Awkward Intro

I'm not quite sure how introducing my blogging self works. I'm actually not quite sure how to blog in general. So bear with me here.

For starters, my name is Rebecca Delfine. 

I'm a stay at home mom to my beautiful son (Carson) 

and a full-time babysitter of twin girls (Allison and Ainsley).

They are all currently 21 months old. I guess the fact of that matter alone would make any thoughts I have very relatable to many, many other moms out there. I have a passion for writing my thoughts. It lets me process them better while getting them off my mind. The problem is, my days are so pre-occupied with the needs of three other humans that by the time I am actually able to sit and gather them, I would honestly just rather sleep. I'm not sure what kind of blogger that would make, but I can't imagine a good one.

While I'm not anticipating winning blogger of the year, I am excited to share my experiences and have them to look back on!

Looking forward to my next post

-RLD

Bully Problems

Well, it finally happened. 

For the first time, I had to deal with a bully being mean to Laila the other day. I always thought when Laila had a bully, I would let her handle it herself, and stay in the background. However, I wasn't aware that the bully experience would happen to her before she was even two years old. 

In my defense, the kid was probably about six and was being mean to all the little kids. He didn't want any of them going down the slide, even though he was the one on the little kid jungle gym. Laila was waiting patiently to go down the slide and was staring at this kid because she clearly didn't understand what he was doing. She is so innocent, she didn't understand that there are people out there who genuinely want to be mean. Doesn't that just break your heart? 

Anyway, Jerk Kid (yes, that's his name from now on) asked me "Why is she just staring at me?" in a rude way. Here's how the rest went down: 

Me: Probably because she wants to go down the slide and you're not moving. (He said this with a sneaky grin, which means he knew damn well she wanted to go down the slide, he just wanted to be mean.)

Me: I'm pretty sure she does. 

At this point, Laila was tired of waiting for the kid to move, so she just walked away. 

Jerk Kid: See? Guess she didn't want to go down the slide bad enough. (Still grinning sneakily) 

Me: I guess she found better things to do than wait for you to move. 

Now, don't judge me. Obviously, common sense would tell you to talk to this kid's parents instead of being a jerk back to him. However, this kid's parents probably wouldn't care if he was being ran over by a car. They were at the park, but they weren't very concerned about what their kids were doing, and quite frankly, they looked a little rough and I wasn't trying to get in a fight with some drug addicts. 

 I'm disappointed in myself that I would even stoop so low to get in an argument with a stupid kid. I guess sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us. I'm the farthest away from a helicopter parent, but I guess when the situation arises, I get a little "mama bear"-ish. I'm not telling this story for any other reason than to show that we are all human. Even though we try to raise our kids to be the bigger person, sometimes we don't show that example. If I were going to set a good example, I would have just told Laila to find something else to do. 

In all honesty though, I'm not fully convinced that would have been the best way to handle it either. At what point do we teach our kids to stand up for themselves? Being a parent is like re-learning how to handle awkward situations, but this time, people are looking to you to see what decision you make, and there seems to be less room for error. 

So am I a bad parent because I basically got in an argument with a six year old? No. I think I had a minor lapse in judgement, and hopefully I won't let it happen again...or if it does happen again, I don't make a habit of it. 

Seriously, can you blame me for wanting to protect and stick up for this darling little thing though? No. No you can't. 

Love always,

R.Clarkson

I haven't posted in a while. It's because I was busy giving birth and raising this:

A picture from the day Lane was born.

We welcomed our new addition on July 11, 2013. Lane Robert Clarkson was a planned c-section birth (not by choice), and we couldn't be happier. Now, after being a month post-partum, I am finally feeling like a human being again. 

I will say bringing the second child home is completely different than bringing home your first. Because Laila is still so young (going to be two next month), we had to have so much more help, and most of it was with her. She has adjusted well and loves her baby brother. However, Laila is still young and can't be left alone to her own devices as much as older children. 

I remember bringing Laila home and feeling like she could never be put down for a second. Not even to do a load of laundry. This isn't the case with Lane. If I have a chance to put him down, I do...but I must say snuggling a newborn proves to be much more fun than a load of laundry.

The c-section recovery with two children has been a journey for sure, but I feel like I have made a great deal of progress after battling the infections and complications that were associated with my post-partum. 

 This picture is from Lane's first week home, I believe.

With that being said, Laila has been a wonderful helper in bringing home her baby brother. I was surprised that she hasn't exhibited much jealousy. If I pump some milk, she loves to feed the baby. She also likes to tuck him in with blankets. Her sharing has been remarkable, although we did have an issue where she tried to give the baby some chips...haha! 

All in all, it's been a good experience, but it has been far from easy. Thanks a lot for warning me that two under two was going to be hard, NOBODY. Oh well, it's a blessing, and we are thankful we are all here now. I just have to remember that sleep is now nothing more than a pleasant memory. 

Lane is one month old now. Here's him being held by his Nana (my mother). 

Oh, and here is a photo from today. Laila blew bubbles on Lane, and this is her crying about getting in trouble for it. Needless to say, Lane didn't enjoy having bubbles blown on him. 

So things are starting to calm down, and I do believe we are settling into a routine. Some days are easier than others, but I think we will all survive. ;) That's all for now, but you can expect more posts from not only myself, but from a friend of mine, Rebecca Delfine. Thanks for reading and go out and enjoy the weather! 

The love of my life.

My sweet girl.

Things My Daughter Should Know

My first post is this, because I think it gives everyone a good sense about what kind of mother, human being, and wife I am.

To my daughter, Laila

1.     You are luckier than more than half the people on the planet. You have shelter, you know you will have a meal, and you have family who loves you. There will be times when you think you deserve more, but I will constantly remind you how blessed you are already. I will probably do this so much that you’ll think it’s annoying. Then one day, you will grow up and realize how right I actually was.  

2.     Your father and mother love you more than anybody ever will, even your best friends and spouse (if you choose to be married). You will never know the sacrifices they have made for you, until you have a child of your own. Then you will feel like the biggest jerk ever, but will also have so much more appreciation for them.

3.     Your father is an amazing, hard-working man who will always put you first. I fell in love with him because he is the best man I have ever met besides my dad. Your father is compassionate, and the most loyal friend anyone can have. I will always respect your father, even when we are angry with each other. You will do the same.

4.     We are never going to be able to give you all that you want, but we will try our best to give you all that you need, and some of what you want. In the end, you are going to be happier, because you will appreciate what you have.

5.     We want what’s best for you, but we will try our best to let you figure out what that is. Our version of what’s best for you won’t always be what you think, so we will let you try to live your life and make your mistakes. We will be there when you realize what your mistakes were and will help you heal.

6.     There is a lot of evil in the world, but we can be the good. The light shines the brightest in the night. Remember that God made you for a reason, and that shouldn’t be taken lightly. We have a responsibility not just as Christians, but as human beings, to lift each other up and help those in need. In regards to political arguments and our religion: Do not judge anyone because we don’t know what they have been through. Love one another, and let others love.

7.     Being a woman is hard. People will tell you all different sorts of things when you are growing up. How to behave, how to look, and what to think. You will ultimately decide who you are. You will always be beautiful, but don’t let it go to your head. Being humble and nice is what makes you beautiful. The prettiest person aesthetically can be the ugliest person morally. Don’t be like that.

8.     Don’t be afraid to be smart. Sometimes society tells us women shouldn’t be intelligent, or that if you’re pretty, you can’t have brains. Trust me: Being smart, kind, and beautiful will get you far. Spend just as much time on your mind as you do on your looks.

9.     Being a man is hard also. Build your men up instead of beating them down. Be supportive of the men in your life. Women and men are equally amazing. We are their biggest cheerleaders.  Your father and brother should be the first men in your life.

A man should treat you with just as much respect as your father treats you. If he doesn’t, than he needs to go, and I’m sure your father and brother will help take care of that problem for you.

11.  I love you more than you will ever know.