Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Am I alone here?

When Landon was about 10 months old I guess, I joined a local 'Mommy and Me' class. We met once a week for about an hour for playtime, 'crafts' and music and dancing. Fun, social things for kids aged 6 months to a year. I joined with a girl I work with and her son who is only a few months younger than Landon. We had a really good time, and the teacher was great. Landon loved to go to the class and was always the kid who wouldn't sit still and was running everywhere. But it was a great experience and I have often thought about taken Brynne to a similar class. Unfortunately in our area there are no classes for Mommy's that want to bring more than one child to the same session. I recently found out that most of the moms from Landon's original class were meeting weekly for playdates. So, Tuesday I loaded the kids in the van and headed out to meet everyone. It was fun to see all the moms and catch up, and Landon loved playing with other kids his age. We 'played' for an hour and a half and then all went our separate ways. During the hour and a half all but 2 of the other moms did nothing but bitch and complain about their husbands and kids! It drove me crazy! One mom did nothing but tell me how she hates staying home all day with her daughter because she follows her around all day and she gets nothing done! Every time she tries to sit on the couch and watch a movie her daughter cries! Another mom went on and on about how her husband gets mad because she won't keep the house clean and she thinks he should clean the house since she watches the kids. It was so annoying! Believe me, Travis and I have a wonderful relationship but we are far from perfect. Our marriage is a priority in our life and like most anything else worth having it takes work. I feel so blessed that one of us are home at all times with our kids and never once have they been to daycare! I know that some moms don't have the choice, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with daycare, but for us it has never even been an option thus far. I love my husband and my kids and they are the most important things in my life...well besides my new laptop (; Kidding! Anyway, I would never talk bad about my husband, or put him down to my friends. How healthy would that be for our marriage? It just got me thinking that if these moms put as much energy into their families as they do into complaining then things may be different! So I left the play area feeling disappointed and sad. THEN, to make me even more sad, I went to work in the evening. One of my managers was saying how excited she was to be off the next day. She also has a two year old son (and one on the way). I asked her if she was going to do something fun with her son. She said "No, he goes to daycare...actually I am going to be lazy and sit on the couch all day watch movies, and enjoy my time alone." And she said it with a straight face! HOLY COW! That made my heart hurt! Poor boy, away at daycare while his mommy sits at home, perfectly capable of taking care of him, watching movies! When we become mommy's don't we agree to give up our 'alone time?' I know I did! I can't even pee without Landon standing in front of me, lol. What the heck is wrong with these women? Thank God for my children and any day I have with them is truly a blessing. And thank God for my husband who works hard each day so that I may stay home with them. Thank God I am the one who wipes snotty noses, makes 1,000 snacks a day, reads to them, sings with them, plays with them, teaches them, gives them naps, learns from them, potty trains them, kisses their booboos, and disciplines them. Most importantly LOVES them, hugs them, and kisses them! I can't imagine someone else doing these things all day. Today I am thankful, again, for all the blessings in my life (:

2 comments:

Amanda said...

Amen Sista! That's why we get along so well. I completely agree!

Jill said...

Oh, you are SO NOT ALONE here! If one more person tells me that Alli is my "built in babysitter" when she has ONLY watched Mario when she has begged and begged, only for me to go to the grocery store up the road... I will scream! My kids are my kids... I did not have them in order to have alone time or babysitters.... ahhh, the bitching moms.... it is nice to hear that even in SoCal you have them... I always thought that your wonderful weather would stop the bitching! hee hee!

Love the blog.... love the "bow hawk" term... that is too funny. Your kids are beautiful.

I would love to add you to the blogroll... comment me with permission! You can add me anytime! Jill in PA