10. Paleontologist
I have learned the names of hundreds of dinosaurs including Dracorex hogwartsia, named for the character in Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy as well as the Hogwarts school. I have read many a dinosaur encyclopedia and feel confident in my ability to identify dinosaurs, or at least knowledgeable enough to fool my almost 3 year old! Also, I can identify certain fossils. Particularly ones belonging to the Jenadogasaurus... yeah, that was not a fun moment, but always interesting. We now know what fossilized dog poop looks (and feels--bleh) like.
9. A Singer/Songwriter
American Idol ain't got nothing on me! My kid thinks I am a great singer and always asks me to sing him songs. Is there anything better than having one kiddo sign 'more' and the other begging for you to keep singing at the end of the song?
Additionally, I never expected that I could turn everything into a song. For example:
(set to the tune of Red and Black from Les Miserables)
Coat-- It's time to put your coat on
Shoes-- and then put on your shoes
Walk-- so we can take a walk
Okay-- you don't have to ride in the stroller, you can just walk by me!!
I have to admit, Brett is much better at this than I am. He makes up songs all.the.time. And sings them very loudly; which J and K love waaaaaay too much. This is an example of a Brett song;
(no tune pre-set, he makes up his own)
If you will the end, you must will the means.
If you will the end, you must will the means.
In both cases, the kiddos try to sing a long and end up requesting more, leaving us feeling like a homeschool version of Sonny and Cher; we are awesome (according to our kids)!
8. A Princess
Yep. That's right. Kate Middleton, move over, I am Princess Mommy. Every time I put on a skirt or dress, Jackson declares, "Oh, Mommy, you look so pretty! Just like a princess!" I melt every time.
7. Amateur Philosopher
Conversation between J and I, in a cemetery:
J: Mommy, what IS this place?
Me: It is a cemetery.
J: What is that?
Me: Well… (20 minute discussion of death and burial ensues, a two-way discussion complete with wondering questions as to not lead him in a certain direction, but allow him to come to conclusions on his own).
J: Okay, Mom. I want to be the Beast and die when I’m six and then you can kiss me and I’ll be a prince. Then, I’ll have cookies with God.
Me: (Okay, keep it cool, keep it cool...) Wha???? You're going to die when you're six? (Not cool, not cool) I mean, I wonder why you chose 6 as an age to die (Shew, reigned back in).
J: We need to get home to get some lunch.
Now I'm left reflecting on this scenario. What did I say in our discussion? Did I lead him in the right direction? Then, I thought, no, that is the most important part of philosophy, being able to just think about the tough questions, that is what I need Jackson to know.
6. A Healer, A Natural Healer
My lips should be bottled and sold in stores. Clearly, they are restorative, no matter what the ail or ache, they can heal. Example: J falls and busts his head on the wall. It is a huge bump. I mistakenly go for the ice pack, but, "No!" I'm told, "Just KISS IT!! JUST Kiiiiiiiissssss IT!" I kiss the reddening bump on J's forehead, and, miracle of miracles, he immediately stops crying. K does the same thing, only she cries, points to what hurts, smacks her lips together, receives kiss and stops crying. It is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Also, my lips have transformative properties, see #5.
5. Author
J and I love to write stories together. Mostly, they are non-sensical stories that he creates and I grammer-fy (yep, I just made that a word). In his head, they are the BEST.STORIES.EVER. I have to admit, I share the same thought. We worked on something together and he is proud of it; my heart melts again. Here is an example of one of those stories:
My Wittle Pwotein (My Little Protein)
Once upon a time, there was a protein. It was a boy. He said, "I eat chocolate!" Then, he went to get a drink of almond milk. He drank it because it had protein in it. The boy protein wanted to drive to the zoo, but was too tired. The boy protein needed to eat lunch. He ate trail mix because it has protein and protein makes you happy. After having protein, the boy went to the zoo. He saw dolphins, a happy face, a leopard, polar bears and a snake. He had a fun afternoon seeing animals and eating chocolate on his protein. The boy then went home and said, "I go to bed, my Papi, I tired."
Amen (yeah, we're Episcopalian... and he usually ends stories with Amen)
4. An Artist
I have to be able to draw everything. From houses to Buzz Lightyear, I am asked to draw it all. Am I good? Definitely not, but my kid acts like I am the next Picasso or Monet, which makes me feel better about my lack of artistic skill.
3. A Dancer
We love to have dance parties. And, if you have met J, know what I mean. He wears necklaces and a big hat; he goes all out. Then, we turn the music up and dance. J and I will jump around, move our hips, chasse here and sote; we dance to everything. He always asks me to dance, every day, so I feel pretty good about my skills.
2.Set Designer
Frequently, I am asked to "make me something for a show" I admit, as evidenced by this picture, I am not a good set designer, nonetheless, J always wants me to make him something. This was my attempt at a barn which J decorated. Unfortunately, he got stuck, but I couldn't resist snapping a pic. In the end, we chose animal puppets to star in the show; a much better choice.
1. Mothering
I always thought there was some special instinct that kicked in, and while that is somewhat true, there is a lot that is left up to trial and error. Motherhood takes a lot of work. You are not just mothering your children, you must mother your spouse/partner and mother yourself. That is the one that I forget most often. I have to take time to mother myself, even if that means giving up on some things, I have to do it. When I can mother myself, (or, my self) I can better mother my children and my spouse. What does that look like? I honestly do not know because I'm not good at it. But, I am going to be experimenting, because as I stated earlier, motherhood is left, more often than not, to trial and error. No book can tell you who your children are or who you are; we, as mothers or as persons in mothering capacities, have to determine what works and what does not. We are AMAZING! I hope you have an AMAZING day in your AMAZING role as, not only mother, but whatever label you have attributed to you in addition to 'mother'!
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