Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Year in Review: I did not fail....I give myself a passing grade :D

Well lets see.....2010 was indeed a difficult year....good mixed with bad....some smooth times...some rough...ahhh life!

At least I can say that I did not FAIL in being a mother this year....that is good....right?  All of my boys are a year older and for the most part smarter.  Granted some will disagree with me...lol.

Orion made it to 11 and 5th grade...hasn't been kicked out/expelled....yet...so that is good!
Easton is the big 1-0 now and still allowed to ride the bus...granted, one more "incident" and he is going to be off for awhile.
Reilly is 8 and has seem to have grown up a lot in the past year (as long as you over look his temper issues and whining like a 2 year old).
Noah is 5 and finally made it to kindergarten!  However, he is the instigator in the group and seems to get everyone else in trouble because he is still "too cute" to get yelled at.

For the most part, I think I have been allowed to keep the "Mom" title. BUT next year is a whole new year, so you never know!

What kind of Mother am I....and the Pokemon Invasion

What kind of Mother am I?  I'm not sure...I can be crazy and caring, stressed and satisfied, emotional and energetic, restless and relaxed, belittled and blessed.....so I guess you can call that Normal (if it exists).

However, I wouldn't call myself a "typical" mom, our family isn't typical.  Wait, maybe it is with todays standards. I have a blended family.  I am married for the 2nd time.  I brought with me 3 boys from my first marriage (Easton, Reilly, and Noah), and my husband brought his son (Orion) from his first marriage. Yes I know you are thinking, "Brady Brunch". I WISH...but nope, no girls, all boys...all dark hair boys...no blondes. No maid/cook/housekeeper...that is the part I wish for :D.

I have 50/50 placement with my x husband. Him and his wife live about 10 miles away and just recently (Dec 26, 2010) had their first child together (Logan). They have been together since Noah was 6 months old, and I consider Stefani (my x's wife) their Co-Mother, since she is with them so much!  Noah doesn't call her his Stepmom, he calls her his Stef-mom...lol.

My husband (Randy) has full custody of his son, and has since he was 2. Orion JUST recently met his "birthmom" this past summer. He doesn't call her mom, just Beth. She texts him sometimes, but for the most part he just wants to hang out with his older half brother (Austin), than Beth.  I don't think he has met his other siblings yet (he has 5 younger ones), but I can't be sure.  Before this year he hasn't seen his birth mother since he was 2.

Randy and I have been together for 3 years, married for almost 2. I can't say it has been an easy marriage, but we try to make it work the best that we can.

With that being said, I am not the perfect wife (which Randy will agree to), and I am not the perfect mother (if the laundry could talk it would agree as well). I have been known to run to McD's for dollar menu deals rather than making dinner at home....and I have allowed the kids to have cereal for dinner, if I had no other ideas. Ideally we try to keep dinner around 6pm, but that doesn't always happen...why?  Well, first off I don't work M-F 8-5.  I work 3rd shift. Wednesday-Saturday nights anywhere from 9pm-8am, depending on the day.

My boys are with us from Sundays around 11am until Wednesday mornings. After school on Wednesdays they go to their fathers house. That works with my schedule because the days I work I don't have my kids, and the days I am off, the boys are around. However, that makes it harder for Randy and Orion. Wed-Sat, they usually fend for themselves for dinner since I am sleeping. Sundays when I come home sometimes I try to take a nap (if I don't, I get kinda crabby), then I stay awake until Sunday night.

Monday night is Family Game Night. It used to be on Tuesdays, but for the past 2 months I have been  going into work at 2am on Wednesday mornings until 7am to help out, so Tuesdays I try to go to bed a little earlier.  Anyway, on Monday nights, we play a board game, or card game, or dice game, or pokemon cards (I will go into detail on that later). Even if it is a crazy night and everyone is tired, we still play a game....even if it is only one hand of Uno or a quick game of LCR (cute dice and chip game).

We also just started giving the boys allowances on Sundays. If they help out for 15 minutes a day (solid 15 minutes, of whatever we need...mostly dishes and picking up the house) they get $1. That means that Orion can earn $7 a week, and my boys could earn $4 a week...most of the time they all get about $3 a week...but we give in and give them more.

Sundays have also started being a busier day for us because of Pokemon.  If you haven't heard of it yet, I can guarentee that either A: You are NOT a parent; B: You are NOT a parent of a child over the age of 5; C: Living in an Amish community with no access to any form of radio/tv/internet ads; D: Homeschool your children and never leave your house.

Pokemon are everywhere! I have known about them for years....and have done all I could to avoid bringing them into my house....it didn't work...the invasion has started, and I don't see a stopping point. Anyway, ALL the boys (including Randy) are hooked on Pokemon...I will admit, I can play a mean game and understand how to create my own deck....but shhhh...don't spread it around!  Randy found a place called Gnome Games that has Tournaments for these games EVERY Sunday from 2-4pm...and guess what...it is FREE, plus the boys get a free pokemon card for every 8 games they play.  Granted we have only done this once, because of the holidays falling on the weekends, but it is enough to get them hooked! We have told them they can each have an additional $1 (I'm generous I know) to buy Pokemon cards there (they can get 12 for $1, depending on the value...don't ask...trust me...this stuff is more complicated than the Stock Market.  Okay, maybe not more complicated, but it comes close!).

And because we have a family of 6....even number....I HAVE to play Pokemon cards, so a child/husband isn't left out.  Granted I understand the rules, but not into details like they do. You can ask Noah (my 5 year old) about a Pokemon and he can tell you all the "evolutions" that Pokemon makes/the HP for the Pokemon/etc....but yet he struggles tying his shoes...go figure?

Either way, Pokemon is a huge deal at our house....we have binders upon binders filled of Pokemon cards (that is Orion alone...he has at least 2 filled of EXTRA Pokemon)...and I am not talking the 1/2 inch binders....I'm talking the 4" ones that have the double clasp and weigh 10 lbs each!

So if you consider this a typical family, then sure...we are a typical family....but I am still considered the Pokemon Mom!