When Momma's happy...

Yes, Nora is well into her first year at preschool and she is loving it! And similarly, I am now getting out of the house to do something I love regularly. I am teaching horseback riding lessons again! I started today with just one lesson and MAN did that ever feel good! That eight-year-old student has no idea, but she made my week! It really feels good to feel competent and knowledgeable about something, and to share with others something that you love and are good at...and then it's nice to make a little money too =) A job like motherhood is VERY respectable indeed, and it takes a lot of hard work. It drains you physically and emotionally. But I will say, no matter how good a mother I am, I never quite feel like I have it all figured out, and really, I don't feel like I have any great wisdom to share. When I am at the barn around those horses, I can feel pretty on top of things. I don't make much, but it does something very good for me and it should end up being enough to cover Nora's preschool pretty soon here.
I let Nora up on the saddle in front of me today when I was riding. That was so exciting to her. She tried to take the reins from me, just like anyone who knows Nora would expect her to do. She just kept saying "run!" "run!", like hell was I going to do that with her. But we trotted a few strides and she giggled away, bouncing all over the place. The horse's name was Kobe, but she just kept calling him Toby. "no, Nora, it's Kuh, Kuh, Kuh Kobe!" and she would respond every time with "Kuh, Kuh, Kuh Toby!" Whatever, Nora. But she had a blast and so did I. Her first time on horseback! One for the baby book.
I suppose I can only speak for myself, but I feel like a woman's soul, and particularly a mother's, is so beat down and taken advantage of in this world. There are the basic functions we are expected to perform and there is no room for failure. We are all expected to be good housekeepers, chefs, super-bargain shoppers, nurses, super models, cheerleaders for our kids and husbands, counselors, saints, walking calendars, volunteer social workers and many are expected to be bread-winners too. Forget sleep, hobbies (aside from family photojournalism), relaxation, and fun! I am lucky enough to have a husband who supports me and gives whatever help he can to ensure that I can get the most out of my life. I know many, no, probably most women are not THAT lucky. Today, I feel blessed. Because I got out, and enjoyed myself, and finally got some perspective I have been lacking. I have a handsome loving husband, and two sweet beautiful healthy daughters and I'm home. Who could ask for anything more?

Uh oh...I'm afraid the 2 year old is waking up before I have gotten a chance to shower the barn smell off....This is not good.

My baby's all growed up!

I can't make this too long a post, because I have to go pick my little baby Nora up from her second day of school! That's right, at the ripe old age of two, she has started preschool at St Michael the Archangel Catholic church. After whining quite enough (me) about how I never get any time away from her (wah wah wah) and how she doesn't know how to act around other kids or adults (boo hoo), I decided to put her in a 2-day per week program. I thought for sure she would kick and scream and just be beside herself all day, but no...she met her teachers at the door, walked in with them and sat down to play with toys, not even glancing my way as I left. BOTH DAYS! I guess I'm the big weenie. I don't know what to do with myself! Audrey went right down for a nap when we got home and it's...quiet...in the house. I forgot about that stuff. It's a little unnerving, and yet...so refreshing. I have to say though, I can't quite let my guard down. There's a hurricane in my head about the phone ringing as the school calls me to say she is sick (you know there are so many germs on those other kids) or she can't stop crying, or I sent her to school in the wrong outfit or shoes. I guess that part gets easier as I become a little more used to this all though.
Yesterday when I picked her up in the carpool, with the sign in the window with her name and her class name, the DUCK class, she was wearing a different pair of shorts from the ones I dropped her off in. Yeah. I asked her when I saw her, "did you go pee pee today at school?" "yea" she proudly said, "on the carpet." So I apologized to her teacher and put her in the car. They told me she tried to eat the other children's watermelon. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm always stealing food off Mark's plate. And it was no surprise as we know she is insanely obsessed with all fruit.
It is insane of me to want to attach a web cam to her shoe, aimed up at her face so I can see every emotion and interaction she has while she is there? Don't answer that. Moving on...
Audrey...our beloved strawberry blond butterball turkey, "Audeebug", we call her. She has been crawling for weeks now, and she is also pulling to standing on everything she sees: sturdy things like her highchair, the coffee table, couch, and not so sturdy things like the cat, or seemingly sturdy things when her sister is in the room (as Nora will either move it to see what will happen, or just knock her down altogether, WWF style). We love Audrey. I've stopped going into her room at night when she wants to eat...as of 2 nights ago. It occurred to me that she really didn't need to eat anyhow, and it was really ticking me off so he cried a few minutes the first two times and now she doesn't wake up. Score!


Shoot I gotta go. carpool line is gonna get long. Wow, I'm really a mom now. gulp.