Yes, I am Mom Enough.

I am Mom Enough to breastfeed my first child until we decided that was the end of it...just shy of 13 months.

I am Mom Enough to breastfeed my second child until it was determined we were both happier when she took a bottle - at less than 4 months old.

I am Mom Enough to go live out of a truck that didn't like to stay running because it was safer than living at home with my (ex) husband when my son was barely past a year old.

I am Mom Enough to accept help offered to me by complete strangers 600 miles from everything I was familiar with.  Persons I'd only spoken to in a chatroom and over the phone.

I am Mom Enough to juggle my child between daycares & friends so that I could work 2 fulltime & a part time jobs a week to keep a roof over his head.

I am Mom Enough to move another 600 miles back home, where the potential threat was high, but I had to get my divorce finalized once & for all.

I am Mom Enough to put my foot down with hospital directors, judges, lawyers, and doctors who think their shit doesn't stink, while pregnant, to make sure my husband got the medical care he needed, not just what was convenient them.  And won.

I am Mom Enough to raise two bright, respectful, well-behaved, children, who know when I make a threat I'm going to follow through with it.

I am Mom Enough to know when something isn't right with my children & press for different medical testing & opinions until the problem is corrected.

I am Mom Enough to know when I am unable to adequately homeschool my children, so make sure they attend public school & excel at it by supplementing that education any way I know how, everywhere we may go.

I am Mom Enough to know when it's time to uproot and make some serious life changes to better my family.

I am Mom Enough to juggle going to school, starting a business, taking care of my children, loving my husband, having a social life, and keeping a sanitary home.

I am Mom Enough to recognize my Mommy Experience is TOTALLY different from yours and I RESPECT that.

I am Mom Enough to roll my eyes at your judgments towards me and know you're not Mom Enough to handle MY Mom Experience. 

I am Mom Enough to know that in no way am I able to handle your Mom Experience, even if the only reason it may be so sensational is because you have a judgmental ego and think you're so much better than the rest of us.

Every Mom is different.  Every Mom has a story.  Every Mom has their own style. 

Motherhood is a demanding job.  Some Moms are given the luxury of being able to sit in their home, with their nannies, maids, and personal chefs so that they can pass judgment on Moms who don't live to their standard of mothering.  Other Moms have two children, only 11 months apart, one a premie, are an active duty Marine, and married to an active duty Marine and selflessly spend every moment they can with their children because they never know when they'll be given 3 hours notice to put their life on the line so that judgmental bitches can judge them freely without fear of persecution, because that is their choice.

I am Mom Enough to respect Mothers who fight day in & day out to just keep their children alive.

I am Mom Enough to respect Mothers who fight day in & day out to get their children the specialized services their child deserves.

I am Mom Enough to admit that where I'm sure I'd do it if I had to, I am thankful I don't have to face such fights at this time.

I am Mom Enough to admit that I lucked out with our current doctor, school system, and various therapists.  Not once have I had to fight to have specialized tests run on either of my children - if I asked for a second opinion or specific testing they've each willingly obliged.  Not once have I had to press for therapy services for Mikaila...not only that but when her teachers noticed that her motor skills were not up to par with her NT classmates they pressed for physical therapy - I had to sign two papers, they did the rest.

I am Mom Enough to admit I've screwed up along the way. 

I am Mom Enough to know that the only Moms who haven't screwed up along the way are the ones ROYALLY screwed up.

I am also Mom enough to know that Time Magazine & Yahoo! News are so full of crapola the water & sewage treatment plants must be jealous.

Live on Moms & Enjoy!  You only get one chance to raise the adults of the future!  When it comes down to it, we all need therapy - some of us can embrace the insanity that is life - others, well...

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Riding in Cars with Boys vs Girls

So the other day  I had this experience of riding in cars with boys...

That was followed up with a bit of sadness as my momma cat quit taking care of her babies....not sure if she quit producing milk or what her deal is, but it's the same fate that befell her first litter last year.  Anyways, I took the kids with me to the vet's office to get some kitten nursing bottles.

Mikeal (remember, 9yo boy) asks me:  "If you get breast implants can you still feed your babies?"
Me:  "I imagine so, it's just a silicone water balloon put in behind the mammary glands that produce the milk."
Mikeal:  "Can they pop?"
Me:  "I've heard of it happening."
Mikeal:  "So the baby can bite it & it pop, then drink the water?"
Me:  "Not quite..."
Mikeal:  "So if you have breast implants you're always ready for a water balloon fight!"
Me:  "No, Mikeal.  The implants are surgically implanted, under the skin & tissues, then sewn up over.  Also - they're silicone, that stuff daddy uses to seal the gaskets & such on cars to keep water & fluids from leaking out everywhere"
Mikeal:  "Okay, whatever"

....
Yesterday we went to a friend's house to go swimming & ended up leaving Mikeal there with the boys to spend the night & brought home two girls, age 5 & 7 to spend the night with Mikaila.

This morning I took the girls home.

I noticed my neighbor home & so I stopped for a minute to see if his wife was home.
5yo:  "Why are we going here?"
7yo: "This isn't my house."
I'm trying to talk to my neighbor asking about his wife & chit chat for a minute about the insane prices of buying replacement parts for lawnmowers in the summer (He repairs lawnmowers on the side.)

I bid him good day, we go back on our way...
7yo: "Why did we stop here?"
Me:  "I just needed to talk to his wife for a minute, but she's not home."
5yo:  "Why is she not home?"
Me:  " She's probably at her son's house to help take care of him & his kids."
7yo:  "Why does she take care of them? If he's grown and has kids doesn't he have a wife?"
Me:  "He's very sick & his wife lives somewhere else."
5yo: "Why is he sick?"

Sadly these girls' grandfather just passed away a couple of months ago from lung cancer.  My neighbor's son has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, 3 kids under 10, & his wife is a pillhead that in order for him to continue to receive hospice care she's not allowed on the property because she steals his pain meds...I then try to tread delicately because the girls are not my kids & I know their parents are very closed when it comes to discussing a lot of things....

Me:  "He has cancer & can't do a lot of things by himself."
5yo:  "Does he cough because of it?"
Me:  "I don't know"
5yo:  "Does it make him throw up?"
Me:  "Maybe"
5yo:  "I got sick and it made me cough and cough and I throwed-up"
Me:  "It's different than that.  You don't have cancer yours got better with lots of rest & medicines your mommy gave you."
5yo:  "My daddy got me the medicine when I throwed-up & then I drank some Sprite & it made me throwed-up more."
7yo:  "It's THREW UP, not throwed-up"

Argument ensues about verbs and proper tenses of verbs.

We had only made it about 1.5miles from the house by this point....and it's a 8 mile drive to their house.

I turn on the radio and the conversation turned to what everyone was singing about on the radio. 

I'd much rather ride in cars with boys...they ask the easy questions.

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Tennessee Enchiladas

I call them Tennessee Enchiladas because I've had real Mexican enchiladas & well, they have cheese & tortillas in common ....and are saucy.

Ingredients:
1 can of:
 ~ Cream of Chicken Soup
 ~ Cream of Celery Soup
 ~ Cream of Mushroom Soup
 ~ Cream of Cheddar Soup
 ~ 7oz Green Chilis
 ~ Black Beans - drained & rinsed
 ~ Diced Tomatoes
1 packet Enchilada seasoning
1 lb ground meat - your choice or cooked, shredded chicken
30 flour tortillas
3lbs shredded cheese (or so)
3 cups milk

Directions:

In a large pan cook meat thoroughly with enchilada seasoning.  Stir in Green chilis, tomatoes, & drained, rinsed, black beans.

Simmer about 3 minutes.  Add in all soups & milk.  Boil about 5 minutes, stirring well.

Cover the bottoms of two 9x13inch pans with a thin layer of the sauce.  Add cheese to the tortillas & roll-up, packing tightly into the pans, until pans are full.  Just a small half-handful or so of cheese for each tortilla.  Using the remaining soup cover the tortillas.

Bake 30-45 minutes until bubbly.

I just bake one pan & freeze the other for use later.

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