Picky & Picky, Eat Out

How I got 2 picky children I will never know! If it's not a brussel sprout I will pretty much try it at least once. Both of my boys are exceptionally picky. We are somewhat lucky in that there are certain places that we can pick up food from while we are out and about but we are not able to go out to eat at one place and all enjoy a meal together.

This past weekend we decided to go to the mall to keep cool on the 100 degree day and we wanted to eat together with my sisters and their kids, at the food court. I started to pack things for my boys to eat and then at the last second decided that I was going to try to get them lunch out. My little one decided he wanted Mcd's chicken nuggets which was perfect because the drive thru is directly across from the mall. At the food court they have a Sbarro's Pizza that my older son has always rejected but since he has started branching out with pizza brands I decided to order his lunch there.

We sat down at the table with our family and I was about to jump for joy when I realized that this was going to be a successful lunch. Two boys ate two meals out and enjoyed every bite! Such a little thing to some but such a huge and wonderful thing to this mommy!

What Mother's Day Means to Me

I have two of the most amazing children and they are pretty much nothing like each other. My big boy (5) is developing social skills at his own pace and his cognitive level is far superior to his age group. He is sweet and funny (they have that in common) and loves electronic games and reading books. My baby boy (3.5 going on 18) is chatty and smart and as friendly as they get. I have said many times that he is so socially ahead that he has managed to become his brother's very best therapist. He loves playing games and chatting at the kitchen table with anyone who is visiting. My boys are different from each other but they also have started playing together nicely and enjoy being in each others company.

There is no definition for what motherhood should be like for anyone but being the mother of a special needs child does make the experience different and more challenging. We have had to report to waiting rooms since he was a year old so having to find things to do all day like go to the park or to a mall play area, were never really part of our world. We have had to be "somewhere" everyday for most of his life. He starts Kindergarten this fall and while I dread sending him away for the entire day, the little man has been in school for 3 full years already so I know he can handle anything by now.

We have faced challenges that others likely don't like delays in development or difficulty knowing what he is asking for. We also get the hugs and the snuggles and the adoring love that he shows us.  We get the pride of watching him grow and thrive and kick the ass of these delays that he is faced with. We get to witness him use the words that he has always known and talk to us more each day. And, we get to see the unbelievable mind this kid has and the talents he has learned on his own already.

Being the mother of a typically developing child has challenges too. Like when he plays with the older boys across the street and comes home with an even sassier mouth than he started with. Or when he wakes up 7 times every.single.night and then wonders why I'm a zombie all day long.

There are hard days with both types of kids and there are wonderful days with both kids. I'm tired most days, my patience is not what it used to be and I sure don't get a lot of time for ME but I would not change one single thing about my life as a mother. I am the LUCKIEST mom in the world and I tell my boys how amazing and perfect they are every single night. If they grow up with big egos so be it but they don't ever go to bed at night wondering how wonderful they are!

Everyone has a different path in their motherhood journey but mine is simply perfect for me and I would take 3 more copies of each kid in a heartbeat. I would be exhausted and crispy burnt out but that's how amazing motherhood is for me.

So the absolute best life in the world.. that's what motherhood is to me :).

I also happened to be surrounded daily by an amazing Mom, Gram and Sisters who are all the best moms I know!

The Itch is Scratched

I have two boys that I had 20 mos apart. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that neither of them were sleeping through the night...wait they still don't sleep, but it was either that or the fact that my older son has developmental delays/special needs that helped us decide to hold off on having more children. Our sons therapy and intervention is extremely time consuming and expensive so any leftover funds and energy that may have been spent on a third child went to this cause. Well worth the college tuition etc. as he is kicking this things butt, but still it's a lot of work. I always planned on having another child at some point but today is not the day. Still I had recently gotten the "baby itch" and hubby was far from on board. Lucky for me my big sis went and had the absolute cutest baby girl ever born and it was the PERFECT way to scratch the itch. Not only do I get to snuggle the little dumpling often but I get a front row reminder of how much work those little nuggets really are and I have to say I am at a pretty great stage with my 3 and almost 5 year old so I will back burner that baby talk at least for a while longer. But when the urge creeps up I just drop by and play with my niece! Could you die from this pic!