Garth Brooks knows his stuff…...well, sort of.

            In the early 90’s Garth Brooks did something for country music that changed its stigma and reputation. He crossed the lines and made music that was loved by mass audiences everywhere. I detested country music until he released the album No Fences in 1991. I know that album backwards, frontwards, and upside down. Too many good and bad memories to recollect with that album, but nonetheless…a wonderful part of my early adulthood can be traced back to those songs. I’m not a huge fan of country music now. I’d rather lean toward alternative or top 100 music…..but I’m thankful I still have that CD tucked away when needed.

            One of my favorites was a song called Unanswered Prayers. The gist of this jingle is about a guy who runs into his old high school sweetheart and later thanks God for not answering his prayers to be with this chick. So now y’all are waiting for me to hang an old boyfriend out to dry? Naw. Actually this song came into my head after running errands with my little Scarlett. First…let me back up and describe my mindset this morning as I woke up at 5:30 to get the oldest to choir before school…

My “to do” list today is/was extensive.

1. Get all four kids to school. – not describing that…. y’all know.

2. Get supplies for Young Women’s activity for Wednesday night. (before 2:00)

3. Print out and put activity together for Wednesday night.  (before bed tonight)

4. Typical house chores – not describing that….y’all know.

5. Typical homework with kids – not describing that…y’all know.

6. Typical “get kids to activities” – again…y’all know.

7. Prepare dinner.

8. Make kids practice piano.

9. brush teeth/bath/read books/prayers/bed

10. Say “hello” to my husband.

Yadda yadda yadda yadda.

Ok….so y’all know how crazy raising children is and sometimes if you add one more little bit of “out-of-the-ordinary” to your day it can turn from organized chaos into “If one more person/thing/child/animal looks at me the wrong way I’m going to run outta this house and start playing chicken with a Mack truck without brakes” kind of day. I couldn’t have one of those days…please…not TODAY.

I left the house with Scarlett to run the “out-of-the-ordinary” errand and prayed, yes prayed that she would be calm and allow me to get the task done quickly. Please Heavenly Father…it will only take twenty minutes…

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!

FIVE minutes into the store Scarlett spotted DORA….her favorite….and she screamed to get out of the shopping cart… “OUT Momma OUT..DOREE!!”

“No sweetie….we HAVE to hurry…Momma has to go.”

TEARS. TEARS. MORE TEARS.

Then I stopped and whispered in my typical sarcastic tone... “Really, Heavenly Father...really? I can’t do this today.”

That’s when my unanswered prayer was answered. * Let. Her. Out. *

Twenty minutes turned into sixty minutes and that sweet baby had the BEST time in days. My “to do” list will get done. The dishes might not…but whatevah.  Thank you Garth Brooks and especially Heavenly Father for unanswered (answered) prayers.

Transition

tran·si·tion

noun \tran(t)-ˈsi-shən,

1 : passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change

Yep. Transition. THIS word.....and what it stands for....will be the slow death of me. It has taken its toll. Thirteen years of TRANSITION. I’m weak and weary. I need it to find comfort. Where oh where will comfort come from? I can tell you EXACTLY what object will help to bless my soul with peace.  A  tape recorder.

That’s right peeps. I want and desire an old fashioned tape recorder. The loudest most annoying tape recorder produced for public use. Heck I’d take a microphone if it were hooked up to one of those obnoxious speakers used in dance clubs. Ya know, the ones I stood by in college for three hours once a week and jammed out to Mel and the Party Hats....or The Jones Brothers.....or ….. nevermind...

Why do I desire to own such a heinous object  and how on earth will this bring me peace? This  object will allow me to save my voice. I can use it to replay my southern drawl through the TRANSITION of moving my CHILDREN from one “state, stage, subject, or place to another”.  That’s right folks. It isn’t the homework, car pools, laundry, or discipline that’s gonna send me to an early grave. It’s the transitioning from one thing to another that will make my wits turn mush. Not to mention that I cannot and will not be late...for anything. I refuse.

Now, before I give you my “this happened to me today...like all other days” story that makes you giggle....be aware that I discipline and manage my kids strong and steady.  They behave like good little younglings in public. They hold doors for people and are polite. They usually get along well.  It isn’t the actual outing that is horrid. . It’s the transition. It is frightening. It is endless. It can bring me to tears. I detest it.  

************The following is an accurate account  of events of the Martin household on 6/25/13. All characters are real and actual names have been used. Details and events have NOT been altered to”save face”.**************”

9:00 am  “Kids, we are going to the pool this afternoon at 3:00 after Scarlett’s nap. Make sure your chores are done and piano is practiced by 2:00 pm.”   “Yes Mam.”

2:00 pm   All chores and piano have been completed. “Kids, get your bathing suits on, find your flip flops (shoes MUST be worn to the pool here because the asphalt/concrete gets so hot they can burn their feet) and gather towels etc. I will start putting sunscreen on the littles in thirty minutes.”  “Yes Mam.”

2:45 pm  Sunscreen applied........ all suits are on.... and shoes found.  

2:55 pm “Ok kids, head to the car.”

“Mom’, Scarlett has pooped in her pants.”

~OK...get into the truck.

“Mom, Can I have a friend go with us?”

~No...get into the truck.

“Mom, I just cut my finger with the scissors trying to open the icee pop.”

~Here’s a band-aid. Now get into the truck.

“Brooks just said that I can’t play the Xbox when we get back from the pool so I’m going to hide the controller.”

~Brooks will be at practice. Get into the truck.

“Max just took the last Oreo”

~Lucky him. Get into the truck.

“Moooom, here is your phone....it was ringing from inside the truck.”

~Thank you...now get back into the truck.

“Hey...that  man is walking up our driveway....he wants to talk to you.”

~Thank you sir...I’ll make sure we shut our garage after we leave.

“Mom, I think you left the cooler with the drinks in it.”

3:00 Headed to the pool.

Transition. I will survive you. I can do hard things.

#bless

   

Snort...Giggle...Valentines with the preschooler...

Preschool Valentine Party

Circa 2002-2013….A compare and contrast….Ali style.

            I just experienced my 15^th Valentine’s Day preschool party. As it came to a close, I left the building in a state of such outward giggles and snorts that I knew these thoughts must be documented for history. Mostly because I’m not sure I will remember them tomorrow and well, yeah…..here goes…

Ali’s Valentine Preschool party “to do” list circa 2002. :

1. Two months before purchase outfit for child to wear to the party.

2. One month before party email all of the parents in the class reminding them about the upcoming party.

3. Call my mom three weeks before to ask her to watch my younger children so I am not distracted from the party festivities.

4. Two weeks before hand make all of the gifts for the children in the class and make my kid sign his name to each one perfectly.

5. One week prior gather all of the games and materials needed to use for the two hour shin dig.

6. The night before lay everything out and look at it to make sure I don’t forget anything.

7. Day of party!!!!!!! Make sure I wear red.

8. Arrive one hour early to organize the room with the teacher.

9. As room mom….work the party until a giant sweat forms on my brow. Read, dance, take pictures, and smile…smile…smile!!!!!

10. Enjoy a job well done as I look through the 125 pictures taken and developed from Walgreens. (one hour developing……Duh.)

11. Hide the candy/treats and tell child he can have a couple of pieces that day because his tummy will get sick if he eats all of the chocolate.

 Ali’s Valentine Preschool party “to do” list circa 2013. :

1. Night before the party realize I haven’t purchased anything for the party.

2. Head out to Wal Mart at 10:00 pm to look through the leftover cards and grab cheap cups to throw treats into instead.

3. At 11:30 pm throw gummys and some Hershey kisses in each cup and write each child’s name on the outside.

4. Rack my brain trying to figure out which kid I can’t remember.

5. Wake up on party morning and take older sibling to orthodontist. Accidentally leave youngest kid in the classroom and luckily catch snafoo before I leave the premises. Race back to Valentine Party with youngest sibling in tow because….ummm….babysitter?.....HAHA.

6. Sit on the outside of the door of the party room because it measures 4 feet by 6 feet and there are 45 parents in there. (I’m allowed exaggeration.)

7. Oh….wait…Coop made me something? Cool. Oh…. You want me to take a picture with him Ms. Barb? But its 4,000 degrees in here and I feel faint.

8. Chase Scarlett into the other classroom where there is no one. (AHHHHHH….Serenity now).

9. Ask friend if she will please take a picture of Cooper and send it to me. Document the moment…right?

10. Leave as soon as Coop can grab his Valentine bag and say thank you to his teacher. “Dank you Ms. Barb!”

11. Realize no one wore anything close to pink or red.

12. Arrive home …throw the 16 month old in the bed…and tell Coop to eat his bag of treats and candy for lunch.

Momma needs some solitude.

~Dedicated to Melinda Goode and Barb Sells…... the two best preschool teachers in the world. I love you both. You two must talk and compare notes……I promise I am the same person. Well…..maybe. :)