On Being a Mom... Views From a Cynic

This post contains no parenting advice. I could never pretend to have cracked the parenting code. I am not sure that I will ever be qualified to advise anyone on the great challenge of parenting.

Rather, this post is aimed at moms in social settings.  Most moms have some sort of "mom support"-- a play group, some random people at the local park, even an online forum.  I have had plenty of experience with these social situations, so here is a word to the wise:  If you find yourself ostracized from play dates and park get-togethers, perhaps you have broken one of these cardinal rules...

1.  Be honest about your kids.  Brag about your kids and complain about your kids.  But do both.  This rule has no exceptions. 
Don't be the cranky mom who is constantly whining about the horrors of motherhood.  You make us laugh and we can all sympathize, but then you are a drag and we start to feel sorry for your husband and kids. 
And please, please don't be the Mom who is shamelessly bragging non-stop about how her 6 month-old knows the alphabet and balances the budget.  We are impressed with the occasional achievement-- we roll our eyes and stop believing you with constant bragging.  If you really can't find anything to say that is not glowing and positive, then at least humor the rest of us with a generic comment like:
"It definitely takes patience to be a Mom", or "My kid sure does wear me out sometimes". 
You get the idea. Be real.  Being a mom is amazing... and exhausting.  Find a balance.

2.  Don't ever refer to yourself as a "Mommy".  Unless you are using a direct quote from your child, the word "Mommy" really should never pass your lips.  Its not cute.  Its akin to baby talk (which is also not cute).  You are not a stay-at-home "mommy".  You are a stay-at-home mom.  You do not love being a "mommy".  You love being a mom.  Please get it right.  The next time you get an urge to refer to yourself (while speaking to another adult) as a "mommy"-- stop it.

3.  Your kid is not acting out in class because he/ she is so advanced that they are bored. If I had a dollar for every parent who told me this, I'd be rich.  It is possible to be smart and also well-behaved.  If your kid is acting up in class-- it is not up to the teacher to challenge them more (that is a separate issue).  It is up to your kid to learn how to behave.
 

I realize how cynical this sounds.  Just a heads-up for new moms finding their footing in social situations.  You are welcome.

School 2012

First day of school!  The kids (and I) have been looking forward to school starting ever since we moved here.  They both love school-- let's hope that continues...

This will mark the first time that the kids are able to take a bus.  They were so excited and nervous about this.  I am mostly just excited.  No more long drop-off/pick-up lines for me!  And their bus stop is only one house away.

My cute school kids

Big Kindergarten Boy!

Standard Zoie pose (She's 7... what can you do?)

2nd Grade Girl

Chase trying to get in on the act

The Boys

So happy!

Waiting at the bus stop

And waiting...

And waiting...

At last!

A moment of separation anxiety

Rasmussen Family Adventures

The first thing we noticed about Kingwood (the city we live in) are all the trails that run through the trees that are EVERYWHERE in the town (recall: Kingwood is called the "livable forest").  Lance and I said, "Wouldn't it be fun to go on family bike rides through the forest?"  We agreed that it would.

And so we do.  We quickly taught Tobin to ride without training wheels.  We bought cheap bikes from Wal-mart and a trailer for Slappy.  And now we engage in "Rasmussen Family Adventures" several times a week. (That is literally what we call it.  I don't even think we've referred to it as a "bike ride" yet).

Since we ride through the forest, its not too hot (relatively speaking--  It IS August in Texas, after all).  There are 75 miles of trails through Kingwood, so come across parks and playgrounds fairly regularly. We always stop and play and bring snacks and drinks.  We even found a large turtle population that we like to throw crackers at from the bridge.  Its our favorite thing.

I love my old lady beach cruiser.  Lance looks hot toting the baby trailer behind his mountain bike.  We've become "that" dorky family.  Still... its so much fun.  It'll be even better in the winter. 

 The only pictures I captured were of Zoie on the move, so here they are (above).  I may include a few stock photos (below).

Another Random List

Whenever I don't really feel like writing anything of any kind of significance, I make a list instead.  This particular list is of things I hate.  I am generally a pretty positive person.  This type of negativity is a bit out of character-- but people who don't posses strong feelings of any kind are boring.  So, without further ado:

Things I hate:

1. UF Gators
2. Holding my breath
3. Any professional sports team from Pittsburgh
4. Country music and Heavy Metal
5. R. Kelly
6. Generic, unfunny sitcoms that are inexplicably popular (Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, etc.)
7. Being tickled
8. A messy kitchen
9. Insincerity
10. Being pale

Life with a Cat

I feel the need to say, first and foremost, that I am not a cat person.  I have never had a cat.  I swore that I would NEVER own a cat.  It would not be much of a stretch to say that I have always hated cats.  There is a definite stigma attached to "cat people".

But I have a cat now.  How did this happen?  I love animals-- in particular, dogs.  We are not in a position to have a dog since we are renting our current house.  I am also not in a position to want the work and expense associated with a dog.  But we love being pet owners and wanted to teach the kids some responsibility.  So... a cat.

It was free.  It was a rescue kitten.  The food, litter, and toys, etc. cost us all of $8.  Can't argue with that.  So, it has been a month now.  How is life with a cat?

The Pros:

The cat is easy.  We scratched its little paws in the litter box on the first day and he has never had an accident.  We leave food and water out each morning.  We can leave him for hours (even days!) at a time and we do not come home to any surprise messes or disasters.  There is no shedding.

He is cuddly.  He curls up on our laps each night and falls asleep.  Even supposed "cat haters" love this.

The kids and Lance take care of him.  They clean the litter box.  They feed him.  I am responsibility-free.

He is playful.  Its pretty funny to watch him play with his toys.  Like I said, I love animals.

The Cons:

Lack of unique personality.  I'm used to dogs, who exude personality.  Thibodeaux does not seem all that unique-- just a cute cat.

Lack of loyalty.  He does not always greet us at the door.  He doesn't always come to us when we call him.  He really doesn't seem to know (or care) about his name.  Maybe its because I always call him "Cat".

Lack of discipline.  He's really well behaved-- but on the few occasions in which he has done something undesirable (climbed on table, nipped at us, etc.) he doesn't seem to respond to any reprimands.  Kinda frustrating.

The Bottom Line:  I remain a dog person.  I adore dogs and their funny personalities.  However, if you are looking for a low-maintenance, easy pet-- you can't beat a cat.  I like Thibodeaux.

Here are a few Cat pictures:

Eleven Years

You're still the one who makes me laugh

 Still the one that's my better half

You're still the one that makes me strong

Still the one I want to take along

We're still having fun

And you're still the one...

Quitter

It seems I have developed a habit of quitting things, as of late:

• I quit my quest for blonde-hood. It was ugly and expensive.  I was still several months (and hundreds of dollars) away from achieving the desired color.  So, I bought a $7 bottle of black hair dye.  I feel better already.
• I quit potty training.  I attempted potty training with Chase last week.  He's not ready.  He doesn't seem to understand why/ how he gets wet.  He has no concept of "pee-pee".  This is exactly what happened with Tobin.  I'll try again around his 3rd birthday (September).  It should only take 2-3 days.
• I quit my diet plan.  I tried a hcg diet a few weeks ago.  Following its instructions perfectly, I was eating 337 calories per day.  I was cranky, head-achy, and generally a miserable person.  I think my whole family was relieved when I quit.

I am still enrolled in school.  I am taking a very interesting Education and the Law course.  Education is a very, very boring major-- so anytime, I find interest in a class its a big deal.  I am getting anxious to be done with my Master's program.  I am considering doubling up on my course load in order to finish in a year.

I am still doing P90x with Lance.  Look out world, here comes Buff Kira.