The 80 year Science experiment

In April it will be 9 years ago that I became a mother. I gave birth to my son 3 days overdue with the help of a doctor, some nurses, and a wonderful drug called an epidural. Since then, my life has been on an on-going roller coaster ride. Up, down, straight, bumps, screams, smiles, and sheer fear. I had my 4 kids within 7 years and I can honestly say for certain, “I am done!”
I am moving on now. I am looking forward to the stages I already passed with my older 2; with my twins. Diapers, potty training, and no baby car seats. It’s funny because there are so many things I have learned along the way and I continue to learn.

Since Joseph was my first, I shared all my “firsts” with him. I guess I understand the different relationship an older child has with its parents. They are the ones we “try” things out on. Like feeding foods for the first time, sleeping patterns, nap times, bottle weaning, pacifier weaning and potty training readiness. We swore that we would do it better the next time. So when our second children are born, we want to do the exact opposite. Like when people come to visit, we no longer smell their breath to make sure they didn’t have a cigarette or a drink 3 hours previous. We no longer put our ears to their mouth to make sure we hear them breathing, and we no longer cringe at the thought of bringing them to a mall and uncovering them for strangers to coo at them. We loosen up, and we love it. I cannot tell you how much you don’t fret if you have a third or fourth..lol..I think my twins were climbing stairs at 6 months..lol and eating full grapes at 12 months..lol.

I am going through all the motherhood changes right alongside my oldest. He is like my project child. I figure if it works on him, it should work on the others. I didn’t take into account ...personality. What rule worked on 1, may not work on the next. You see, there is never a right way of doing things, or a right way of approaching a situation. When you are a parent, everyday is a new challenge.

Sometimes I find myself looking at my kids and wondering when the camera is going to stop rolling and the taping ends. When are their real parents coming to pick them up? Lol..It sometimes still feels surreal to me that after 9 months, I had a baby, and I even had 2 at once (talk about productive..lol). At night, when I put them to bed I still look at them one by one, by, one, by one, and stare at them. I sometimes still check if they are breathing, and I sometimes still wonder what answer I will give them when I am asked from my son “how babies are born?” Or “how does a woman get pregnant mommy?” or “do you ever see Daddy naked?” I am working on answers that are just so unbelievable that I try hard not to burst out laughing.

I remember when my son started JK I was a wreck. I cried, I was so emotional that I couldn’t bare to talk to anyone about it because I felt so silly. The next year when my best friend’s daughter began, I had the nerve to say, “Oh toughen up, she will be fine.”..lol. My point is, we forget. We forget the hard times, the emotional times, and the times where we want to sell them to the gypsies. (A line my own mother would use).

Raising children, (whether it was 5 years ago, 15 years ago, or this month) is not easy. It is an on-going questionable period in our life that pretty much NEVER ends. We will guide them, teach them, show them, scold them, and nurture them until the day we die. We will be side by side with them as they reach all their milestones, and we may sometimes not know how to handle it, or what to do. And that’s ok.

Parenthood is a work in progress, a continuous test, exam and assessment. We try different recipes, formulas and tactics over the years. We do not get a final grade, or a report card. And one day when we are old and grey, rocking in our chair, we will have realized that we just spent the past 80+ years (we are all living until 105..lol) learning, revising, re-doing, and re-checking over and over our “little” Science experiment we call “Parenting”.
That's my peace today!

Roasted Red Peppers
6 red peppers washed left whole
1/4 cup olive oil
3 springs fresh basil
6 springs fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic cut in halves
salt and oregano

In the summer it is best to do this on the bbq but you can still do in the oven in Winter time. Place the peppers on a baking pan and cook in oven for 1 hour at 400 degrees. Once the peppers look soft and blackened, remove and cool. Peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. With your fingers break apart into thick long strings. Put in a bowl with oil, salt, oregano, garlic and herbs. Toss and refridgerate.