Wear it out, like a 3 (or 1) year old would do!

Being a mom has taught me many many things about myself, about being a parent, about raising kids, and about kids... it has been a truly fantastic journey - all about learning - never ending learning!

But it is TIRING!  (You know I keep talking about being tired all the time).

What is unbelievably funny to me is how, when and why my kids get tired - as if I even had a clue...

We've talked about what a notoriously bad sleeper Jonah was and is.  Vera was much much better - but she is getting her four k-9 teeth in right now and that has led to many nights in which she gets up multiple times... god bless me!

No matter how much they sleep or don't sleep, Jonah & Vera have enough energy between them to power Manhattan for at least a week - and you might even be able to throw in the Las Vegas strip as well.  I wish I could bottle it and drink it - all that energy.  It is clearly wasted on children - this boundless, innocent, pure uncontainable energy. 

That is why we "do" so much stuff... if we didn't, well one of us (Jonah, Vera or me) would lose it... I mean really lose it and that one might not be able to find his or her way back... (OK I admit, the one most likely to lose it would be me - but Jonah & Vera would both get pretty annoyed if they were not engaged or focused...)

A few weekends ago I hadn't really figured out what to do, we were hitting the afternoon and I was panicking about what the hell we were going to do between then and the time the kids go to bed.  The kids were running around chasing each other screaming "MONSTERS" and then growling...  I picked up the kaleidoscope - took a peak - it told me to to call my buddy who moved out to Germantown and see if she was up for a visit!  The kaleidoscope never lies and is always spot on.

I called.  She was awesome and invited us over after I sort of desperately explained we weren't doing anything... and we had a date!

It took a quick 30 minutes to get to her new place - no traffic and a gorgeous ride.  The trees were all changing colors and the sun was "twinkling on them" - that is what Jonah told me.

They live in a mansion!  With a huge back yard.  Their home is homey, warm and comfortable - despite it being a mansion.  Immediately I felt like I had been hanging out there forever - and so did my kids.  Jonah & Vera played with their buddy and all of his toys.  They had snacks.  And then we went outside to the big back yard and the LEAVES!!!!

The best fall play date ever!  Jonah still talks about playing in the leaves with his best friend.  Jonah and Vera and their buddy just ran and played and ran and played forever in the leaves!!!  It was seriously wonderful!  It was pure, simple, child nirvana!  Piles of leaves, big space and good buddies - what else could a 3 year old or a 1 year old ask for... did I really just write that...  of course they could ask for something else... they always want more... and my friend did not disappoint!  They got hot chocolate when we returned inside to play with the toys again.  (I was ready for a nap - but my kids refused to leave.)

My buddy was actually having some more people that evening and we stayed so late that we overlapped with the next crew!  Of course my kids loved this - more kids to play with!

Finally I yanked my kids out of there - it was dark out.  They were crying they did not want to leave. (no pun intended...) En route home they fell asleep - the way to wear your 3 and 1 year old out is - give them lots to do that involve moving, playing and interacting with the world in an intense way!  Make it fun and make sure they don't stop till they are exhausted...

What a great play date we had with our Germantown buddies.

All of that got me thinking about something else. A few weeks ago, I went to see Alanis Morissette in concert (yes, yes, I have told you I am on this "woman rock star concert kick" these days).  I really love her music.  The concert was fantastic!  I love that she has been angsty, angry, empowered, mindful and is now a bit (not completely) at peace - but still good.  She is married (her husband is a rapper and he opened for her) and she has a 2 year old - she is engulfed in love.  Her latest album, Havoc and Bright Lights, is really good - at least I think so. 

During the concert she sang one of her great older songs, You Learn, from one of the greatest albums, Jagged Little Pill.  She changed the words.  When she sang the line, "wear it out like a three year old would,"  she changed it to "wear it out, like a two year old would!" and she laughed... even Alanis Morissette is now a mom - that is funny to me.  She gets it.  It isn't that easy to wear your kids out, in a good way.  In a way that makes you feel good about what they are doing and in a way that they have fun - they are amazing these little creatures and they are not easy to wear out in the right way.

I love that Alanis and I know what it like to wear our kids out.  Because god knows, those kids, they can wear us out!

The song, You Learn, is a great song.  It is a true song to me.  Life is about learning from it all.  And having kids is about learning how to be a parent for the first time which is overwhelming and wonderful at the same time - but it also about relearning all those things you thought you knew through the eyes of your children.  You Learn, the song, has a new meaning for me in that way.  My guess is, it does for Alanis too!

On this day before Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the opporutnity to be able to learn so much about life and love & living, loving and learning. 

I am especially thankful for my family: my parents, my in-laws, my brother and his family, my brother-in-law and his family, my grandmother, our extended family, my friends both near and far, and of course my "village."

I obviously thankful for Jocelyn and my Jonah & my Vera - and the fact that for the past almost four years I have been able to be a "stay-at-home" mom (although we rarely stay at home?!?!).  It has been a complete and total gift that I cherish every day and that I will remember always.

I am also very thankful for my current health and that of all of my loved ones - may we be continued to be blessed in the coming year.

Although my life is absolutely not perfect, and there are many many bumps on our road, I am thankful for the opportunity to find my way and then write about it here - and ultimately learn from my triumphs, my mistakes and my failures.  I just hope I can try to smile my way through most of it as well as cry when necessary - and to absolutely keep learning. 

'Cause life, it sort of wears you out like a 3 and 1 year old sometimes, unless you choose to wear it out like only a 42 year old can do!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  See you on Monday!

Lyrics from "You Learn" by Alanis Morissette
Wear it out (the way a three-year-old would do)
Melt it down (you're gonna have to eventually anyway)
The fire trucks are coming up around the bend

You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn

You grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn
You live you learn