Parenting confessions and a peek at an Easter dress

For the most part, I go through this whole parenting/homemaking thing  feeling like I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. There are rare moments where it feels like it's starting to come together, but for the most part I usually feel like the biggest thing we've got going for us is that my husband and I are there......and trying

(of course, in the act of trying to type this I am in effect ignoring my children, but we'll let that slide....I've got a naked butt parked in my lap at the moment and kid's folk songs playing, rather than The National that I wanted, so there...)

 

One of my goals as a mom, stay at home parent, eventual homeschooler etc is to not just keep my kids occupied or entertained. It would be great if the things I do with the kids and buy for the kids were targeted to help them grow as people in skill, confidence, adventurousness....to have fertile imaginations and rich lives full of play. For learning to be something that happens because of curiosity and a hunger to know about things. And for them to enjoy living life with the abandon that comes from knowing that the world around you is stable.

 

The thing I'm working on is how to actually accomplish some of that

Theory is great. Good intentions are great. But these are little people who are growing up really fast, and I can't figure out how to keep everyone fed and the kitchen minimally tidy while shoveling up the massive crap pile my kids leave behind them constantly all day, let alone create the magical fairyland life I have in my head. 

I've yet to create the lush herb garden to recline in and watch butterflies with my family. The cozy reading nook..... Peaceful living space with fresh cut flowers.... Why is my child half naked and wearing what appears to be the last of my already tortured lipstick? 

 

Between my husband and I, we thought up some spring "snow cones" made of orange juice and the nice blanket of white stuff we got on our deck this week. The girls enjoyed delicious cups of......yellow snow!

I vaguely remember trying to do Easter crafting with my mutants early this week (construction and tissue paper stained glass windows with crosses), having it end with screaming and a chair being thrown out the back door (by me), and me chasing the small people up the stairs with my anger before calmly finishing Violet's mess of a project by myself and hanging it up. Awesome bonding time.  I sent a text message to my husband declaring "I quit crafting with my kids!".

So we did some crayon and watercolor Easter egg decorations a few days later. Violet completely missed the side of the paper with the eggs drawn on, but she had FUN and her painting is gorgeous if I may say so. She somehow started enjoying drawing and painting this week. 

Showing up at the mall too early ended up meaning a ride on the carousel to keep my kids out of the oozing pneumonia pit (kid's play area, which can be found by the sound of coughing and crying from about a mile down the hallway). 

I'm more of a "dark coffee cafe" kind of person than a mall person.....

 

This fluffy little girl has been keeping us up all night lately with her awesome sleep issues. 

Someday she will just sleep, right? Because now she not only can't sleep through the night without waking up terrified, but she won't nap during the day. 

 

A cardboard shantytown has been taking shape here the past few days. Horse farming in the nude was on the activity menu yesterday morning. For the record, I had MY clothes on. 

 

The child with no caution is ending the week with a black eye, scraped and swollen nose, and broken lip. I also accidentally chopped off more of her hair than I intended for her Easter trim. She is such a wild little thing, but just breaks your heart into a million soggy pieces when she gets hurt.

 

Speaking of Easter, one dress has been completed!