Do 6 Year Old Girls REALLY Give Out Their “Digits”?

Ummm….YES they do apparently!  Ok…so I pick my son Alex up from school yesterday, he gets in the car, throws a paper down in the front seat, and says to me “DON’T SAY ANYTHING!”  “Don’t say anything about what?” I ask.  “The paper.” he tells me.  So naturally I picked up the paper and looked at it and OMG…it was girl’s phone number!!!  Follow along with me people.

My son is SIX!

He’s in kindergarten and he just got his first phone number by a GIRL who is SIX and in kindergarten!  WHAT?  I thought girls thought boys had “cooties” at this age.  Wait…maybe the cootie thing starts in the later elementary school years?   Whatever the case may be,  I also thought I had PLENTY of time for this girl/boy stuff.  I’m thinking that this may not have affected me as much had Alex not two days before this, asked me how babies are made.

ALREADY I have to explain how babies are made?  Ummm…no.  Not quite ready for that one yet.  Sooo…I kinda changed the subject and decided that I will address that topic when I’m more prepared to answer it instead of when I am completely taken off guard.  In his defense though, Alex IS a naturally curious and extremely inquisitive child and always has been.  But ask me how stuff works and the definitions of words you don’t know… not how babies are made!  We have time for that.  We DO don’t we???

So back to the phone number.  After several minutes of  questioning Alex (and not getting any more info.)  on how the whole thing transpired, he finally realized I was not going to quit bugging him about it so he told me what went down:  They were both waiting to be picked up after school and evidently, this little girl (I’ll call  her “Sally”) was sitting next to him and wrote down her name and phone number on a piece of paper.  She told him it was her dad’s number and to call her so they could have a “play date” together.  A play date huh?  Is that what the kids are calling it now?  By the way, she didn’t ask anyone else to join in on said “playdate” either.

Anyway, after I finally got the story out of Alex, I asked him what he was going to do and did he want to have a play date with Sally?  He blushed and never answered me…still hasn’t.  Maybe he doesn’t want to commit  to Sally because he doesn’t want to upset ”Genna”  the girl he thinks is really cute and is always talking about.  Or maybe he’s not sure if Sally is even a contender because she always “bugs” him.  Or maybe he is just plain and simple -not into aggressive chicks.  Whatever it is, he is clearly still trying to decide…or at least keep all of his options open.

All I know is that the boy just turned six and I’m already starting to see a huge shift in his maturity level.  No more baby shows (as Alex often refers to them) on Noggin or Playhouse Disney.  Nope.  He’s all about American Idol, DWTS, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and anything on the Science or Discovery channels.  He’s finally letting his taste buds in on the fact that there are other things to eat besides chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.  He’s doing stuff that I normally have to ask him to do 100x without me asking.  And he wants to know how his hair looks in the morning before he leaves for school.  Does losing the first two baby teeth mean ALL signs of babyhood are out the door now too?

It’s weird because just within the last 2 weeks, my little boy is all of a sudden turning into a little man complete with girlfriends!  Hey, as long as I’M always his number ONE I’m good.  I’ve known since he was born that my son would be a little “lady killer”.  I just didn’t plan on it starting when he was SIX!

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

Today is a sad sad day for me ladies.  March 20th not only marks the first day of Spring (which is a beautiful thing after a long winter), but it also will go down in the baby book as the day my 6 year old lost his very first tooth.  Boo hoo waaaaah!!!!  I cried like a friggin baby!  Is there something wrong with me?  Seriously, I really did cry.  A lot.  I was no longer looking at my son as my “little boy” but he was suddenly a “big kid”.  All because of a darn tooth falling out?  Yep…and I’ll tell you why. 

When our kids are infants they grow in various stages or milestones right?  Well, a baby getting his first tooth is a big deal for the baby and the parents.  After months of drooling and fussiness, some in pure agony from the pain of teething, and bottles of Motrin or Tylenol, the first tooth pops out at around 6 months old and it is a BIG deal!  You and your hubby are sooo excited to see that little white nub coming through the gum that you practically throw a party.  And when the tooth finally does come all the way through, it’s like a little saw.  Who knew how strong that one little razor sharp tooth would be and how much pain it would inflict on the nearest adult finger….OUCH!  So yes, the first tooth and the rest that follow are big news. 

Remember calling your parents and telling them that little Johnny got his first tooth?  Shoot you would tell anyone who would listen right?  Again…it’s a BIG deal!  Another milestone in a baby’s life.  Well guess what?  It’s the same thing when your child LOSES that first tooth…only you’re not excited.  You’re sad.  You’re sad because your child is now 6 years old and not 6 months old and this first tooth loss is almost like a rite of passage into bigkiddom.  You know what I mean.  Your “baby” is no longer a baby anymore and losing that first baby tooth is proof of this fact.   It’s sort of a reality check of how time does really fly by and you wonder how, when, and why did this happen?  It must have been obvious to my son that I was upset about his loose tooth (perhaps my crying clued him in?) because he immediately came over to me and said “I’m so sorry I’m growing up Mommy.”   Can you guess what happened next? 

I cried more!  It was then that I realized how truly grown up my son is becoming to be so sensitive and insightful at such a young age.   It was also at that moment when  I realized that I must be doing something right.  Sometimes I forget that he is only 6 years old.  He amazes me every day with things that he says or does and I believe that he is definitely wise beyond his years.  So now since I’ve had this realization, I have decided that I just need to get over myself and keep doing what I’m doing because it’s working…so far.  That said, it is now time for the Tooth Fairy to make her grand entrance!  What IS the going rate for the Tooth Fairy these days anyway?

Will I EVER Get a GOOD Night’s Sleep???

If you’re a mom, then you probably already know that once you have kids, life as you once knew it is OVER!  Unfortunately…that includes SLEEP.  It has been over six years since the “Sandman” last visited me.  I say over six because not only am I including the years of my oldest child, but let’s be honest…a solid night’s sleep went out the window the minute the stick turned pink.

You all know what I’m talking about.  Having to pee every 5 minutes during the day.  Well HELLO….that continues all through the night as well.  I’m referring to the part of the night when you are supposed to be SLEEPING!  So at the beginning you’ve got the frequent trips to the bathroom but then as your baby inside you grows bigger, you can no longer sleep in your favorite position because it becomes too uncomfortable.  Side or back are the only choices so if you are a stomach sleeper sorry ’bout your luck!

So pregnancy is over and the beautiful baby that you have been preparing for is finally here.  By preparing I mean reading all the best baby books out there like What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a given read for pregnant women), Your Pregnancy Week by Week,  The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning by Dr. William Sears (if you’re planning on nursing your baby) and maybe you subscribed to a pregnancy website like Babycenter.com to get weekly updates on your baby’s growth and development each week.  I bet you even subscribed to Parents and/or Parenting magazine to read while you wait and prepare for the birth of your baby (OK…I did).

It’s true that all of those resources are wonderful and can be extremely helpful with a lot of things.  However, what people don’t tell you is that instead of reading and researching things on what to expect while you are pregnant, what you SHOULD be reading are books and articles about how to get your baby to sleep - and sleep through the night!  WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME THAT???  Well I AM telling YOU.  Forget all the other stuff.  Let your doctor worry about your baby’s growth and development.  If you are curious about it, go rent or by the DVD  The Miracle of Life and that is all you’ll need because I am here to tell you…it’s ALL about the SLEEP!!!  I have an entire library of how to get your baby to sleep through the night.  In fact, check back for books I recommend on that very topic.  Now if only I had read them BEFORE I had the baby, maybe my current sleep habits/schedule would be very different.  Translation…I’d actually get some sleep!  Trust me on this, I really DO know of what I speak.  Read the “sleep” books and skip everything else and a good night’s sleep will be yours for the taking…hopefully.

A Mom IS a Job: Logo

Take a good look at the A Mom IS a Job logo. Can you relate? If you are a mom, I KNOW you can! That picture IS me!!! Since I became a mom I always feel like I need a few more arms and hands to juggle everything I have to do. So I’m always saying to my husband and kids “you must have me confused with an octopus!” Hence, the eight armed woman in the logo.

I put a lot of time and thought into designing this logo. Well I myself didn’t draw the actual design, but I worked closely with a graphic designer to draw exactly what I wanted. So here she is and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. Of course a mom does have other “jobs” she does other than the ones depicted in my logo but I’m confident that most, if not all moms, can relate to this particular juggling act:

• Laptop: We use these to check and write emails, online shopping, maybe work from home, and of course to keep up with our social networks like Facebook where we can discuss what else? Our kids!
• Heart: Symbolizes our love not only for our children but also our spouses. Just because we are moms and take care of the children doesn’t mean we’re allowed to neglect the hubby now does it? And making time for everyone is not as easy as one might think!
• Baby: Taking care of a baby alone is a job nevermind all of the other stuff we do. We hold, feed, burp, dress, change, bathe, and lose years of precious sleep for them. We are responsible for shaping this innocent little being into an independent, loving, intelligent adult. Pressure? Anyone?
• Soccer Ball: Then when the kids are too old for Gymboree and Kindermusic classes, we cart them off to soccer, baseball or football practice - or some other activity that requires Mom’s Taxi.
• Grocery Bag: And when soccer practice is over, Mom’s Taxi pulls into the nearest grocery store parking lot to pick up a few things to cook for dinner while the kids complain that they are sick of eating the same old things you cook. Too bad they don’t understand that you are just too darn tired to be creative with your cooking and you prefer to stick with recipes you know by heart since it would be too much time and effort to learn a new one.
• Frying Pan: No explanation needed here since everyone one already knows YOU are the chef whether or not they like what you cook.
• Laundry Basket: One word-UGH! I know for me (and most of my friends) the laundry never seems to end and I do it at least every other day just to keep up. 
• Vacuum Cleaner: The vacuum cleaner symbolizes not only vacuuming, but ALL household cleaning. Notice the metaphor of how in the logo it is sucking up the tagline. Wouldn’t it be great if a real vacuum could suck all of our problems into the bag so we could throw them all away and start over? Ahh….dare to dream.

So what can we all take from this logo? That a mom has to be computer savvy, love with no boundries, be a provider, proctector, coach, referee and teacher to her children, know how to drive and be good with directions because she will be her kids’ chauffeur for several years, be a smart shopper and decent chef, be technical in that she can operate a microwave, stove, dishwasher and washer and dryer, and be clean enough to pass her own home inspection. Wow! If all of THAT isn’t a JOB…I don’t know what IS!!!

I’m JUST a Mom…try again!

So here I am-another woman with a ton of things to say.  Who am I?  I am a mom.  That’s all you ask?  You’re JUST a mom?  JUST a mom?  Are you kidding me?  You can never be JUST a mom.  Because a mom IS a job!  In fact being a mom is the absolute HARDEST job on the planet.   If you are not yet a mom yourself, then you probably won’t agree with that statement.   

Remember when you were a kid and your own mom would say “wait until you have kids of your own!”  You know…when she was screaming at you for something you did or didn’t do and “can’t wait” until the day when your own children pay you back for everything you did to your parents when you were a kid?  I remember hating to hear my mother say that to me and thinking…”yeah whatever!”   Well I am a mom now and I am here to tell you…now I “get” it!   Soooo…. my blog is about just how MUCH of a job being a mom really is.    

Being a mom is a profession really. 

I guess I need to tell you a little bit about me.  I am a thirty-something year old stay-at-home mother of two boys ages 6 and  3.  Before I had my first son, I was a middle school teacher.   Teaching was the hardest job I’d ever had…until I had kids.  However, teaching prepubescent preteens was certainly a good lesson in patience, discipline, and guidance (”training”  if you will) for what would later become the teaching  job of a lifetime….motherhood.

« Previous Page