What I Do All Day

All of you Moms have been asked this question a hundred times if you've been asked it once...."So, what did you do all day?!" At the end of a long and exhausting day of looking after a new baby or toddler, that one question alone can set off the most composed mothers into a sudden onset of rage, anger, hurt and tears! I always take offense to it, even if the person asking means it in a truely innocent and genuine way, out of pure interest and curiosity about what I've done all day. I always take it as a stab at me and what I do. Since I'm at home and clearly not getting paid for any of the work I do, I assume they think I must be eating chocolate on the couch all day between naps! Well, my Dad keeps telling me I'm too defensive (I'm workin on it Dad!) However, I found myself at the other end of that question the other day, doing the asking and not the answering!

My Mom had the day off last Tues after the long weekend and took Harrison for the afternoon while I drove my school bus route. She only had him for a few hours, but when I walked in the door, I walked into what looked like a war zone just after a bomb had gone off! I immediately shouted (to no one in particular since there didn't seem to be any adults present!) "what did you do all day?!" No one answered me, except Harrison! Oh no! I climbed over toys and clothes strewn from one end of the living room to the other, as my son sat naked on a chair, one inch from the TV tuned into a channel I don't let him watch, not far from an empty bowl and tell-tale Jersey Milk chocolate wrappers everywhere....wondering what had gone on all day! Then suddenly, there in the middle of it all, was the only evidence I needed to seal the case! There lay my Mom, sound asleep on the couch, oblivious to all that had gone on around her!

She didn't get a very nice wake up call, as I shook her to her senses (never shake a baby....oh wait, baby...right....she's an adult...shake away!) screaming, "What did you do all day? How long have you been asleep?!" Groggy and out of it, she asked calmly what time it was! "6pm...it's 6pm! How long have you been asleep?!" I know he must have really worn her out, for if she'd been of clearer mind she would never have admitted the truth, "since 4pm"!!! If you can't trust your parents...then who can you trust?!

Since 4pm.....4pm....that's 2 whole hours my little Hurricane had free run of the house....and that is when I noticed the near empty bottle of sunscreen sitting on the floor, next to the puddle of it all over the carpet, near the sunscreen soaked clothes he'd peeled off! Just great! When I asked him what he was doing, he said "putting it on"! Like DUH Mom, what else would I do with a whole brand new bottle of sunscreen?! As I approached him, that's when I saw that he too was covered from head (by this I mean his hair!) to toe in the tropical splash lotion that brings back memories of warmer sun filled days at the paddling pool. Well, who could blame the little guy for wanting to be reminded of that?!

"Mom! You can't fall asleep when you're looking after Harrison! He's not one of those kids...he needs to be watched like a hawk! You can't take your eyes off him for 30 seconds....let alone 2 hours," I continued to shout! "I know...I know," she tried to weasle out of it! "No you don't or this wouldn't have happened!" I was furious! "You're lucky it's only sunscreen....he could have gotten out of the house (which he's already done on more than one occasion!) or really injured himself and you'd never know!" I fumed around the living room, stepping over toys, clothes, chocolate wrappers and a giant pool of sunscreen. Harrison began apologizing to keep my Mom from getting in trouble from his Mom, who is a whole lot meaner than my Mom ever was!!!

That is when I realized that things could have been a lot worse, and I started to laugh (inside!) as I looked around. I was reminded of an email my girlfriend sent me (thanx Rebecca!) about a lady who got tired of answering the "what did you do all day?" question from her hubby, so one day she stayed in bed all day and he walked into complete chaos and destruction, to which she replied, "You know you ask what I do all day? Well, today I didn't do it!" I love that email! And now I too know that this is what the house would look like if I did nothing all day! Even on days when it feels like I haven't done any of the things on my To-Do List, my job as a mother is still important work!

For all you hard working Moms out there, give yourselves a pat on the back for all you do all day: from picking up toys, wiping the juice/milk off the kitchen floor and furniture, keeping the clothes ON your kids (this is a tough one in my house right now!) watching your toddler's every move and always knowing where they're going to be in 2 mins and not just where they are right now, following them around to keep them safe from harm and handing out discipline when necessary in a loving and caring manner...all while staying calm, organized and stress free!!! And next time someone asks you what you did all day long, smile sweetly and say, "I avoided danger, maintained order and asserted damage control in what would otherwise be complete chaos!" And that is no easy task!!!

First Day Of School

Harrison started French Immersion Preschool for 4 year olds, and had his first day on Monday September 11, 2006. He was in usual Hurricane Harrison form and in a snit the first day (who knows why? I've given up figuring him out!) So here is his "Before School" photo, in front of the tree outside the house, showing me his pout! After that performance I couldn't wait to drop him off to see if the teacher could do anything with him!




Here he is outside his classroom, under his very own coat/lunch bag hook, with the nametag he made himself that day! I'm not sure what his expression is all about in this picture! Traumatized?! Not likely.... appearantly his teacher really is a miracle worker, as he came back to me a lot happier than the kid with the long face I sent into the classroom!




Here he is, Mr Sunshine in his Hawaiin floral shirt and kahki shorts, all smiles and giggles in his "After School" photo shoot, telling me tales of what he did!

He attends every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 12:45pm-3:00pm and loves it! His teacher's name is Madame Guylaine and the name of his school is La Coccinelle, which means ladybug! It's a very cute classroom, with ladybug everything! They start the day with free play, then find their ladybug nametag taped to the floor on their special spot for circle time, where they learn "la date" on "le calandrier" (calander) followed by "la meteo" (weather) then the french vocabulary of the day: parts of the body, numbers, letters, colours, shapes etc. After circle time, they do a craft, have more free play, eat their snack on their very own special placemats they made with artwork of their favorite foods ~ Harrison's is all circles, indicating pancakes! For those of you that know him well, that should come as no surprise, he'd eat them 3 times/day, 7 days/week! Once the snacks have been eaten and they've cleaned them up themselves (I told you his teacher was a miracle worker!) they get more free play time (one of the things I love is how much play time they get...they're only 4 yrs old afterall!) before sitting down to read a story before the parents show up to fetch their little darlings!



Here is one more "After" photo, in front of that same tree! Since he was co-operating, I tried it again with more success!

He really enjoys going, which takes the sting out of dropping my child off and watching him scamper off with half a hug if I'm lucky enough to hold onto him that long, as he calls over his shoulder, "I have to play with my friends!" I guess I should be blessed that he has friends and this wonderful opportunity to learn french. I can't help but be selfish about it as I also see it from the heart of a mother, who knows that it's the beginning of the "letting go" stage, followed by many more to come, and again, it's ME who is not ready. How is it we spend all that time preparing our children for these adventures, when they seem born prepared, and really it's us, the parents who need the prep work?!

I had strict insrtuctions from my family doctor NOT to cry on his first day...guess she really does know me! But she didn't say anything about the night before!!! That is when I broke down into tears, putting my young preschool son to bed the night before his first day. I asked him how he felt about starting school and he answered in one word, "proud!" If I wasn't crying enough before that, the tears poured down my cheeks, as I too felt "proud" of both of us! He gently reached up and wiped my tears away, and said in a worried little voice, "But you not proud...you sad". That too broke my heart as I sobbed by his bedside. I told him I was SO proud that my heart can't hold all those feelings and it makes me cry.

Don't worry little angel, Mommy is more proud of you than anything else in this whole wide world, and I always will be. It seems the prouder I am, the deeper the love, the bigger the hurt and the more tears I need to cry. Here is to one great school year at La Coccinelle....love your biggest fan!