a fire station and so all of the kids got to sit in the fire truck. My little guy was in little boy heaven.

I got a cough.

My little guy has managed to get a bug. A cold bug. This is not a happy day but it is the first time that my little guy has been ill where he can tell me what is wrong. He tells me that he needs a tissue for his nose and that he has a cough. Today is going to be a day of TV and cuddles. I am glad that I have the day off as we get to spend together even if it is a sick day.

My little boy is also learning new games like hide a seek although our level of hiding is our head behind our cushion. Watching my little boy grow up is a true delight.

Snow

As a teacher I am finding a new meaning to the possibility of snow. While wondering I found this rather great teachers prayer for snow and felt I just had to post it

A Teacher's Prayer For Snow

Oh, Lord, Let it snow.
Let it drift and let it blow.
In the morning, no real fuss,
Just enough to stop the bus.

Enough to make the County say:
"There will be no school today."
Let the radio report: "Snow is deep!"
And I'll roll over for more sleep.

Then later on, say maybe ten,
I'll turn the radio on again.
Just in time to hear them say:
"It's strange: the snow has gone away!"

And then I'll know you made it stop,
So I can go to the mall and shop.
Please Lord, just hear my plea,
And make it snow for the kids and me!

Amen
Author Unknown

Cookies

Me and my little guy made cookies today. It was a first. I have to say I really enjoyed it. We received a jar of all the dry ingredients for Christmas from a friend. My little guy helped to mix all the ingredients and then we added the marg etc. He then helped mix all those together. I decided to create the balls for the cookies but my little guy did squish them. We made oatmeal ones. Normally my guy doesn't like them but he was very happy to eat them once we had made them together. I am going to try and make more food with him as I hope it will encourage him to eat more.

I was watching Ice Age today when there was a scene just after the mammoth saves the tiger about herds and how they stick together and then the sloth says well we are the weirds looking herd I have ever seen. It stuck in my mind that herds are in many ways a family and families can be very strange looking. They are not always created by blood but by friendship and history, common interests and of course love. Family often really includes friends that are so close the only thing you don't have is blood in common. I am grateful for my family and also for my friends which have become my family especially over here in the USA. As our blood relations are not here but our friends our. I am so happy that my little guy will grow up knowing these wonderful people.