I haven’t blogged in a long time. I’ve been busy. So busy that I only had an hour to whip Kate’s birthday party up, just before her little guests arrived.
Maybe my next post should be entitled, “How to prepare an awesome birthday party in under 60 minutes.”
I was going to put up a pretty picture of her birthday party and dedicate the post to her.
Afterall she turned 5. What a sweet little milestone.
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| Best buddies |
But you know, with so much going on in my life right now, it kinda feels like a lie to just shine the spotlight on that one bright moment while brushing everything else aside.
So, plot twist.
Life has been running at a breakneck speed. I’m working a full work week now but I can’t complain because I love what I am doing – I just wish I had more hours in a day. Like triple the amount.
The folks are also getting old and this is the time where things shift from having help in ferrying the kids around to having to ferry them around. We’ve been so lucky to have had their limitless love and support from day 1 and now is where the care is to be reciprocated tenfold.
And when you are running so fast, being pulled in every direction, you wish that everything at home is going just great. That somehow, the kids are behaving beautifully, so that you don’t have to worry and can concentrate on doing what needs to be done.
Unfortunately, having a current houseful of unpredictable and hormonal teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 can make life very blustery.
One moment they are sweet, sensible, helpful young ladies, voicing opinions that I appreciate. Yet the next, they are moody or sensitive or in tears about something someone said.
My days are really long now. Our house seems to be running on two separate time zones. A too early morning start with noisy bickering younger ones while the other half of the house comes alive only when the sun blazes high (the kids in secondary school have already started their holidays. Already?)
These nocturnal animals who communicate in their own lingo are cheeriest between the hours of 8pm to midnight, and there’s a mini party going on in the kitchen or their bathrooms most nights.
Then, they wake up grouchy. I asked a perfectly normal question with a smile, “Would you like to tell me your holiday plans now that school has ended?” Only to be answered with “Nope” and the offender casually resumed eating her breakfast.
And that was it! No explanation, no elaboration.
Breathe.
I need to keep calm and mother on, and re-present that question after 8pm.
No, actually, I gave it to her, telling her that it was an unacceptable answer and I expect a proper response.
It is tiring. Tiring to come home to little kids who need to be nurtured and watered, and big kids who look like they don’t need you, pretend that they don’t need you, but still need you as much as the little ones.
Maybe someone can tell me that it will all pass soon enough.
The truth is… this gig called parenting? It doesn’t end. And it doesn’t get easier. It gets – different.
So all I can do is to take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself for the long haul.
It’s funny how people look at us bloggers with our shiny happy pictures and imagine that we live in a perfect world with model kids.
Honestly, how is that even possible?
Perhaps we should stop showing happy pictures of wannabe princesses and fake castles. But then again, we can’t be snapping pictures of grouchy teens or quarreling siblings while in the midst of disciplining them.
So that in a nutshell, is our life at the moment.
Happy birthday my little one.
Life is magical when you are 5, isn’t it?
Hi dear, just Like to give you a big hug. I understand. I have 1 less than you. From ages 18 to 5. And yes, they behave like what you have described. It s tiring. . I realised we just have to show love, love and more love to them. Soon, they’ll understand. Pray with them and maybe share with them about your feelings might help.
Love , from mum of 5
Aww so sweet of you, thank you. Wow, it's hard to find someone with a similar wide spectrum of ages. That's really tough as we are dealing with so many different issues at the same time, and you are right. All the more we have to show them unconditional love. You keep ploughing on too! Take care.