Mother of the Year

2012 is winding up in about 24 hours and it occurred to me today that I have yet to receive my Mother of the Year Award.  Seriously? Where could it be?  I thought about blaming the post office (thieves!!!) but I've seen our mailman and I don't think he would be fooling anyone with my stolen award.  So then I figured there must have been some sort of glitch at the Awards Office.  Maybe they are late notifying the winner this year.  That seems likely.  I mean they are probably busy.  And they can't be that organized or they'd be winning the award. 

But then I got to thinking.  And who am I kidding?  I will NEVER be Mother of the Year.  I just don't have it in me.  I saw one of those "I might lose some friends over this" posts on Facebook yesterday about "perfect mothers" and while I don't feel guilty that I don't make cakepops for my kids' class (if they'd seen my attempt at that they would thank me) or that I never made my own organic baby food (my life was so crazy busy those kids were just lucky to get fed!), I do realize there are some basic parenting tasks that I'm really really bad at.  So without further ado, I give you

THE TOP 3 PARENTING JOBS I SUCK AT:

1. Bathing.  I am really bad at it.  I hate it.  I have hated it from the beginning when I had to try and keep two slippery little bodies from slipping out of my soapy hands to their death in an inch of water.  It didn't get any better when they were bigger.  It just got messier.  And I hate messes.  Once they learned to splash it was all over.  Water everywhere.  Ugh.  And once they got a little bit older, it was messy and a fight because they didn't want to do it.  This, my friends, is why my kids go to swimming lessons.  Not only are they learning to swim, they are guaranteed at least two showers a week.  Talk about a win win.  It works out well for me. Until there is no swimming lessons (darn the winter break!) and I can't really pinpoint the last time my kids were bathed.  But I can't find it in me to actually do it.  So unless there is a wedding, clean underwear is as good as it gets.
2. Allowance.  Yes my kids get allowance...when I remember to put it out.  We don't give allowance based on chores (theoretically, they get it whether or not they do their chores) but still.  I should be able to remember to slap eight quarters on the table once a week.  But I can't.  The good news is that I have a TON of quarters.  The bad news is that my kids know I suck at passing out allowance.  "Mom, you haven't paid us for like, 5 weeks.  Again."
3. Playing.  I love kids but I hate playing.  I like to blame my lack of imagination but I think it might also have to do with the fact that when kids ask you to play they don't actually want you to play or touch anything, they just want you to sit next to them and watch (and comment on) their every move.  Me (with my ADD) can't just sit there so I try to drive a car or dress a Barbie.  And then I get in trouble and we have to start all over.  It really is excruciating.  I love to be with my kids.  Doing anything but "playing".

 

There are more.  Plenty more.  Like Baby Books (I started...) and Legos (no clue how to do those things) and the list could go on.  But guess what?  I'm okay with all of it.  Because I know I can't do everything so I do what is most important to me and my family.  So I probably won't be getting any awards anytime soon (I mean, most of the time when my kids cry I stop to take a picture before I figure out what is wrong) and I'm okay with that too.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Our big adventure started with a BIG surprise.  The kids had NO IDEA that we had planned a trip (once we told them we would go when they were 7 and that was pretty much the end of it) so when they came downstairs on what was supposed to be just a normal day, they were a little bit confused to see this... 

 One of them asked, "Is it Christmas or something?"  And then Abby found her note.

 After a quick breakfast (of Mickey Mouse pancakes, of course)

 We were off.

 Once we got there, the first stop was the pool.  No, it wasn't hot.  Not even really warm.  But the pool was there and my little fishies couldn't pass it up.

 That night, after dinner with friends, we were lucky enough to catch the Disneyland fireworks from our hotel.

 Then it was off to bed.  (We are working on the smiling situation...I am usually so glad to have a picture where they are  both looking at the camera at the same time that I completely forget to check their smiles).

 The next morning, we were up bright and early and at the gates before they opened.  And boy did we have a great day.  That place really is the 8th wonder of the world, I tell ya.  It is clean, and organized (right up my alley) and no detail is spared.  Somehow, they make it fun and interesting to wait in line for 25 minutes!  It was not my first trip to Disneyland but I was continually amazed by absolutely EVERYTHING!

While we were there, we did all of the important Disney things like ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride over and over.  And take pictures with all of the characters (which I'm pretty sure they think are real).  And wear our mouse ears proudly.

 And buy souvenirs.  (Side note:  I am soooo not a stuffed animal person and somehow we acquired more on this trip than we have the entire six years they have been alive!)

 Sometimes, things didn't go they way we wanted...

 But Daddy was always there to buy cotton candy for anyone who would stop crying and smile for a picture.

 We watched the shows

 And ended the night with a hug from Minnie...

 Which made Abby so very happy.

 The next day, we headed over to California Adventure where we waited in line for the new Cars ride that my kids hated because it was too hilly (but that we made them go on again because we had a fast pass).  While we were there, Robbie showed off his incredible skills and won the kids each a Dumbo.  Because we needed more stuffed animals...

 We waited in more lines for more rides

 And watched the coolest night show on the water.

 On day three we were back at Disneyland and who needs breakfast when you have a sucker the size of your head?!?

 We finally made it to Toon Town

 and spent the day riding all of our favorite rides.

 We met Wreck It Ralph

 and watched the parade.  Which, of course, was awesome!

And then we called it an early night, for obvious reasons

 and it wasn't long before they were fast asleep.

 The next morning, we headed south for Sea World.  And let me tell you that place is AWESOME!  The animal shows were unreal.  Do you see that guy?  He is 6000 pounds!!!  And 40 feet in the air!!!!  I could watch that all day long. 

 We also got to go sledding...?!?!?

 But the best part was we got to train the dolphins!!!  We go to pet them, feed them, teach them tricks, play with them and even dance with them.  So. awesome.

 

 These are the faces of kids who had a GREAT day.

Our last (but certainly not least) theme park was Legoland.  For someone like Ben (who lives and breathes Legos) this was the happiest place on Earth.

 And I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of impressed too.  (Keep in mind that I struggle building a two block tower out of those things, but still...) The things they make out of Legos are incredible.  Check out the kids in front of New York...

 And here's the White House, complete with a Christmas marching band...

 Ben's favorite part was building and racing his own cars.

 On our way to the airport the last day, we found a little beach (thanks to the kind mailman who showed us where to go). 

It was the perfect end to the perfect vacation. Sure, it rained a little (I've never seen so many umbrellas in what I would consider a light mist), but other than that, we couldn't have asked for anything better. The lines were manageable, the shows were amazing, the food was good, the kids were kind. It was everything I had hoped for our first real family vacay.

P.S.  I'm sure to you, this post seems long.  But you should know that I took 2,562 pictures (love love love my new camera!) so even if you read to the end, you really got off easy!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Who am I kidding?  Summer is obviously the most wonderful time of the year.  But Christmas is a close runner up.  Tonight I turned this:

 Into this:

I love wrapping presents!  And all of my shopping is D-O-N-E.  Including birthday presents for the 5 people in our family with December birthdays.  A lot of the stuff is still in the mail but it is all picked out and paid for! Now I feel like I can relax and enjoy the second most wonderful time of the year.