Ah, the life of a Mother!

I love being a Mother. I really do! However, being a Mother has its moments...

So, yesterday morning I am woken up to a 9 yr. old boy practicing the piano at 6:30 a.m. (He is an early riser & practicing early in the morning was his choice.) Normally, this is a good thing. I love to hear my kids practice the piano. But, today he decides to pound as loud as he possibly can and he is playing the same song over & over!!! I get out of bed, go into the piano room & in a quiet voice say - "Can you play a little softer please?" His VERY LOUD reply was - "I thought you liked me to play the piano. I thought you wanted me to practice! I hate piano. I hate this song. I hate practicing." I walked out of the room & decided to go back to bed & hoped he would to so that he could possibly wake up on the "other" side of the bed this time & be in a better mood.

The entire family continued to endure the loud pounding of the piano music until McKenna, the controlling older sister who likes to sleep in, has had enough. She yells from her room in an extremely irritated voice - "STOP IT CAMERON!" And the war begins. It's 6:35 a.m.

After putting out the fight, I proceed to go into the kitchen to start breakfast. It's now 6:45 a.m. I am thinking in my head about the yummy fresh peaches I got from my mother-in-law & how good they would taste on a bowl of Millet. (Yes, we do eat Millet & love it. Okay, not all of us love it. I would say MOST of us love it. The rest of us like to sit & complain for 20 min. & then eat the whole bowl.) As I start to get out a pot to boil some water, I here my 9 yr old walk into the kitchen. (He's the complain for 20 min. kinda kid!) He asks - "What's for breakfast Mom?" I reply - "Millet with fresh peaches! Doesn't that sound good? Would you like to help me set the table?" And the whining starts & goes something like this - " Why can't we have pancakes? I love pancakes! We NEVER have pancakes! You ALWAYS make healthy stuff. I'm so tired of healthy stuff!! My friends eat pop tarts for breakfast. Why can't we have pop tarts for breakfast?" (Just have to clarify here that I make pancakes about every other day.) After listening to the whining for a good 5 min. I proceed to finish the Millet breakfast & the whining boys sits down & complains some more & eats his whole bowl. My 3 yr old smears her cereal on the table, in her hair & then proceeds to "accidentally" drop it on the floor. I clean it up as the 11 yr. old, who is running late, continues to say - "Can we hurry with scriptures & prayers? I have to fix my hair! I need to finish my room. You're reading too slow!!" The 9 yr old then starts to tease the 3 yr old & make her scream & puts up a fit when asked to move to another chair. We finish breakfast, read scriptures & say family prayers. (Of course the 3 yr. old HAS to say the blessing on the food & the family prayer to day!) It's 7:30 a.m.

All fires put out, messes cleaned up, I start making lunches. I see the kids getting ready for school & ask Cameron - "Did you brush you teeth?" His reply - "YES!" I look at his teeth & it is very apparent that he has NOT brushed his teeth. I said - "Did you REALLY brush them?" He says - "Oh, you mean TODAY?"

As I get dressed in my workout clothes, (positive thinking here!! If I actually put the workout clothes on, the chances of working out increases!) I notice that our 3-yr. old potty-training girl is standing still, looking down at the little puddle that has dripped down around her feet. She looks up & says to me - "Mommy, I need to go potty!" I clean up another mess...........happily.

I glance into McKennas room who is now on her bed reading a book without her hair fixed & her room is a BIG mess. (Remember the rant she made at the breakfast table about being late & not having enough time to get ready?) I look at the time & realize we need to be in the car NOW to be on time for the carpool. I holler out to the kids to get into the car. McKenna comes running into the room without her hair fixed & says - "Hold on! I'm not ready!" Cameron then starts in with - "Then why were you reading a book?" And another war begins.

We barely pick up the 4 other carpool kids on time & make it to school as I kiss the kids goodbye & tell them all - "Have a good day! I LOVE YOU!!" It's 8:30 a.m.

So....................., today is a new day. I wake up to a happy boy playing a great rendition of "The Hall of the Mountain King" on the piano. He asks me whats for breakfast. I turn on the wheat grinder & say - "Pancakes!" He grins and continues practicing.

It's going to be a good day. :)