A conversation with the twins can go just about anywhere, with absolutely no explanation or warning. Soon after Hubby got home last night he found a seat on the couch so that the Twinkies could proceed with their evening ritual of crawling all over him and either talking a mile a minute or asking a zillion questions.

Here’s a little conversation they had with their Daddy last night:

Monkey: “Daddy, where’s your rocketship? Did you come home in your rocketship?”
Daddy: “My Rocketship?” looking at me in bewilderment.
Monkey: “Yes, Daddy, your rocketship!”
Daddy: deciding to play along, “It goes very fast”
Monkey & Bugs: getting excited, “Very Fast?”
Daddy: “Yes, rocketships go very fast.”
Monkey: “Oh” (his eyes were huge)
Bugs: “Daddy, where’s your airplane?”

You get the idea!  It was such a funny conversation, both of them with their faces right in front of his and their hands on his cheeks much of the time as they held this exciting conversation.  As the conversation progressed, from rocketships to airplanes and even on to helicopters we enjoyed the moment.

Their wide-eyed innocence and their excitement about things that are pure fantasy to the adult world is always refreshing.   To a two year old, anything is possible …. even Daddy going to and from work in a Rocketship!

Mommy Realities … they’re all about what we can learn from the things we experience daily with our children. Some of these realities are minor (we always hope that there are many more of these), some of them are a little more major (these aren’t too bad I suppose) and putting us into the AAAAAAAH department (we do NOT want many of these).

I’ve been having an AAAAAAH week with my oldest!  He’s struggling in school … actually not a big surprise, but he’s suffering because of his own negligence.  AAAAAAAAH!  The struggle I see going in within him is actually breaking my heart!

I know he’s not the most organized kid in the world (I don’t know that he knows the meaning of the word).  Over the years we have tried to structure things around him to encourage organizational discipline … to no avail.  He will not be structured.

The boy will be 13 in a couple weeks!  AAAAAAAAH!  As if that’s not emotional enough!  Nope, he’s got to throw in major struggles to boot.  It’s not that he’s not being given instruction, it’s not that he’s not being given the assignments in enough time … he’s simply not doing them.  Not doing them AND not telling us they exist.  Thankfully I finally figured out how to access his information online, but half of that doesn’t appear until after the assignment was due … making it too late to be proactive.

So ……. WHY in the WORLD am I sharing all of this with YOU?????  Why wouldn’t I wait until I’m PAST this and use it as a mommy reality moment from the perspective of a mom who’s “been there, done that” and can share a lesson learned with you???

I felt like it was a good idea to share that I sometimes am in the midst of a stuggle too.  We aren’t dealing with a life or death issue here, but we are dealing with a situation where, as a parent I feel conflicted in a couple ways …

1) I’ve failed - sure, he’s a great kid, very kind and gracious (no matter how “unpopular” classmates are) and has a great heart!  But I’ve obviously failed in one way or another … right?

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8 NIV)

2) This can SERIOUSLY affect his future … in many ways it already has begun to. Not that he has super high ambitions, but I don’t want to see that destroyed before it even has a chance to plant and grow!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

You want to hear something really strange???  After writing all this out and applying scripture (in addition to the many many prayers that I’ve been sending Heavenward), I feel more peace than I have all week!  That’s the amazing power of God!  You know … the whole “Peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) part of life walked in His presence!

I hope that sometime in the not-too-distant future I will have a wonderful update to report, but in the meantime I’ll be praying …. trusting …. hoping! Thank you for joining me in a struggle today and I hope that in some odd way you were even blessed through my struggle!

Getting interesting, funny and touching messages and school papers from our children is possibly one of the best parts of motherhood.  Over the years the boys have written or brought home papers that are inspiring, interesting, hilarious or sweet.

Our second son, also known here as the Salesman is in 4th grade this year.  He’s one of those children that picks things up quickly and can complete assignments and tasks with little effort at school.  This is NOT the case with all of our children, but for him it comes easy.  So easy in fact that I often have to warn his teachers that he will only reach as high as they set the bar.

Anyway, the first week of school he wrote a funny little paper that I wanted to share with all of you.  I will type it in here EXACTLY as he wrote it … misspelled words and all .

Why am I here in 4th grade? To learn.

Why do we have to learn? To get smarter.

Why do you have to get smarter? To get a scolership.

Why do you need a scolership? So you woun’t be poar.

Why can’t you be poar? So you can pay for food.

Why do you need food? To live.

And there you have “The Salesman’s view on life and future 101″!

Doesn’t it seem so simple through the eyes of a child.  Obviously he’s only referring to the importance of an education here, not all the other things we need to live a well-rounded life (something that I’m seriously going to be drilling into him).

If you were to meet the Salesman you would almost immediately be struck by one thing in particular.  He’s very confident, he doesn’t question what his future holds.  In his eyes, anything he wants is attainable simply because it is what he has decided will happen.  He hasn’t had his hopes and dreams smashed, crushed or even poked at yet.  Reality isn’t exactly at play with him either, but I have to admit that he is very fun (and amusing) to watch and listen to.

Since I am a little too no-nonsense and all-logic type myself, it is fascinating to watch my son (who, incidentally, is A LOT like my younger sister) as he dreams.  I mostly listen and joke around with him, tempering a few of the more extreme ideas here and there and instilling a little wisdom where I feel led.

Each child is so very different, but I wanted to point out today that I find it amazing that we get to participate in our children’s hopes and dreams.  Do you have a dreamer?

When I think of “firsts” I immediately begin thinking of all of the baby firsts.  But as I was thinking I realized that we are currently experiencing a brand new series of firsts!

CJ just entered 7th grade thus securing him a rite of passage into the land of Jr. High.  The new firsts are not like anything I could have imagined.  As the oldest child he goes through everything without advance notice of what to expect (as his Daddy and I did).  But as the parent of this oldest child I am experiencing these firsts as well.

Registering for Kindergarten was a rather non-descript event where I grabbed the forms from the school and sent them back in.  For Junior High it is an entire afternoon at the school where we go from one area to another to get organized.

• Register for school - check
• Purchase the PE (sorry, Life Fitness) uniform - check
• Purchase Year book - check
• Purchase Math folder - check
• Get locker assignment information - check
• Get signed up for football - check
• Fill lunch card - check

It was a learning experience for myself and my son … I think.  He did spend a lot of time wandering about greeting friends.  But that’s another point, he wasn’t so shy, he enjoyed hanging out with the other guys who were there.  They were exited, a nervous and guarded excitement maybe, but excited.  Maybe just to see each other, I don’t know, but it was fun to watch.

Football was a first as well.  He’d played League ball for years, but this was different.  Monday through Friday from 2:15pm to 5:00pm (actually more like 5:30pm).  This meant that once school started he would go straight from school to practice on the field and we’d pick him up later.  Definitely another first, but I like it.  Because practices began prior to the first day of school, he was able to get to know a lot of guys in his grade as well as feeling comfortable (ownership even) with his new school campus.

Then came the first day of school.  No longer would he have one teacher and classroom, but now there was 6 classes.  He rode a new bus to his first day of Junior High, had to be responsible to get himself to the lunchroom to pick up his schedule for the first time, had to put his things in his locker for the first time, had to find 6 different classrooms and meet 6 different teachers … for the first time.

Then came (in his opinion) the biggest first of all ….. the first football game!  This was huge for him, he had anticipated this day and worked his heiny off.  It paid off too becuase he played most of the game and he played hard!  They got to experience two big firsts that day - in addition to his first school football game, he also had his first win.

We still have one last first to go … the first bus ride home from Junior High.  Because he stays after school every day for football, he has not ridden the bus home once.  That will happen for the first time this Friday!  I can’t say this is a big first and it won’t be memorable I’m sure, but it is the last of a long series of firsts that we’ve been experiencing and I felt the need to point it out.

Thus proving that firsts don’t always come in the form we expect … especially as a MOM!

Remember to leave a comment linking us to your “firsts” post, especially if you signed up to participate during the invitation.  Remember, Lisa Garrigues will be visiting all of you and if you joined the discussion earlier you will be entered into the drawing to win a copy of Lisa’s book Writing Motherhood for yourself!

I am the mom of 6 boys! This statement currently describes my every day life. The process of becoming the mom of 6 boys has been a bit of a surprise and almost 11 years in the making.

This blog is for me to share my thoughts and some of my every day life. I will also be able to post some of my journalling here from some of my pregnancies and experiences with my boys. For myself, my friends, my family and maybe even other mom’s who would like to share in my experience.

“Mom of 6 Boys” describes a peice of what I am ~ but there is so much more to me than that! My life isn’t defined by this position I hold, but it is significantly influenced by it at the moment!

Life is a journey and this is mine!

Blessings,
Shera

Edited to Add: Here’s a couple more things! At this time there are 6 Frogs (which doesn’t include my hubby who is of course Prince Charming!) who are 11, 8, 7, 3 & 1 year old twins. They have their own page though, so you can go there to read more about their extreme individuality!