Slow Down, Please.

Today was Mother's Day.

And it was perfect. Not in that cheesy, lame Facebook post way. It was perfect for me. And, I mean, isn't that what actually matters? 

I slept in, then when I woke up I was able to get ready for TWO hours-in an empty house. After slathering myself with makeup, I was hugged and loved and given gifts and taken to my favorite brunch spot ever. EVER. I devored all the brisket and bacon lardon topped pizza. Took a walk to the park, and finished off the day with a serenading Toddler. I am now sitting with my feet up, relaxing [I am watching the neighbor also a mom around my age mow her yard.... as her husband plays with their kid I loudly whispered to her from the comfort of my couch, 'you're doing it wrong' and then continued to sit on my butt... because I'm doing it right]

As I sit here, I am overwhelmed with feelings. I wanted to share with you all.... because... I can?

It is so hard, as a mom, to watch my kids grow up so damn fast. I want to freeze every moment. Even the crazy, insane sleepless moments, the silly moments, the stressful moments, the anxious moments, in all these moments I find myself still praying that the time slows down. Over the past year the biggest thing I have found myself repeating over and over again is, 'slow down'. Everything is so fast and busy, we are a generation of expediting and instant gratification.... and I don't want to participate in that anymore. The more I slow down, the more I think about what fills my heart- I embrace a much slower pace, whenever I am able too. I want to sit and do nothing sometimes, just because I can, just because it makes me feel at peace. I want to remember these moments, watching my kids laugh together, watch them be small still, watch them figure out day by day who they want to be when they grow up. I don't want to only remember rushing them from 'thing' to 'thing' or just the big moments in their lives... I want to remember the giggles, the hugs, the quiet moments... I want to remember the way that they sleep or the way that they imagine together. I want to capture so many moments that I am afraid some day will be forgotten.... We spend all this time raising them, we deserve to love as many moments as we can of it. Capture and savor as much as we can. Please babies, slow down. 

This is my heart, my souls desire. And then just like that I am brought back to mom-ality [mom reality] and I find myself laughing my butt off as we all cheer very, VERY loudly for the Toddler who just took a grown man sized poop on the potty.... and even that, I want to remember. These learning and growing moments together. 

I'm beyond thankful to be their mom, and I am blessed with how much they love me and love being my babies..... I will never understand how I was given such an amazing gift X2 but I will always thank God for my place in their lives. 

I hope you all had a wonderful day, but my heart goes out to those that are struggling to conceive, struggling to adopt, have lost their own babies, have lost their mommy's- those that are grieving something today that no one understands. My heart is with you, and I am sending you so much of my love and prayers.

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” – Maya Angelou

Trigger Warning: Long story about gross things.....

So, I thought I was shot... when I was ten. 

Let me tell you the story: 

It was Thanksgiving morning.... the air was crisp, the sun hiding behind a layer of clouds...

[honestly I don't know what the weather was like.... it was 21 years ago]

I had turned 10 the summer before, and I was very naive.... keep that in mind.

I woke up, disoriented in a dark room at my grandparents house.  

I also woke up with a severe, crippling pain, it felt as though I was dying slowly. 

I turned on the light to get ready for the day [I crawled to the light switch-lets be honest.]

And as I pulled myself up to the light and propped my broken body against the wall I looked down... to my horror I had been shot. The pain all made sense. I had been shot. 

I crawled to the hall-shouting out for help- "PLEASE SOMEONE, HELP, I'VE BEEN SHOT!' 

no one answered, everyone left me to die. 

Typical.... 

who shot me? was it someone I knew? 

I made it to the kitchen, that 25 feet of bloody, desperate crawling really made my gun shot wound ache even more.....

There in the glow of the florescent kitchen lights was my cousin, 14 year old male cousin half way through puberty and thankful a brother to 5 girls- and looking completely terrified. 

"What's wrong, Beth?"

"Jordan.... I've been shot."

"What?? Where??"

"I don't know where! But I've been shot. I'm in so much pain... and no one is here... AND JORDAN.... there is blood EVERYWHERE. I am not going to make it much longer... I can tell."

His face seemed to look less terrified, almost calm. [Not the reaction I was wanting in this moment of slow, painful death]

"B, I think I know what is going on. You are going to be ok."

YOU KNOW NOTHING YOU IDIOT.... -I thought very loudly but kept to myself because I needed his help. 

"I think you started your period.... this is normal, I'll show you what you need to do. Everyone goes through this."

"OH.... DO YOU??"

"Well no, not everyone.... just women"

"Well, that's not even fair" [cue me literally sobbing uncontrollably]

Since everyone was next door rehearsing their Thanksgiving music special at the church [my grandpa was a pastor and the church was on the same plot as the house] Jordan went in the bathroom and found a weird square package and a tube package.... they both looked terrifying. 

"One goes on your underwear... the other one.... in you. I don't know but you'll figure it out-I'll go find our moms" 

"IN ME????? NOPE. Wait outside the door, what if I die?"

"You're not going to die."

I DIDN'T DIE. 

You guys, I DIDN'T die. 

Later that day I found out I had a Vagina... and what a Vagina was. That was a little shocking. Also found out what a period was. That was disgusting... AND THEN I found out that it happened monthly... and I asked to have a Penis instead. Apparently that takes a surgery and our insurance didn't cover it. 

All this story to let ya'll know... My daughter thought she was shot this week. [she didn't really, I've been preparing her for this for about a year... she's read the books, had her first moon supplies, etc. my trauma made me over prepare her]

I feel officially old. 

Why can't you just be 4 again?

KIDS.

My dog just ate shit.

Sorry if that was too rash. 

My dog. My cute, little, fluffy, adorable Pomeranian just ate my sons shit. From his pull up. That he pulled down. In the middle of the living room. And shit fell from his butt.... on to the floor. 

I'm sitting here, mid first episode of 'Sneaky Pete' and Dal is just standing in the middle of the room- butt out, poop flopped on the floor and I..........................I had a mini asthma attack. Tears flowing. Snot oozing. Mascara decorating my cheeks like I've been at Coachella for two days straight. But no, I just had an asthma attack because my kid shit himself, dropping it all over the floor, and my dog ATE IT.

It wasn't even the eating of the shit that got me, it was how swift she was. She was like a lightening bolt. We didn't see it happen and it was already mid throat. It was almost like a magic trick, a really gross, puke worthy magic trick. I'm scarred for life. I had to book an extra therapy session this week just so I can discuss it. 

But enough about me, how is your day???

Ok-actually more about me. We went to my bestie's daughters birthday party this past weekend. It was so nice. I was able to see her family [my 'I pretend they are my family' family]. And then Dal found out there were balloons being popped and ALL hell broke loose. He made a grand exit from the party, screams, screeches, and straight up madness. We left and the siren sound from his mouth was almost poetic. He fell asleep mid-drive home and still sobbed in his sleep for 25 minutes. How is this life? Who cries in their sleep??

It was a long day Saturday.

But today is a new day, and I am so grateful for that.

Well, I was so grateful for that till I realized it was the middle of April and it was snowing... at about 6 AM this morning.

So, I'm super excited about tomorrow. TOMORROW is a new day.

Tomorrow is hopefully a shit free day. A snow free day. And maybe even..... a laundry free day [ok that was reaching lol we all know that's not true]

Happy Monday ya'll!

He's so lucky he's cute.