Motherhood

I've been a mother for 7 1/2 years I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Now, I've learned a few things over the years of being a Mom and thought maybe I could share my wisdom with my lovely readers. Now, with that being said, my experience is still very limited and my wisdom is, well, perhaps not the wisdom you were seeking...but here goes:

*when your 3 year old complains of a stomachache and says he is not hungry, listen or else you will find out the reason why 8 hours later at 2am...

*when moving your infant carseat into another car (and using the seatbelt as the base) make sure to remember to put the seatbelt around the carseat, otherwise the carseat will NOT be secured to the car. (you will feel really guilty if you forget this and drive all the way home from Riverhead that way)

*be prepared to answer LOTS of questions about anatomy if you have a newborn baby, plan on nursing, and have bigger kids at home.

*hands may not be for hitting but jedi light-sabers definitly are - steer clear of them at all times

*siblings fight. this is a fact, not a possibility. If you figure out how to keep this from happening, please let me know ASAP

*don't start making special meals for each kid...not only does this teach them that they can have whatever they want but you will end up being in the kitchen during the entire meal and not sitting with the rest of your family.

*on long road trips plan on more snacks than you know what to do with, have a DVD player and wear comfortable clothes because you never know when you'll be required to climb over luggage, seats, bags, etc. like a mountain climber on Mt. Everest

*if you work in your home, make sure your room has a good lock on it...but be prepared for children to bang and kick on said doorway until you are ready to lose it.

*if you have boys, prepare yourselves for gross bathrooms...this cannot be helped...one nice caveat is it is a reminder of the fact that it is indeed a positive that you are a woman and not a man.

*whatever you do, don't spend money on an expensive, well, anything that is tangible, wearable, playable, etc. as you will find that 9x's out of 10 that thing is also breakable.

*get a DVR hook-up with your cablebox...it may be more $$ but it is $$ well spent and will save you much frustration with any DVD or VCR (do they even make those anymore?) machines.

These are a few, okay more than a few (I have trouble with keeping my 'rants' to a minimum) things I've learned. But the most important things I've learned are as follows:

*hugs are better when they are unforced and feel better coming from your child

*the words, "I love you Mommy" sound so much better coming from your own child

*watching your children sleep really is beautiful

*cuddling is truly better with your own children

*having 3 boys is full of fun

And, I wouldn't trade motherhood for all the tea in China...or anything else for that matter.