Mother In Training

So it's time to explain why my Blog is called Mother In Training.  Well, quite simply, it's because I consider myself "in training."  Each day is a brand new learning experience, chock full of surprises, frustrations, butterfly kisses, cuddles, ear-to-ear smiles, and more extreme frustrations that leave me wondering if I am going to lose my mind.  And so it goes with parenting...or learning to be a good parent, that is.  Dad always said that one of the greatest pleasures a parent could experience was watching their own kids have children.  He told me this numerous times while visiting when the twins were newborns, always with a smirk on his face.  At the time, I really didn't get his humor.  Aside from the extra 25lbs I was carting around, sore nipples, and feeling a tad harried from an endless number of sleepless nights, I was rather enjoying being a new mom.

All that changed when the boys got mobile, and vocal, and suddenly needed a whole lot more than my arms, a dry diaper, and milk.  Wow!  Just a few months after Dad passed away, I realized why he had sported such a huge, knowing smirk.  It was payback time, for all the testing, challenging, finagling, and high-decibel tantrums my sister and I had subjected my parents to in our youth.  Finally- I got it!

It's funny how obsolete parenting skills are.  Just when you think you've nailed how to deal with a specific, outrageous behavior, another one crops-up.  Like overnight.  Here's one that still a staple in our house- shouting matches in the car.  It usually starts-out innocently enough.  Usually on the way home from daycare (after a long day at work), Austin will point out that I'm his Mommy.  Alright, that's cool, I think.  Then Bassem will quickly counter with,  "No, MY Mommy."  A quick rebuttal from Austin, "NO MY MOMMY!!!!"- and you get the picture.

After exhausting my list of creative and fair solutions to this issue (which by the way, lasts for about 10 straight minutes on the ride home), I consulted Larry.  His very prompt response was, "Why don't you get some earplugs?"  As you would expect, this was not the solution I was looking for.  I have to admit I was hoping for more of a, "Hey, why don't we take turns torturing ourselves.  I'll pick up the boys from school a few days a week- we'll share this issue."  Of course I know that no one in their right mind would ever subject themselves to this cruel and unusual punishment....so my expectations were quite clearly out-of-line.

And yes, as you would expect, the screaming matches continued beyond this consultation.  Larry, after experiencing several screaming presentations on our way to and from the YMCA, implemented a very advanced solution.  Stop the car.  Wait until the screaming stops, then proceed to destination.  So, how did it work?  Quite well, actually.  But, this is only a really practical solution if you have the patience of a saint, and ooodles of time to get to the Yoga class that your already 5 minutes late for.

So, what did I do, you ask?  Well, I bought those earplugs.  Ahhhhhhh, Blissssss.......