The Reality of Having Kids

Ummmm SOMETIME LIFE IS FRUSTRATING - ok MOST the time. FOR EXAMPLE
(Birthday recap that I now have the energy to post)


Stage ONE
(yes I am worn out in this photo as you can tell)
1. Tues evening, Bailey had a required school thing in the evening and she didn't mind if just Jamie took her. So of course I am not arguing! I tell London that it may be fun to bake a cake together. I am not a big cake fan and the kids cant have sugar at night because London freaks out like he just took drugs. We save sugar doses for daytime only with him. Much easier that way. Moving on. He holds the mixer - and is non-existant after that as I am left to clean up and listen to him complain about how looonnggg it is taking to cool (IN THE FREEZER mind you) before "HE" ha can frost it. Yeahhhh so I know how this goes. I get the joy of listneing to him complain about the cake taking to long...you know the one he can not even EAT until the next day. I get to frost it in the end and of course he will find something else he doesnt like about the way I did it or in what order I did it in. With in the same breath he is complaining about me not sitting by him playing Webkinz on the computer as I said I would. Yes I agreed to that before I suggested we bake. Is he not on the same scattered flighty ideas I have? Come on follow along London, I was not planning on doing both. Keep up with my insanity would you! I distract him and show him party stuff (okay colorful plates and plastic forks) I tell him he gets the privilage of setting a beautiful table for me. PLUS he got to do the sprinkes on the cake so big night for him! It ends up that we survive the negativity somehow and move on. Sucker!
Bailey and Jamie make it home. The kids start on their nightly checklist of shower, teeth, blah blah. We meet again to do the singing birthday song and maybe let them taste a slice and put it way. Open their gift to me and so on. That WAS the plan

Stage TWO
Notice the lovely tin foil covered cake. Yes that was placed just shortly after a huge fist fight between the two of them. I am sure it started over something important. This time I believe one of the reasons they gave me was Bailey wanted the GREEN plate and not the PINK! Being that London took the time that he did arranging them just right for us he would not have ANY of that. She also threw him for a loop when she changed her spot of where she was sitting. (Dont ever let him plan a wedding) So between her hitting him on the head with a plate you might as well heard a bell sounding off in a boxing rink. The two would not stop, I swear it was like a staged wrestling match. Needless to say lights turned out, present not open, straight to bed 8:30. Sounds harsh but they still kept yelling and arguing with us after so we were DONE. Jamie sat them down during and calmly explained it was not about them and they we being rude to me to fight like that when celebrating. They still argued so of course I had to hold back my tears invisioning totally ungrateful children I am raising.

Stage THREE
Here is my gift (3 days later) still un opened. Life seems to be too busy when they get home between homework, football, Jamies work, church meetings etc. We have not all been together at the right time to sit down as a family and open it. I guess I have something to look forward to for tomorrow. Now I just have to work on teaching gratitude. Wish me luck. Please tell me when they get older it will get easier, nevermind I know the answer and I am not ready to face it yet!
I can still say I had a great Birthday and that is thanks to all of you who sent emails, called, met up, gifts, cards, and on and on. I truely did feel special and that really meant more than most of you realize. Thank you ! It was a good week - even with the frustrations of 'real' family life. Life's fun and bearable with good friends isnt it?!