Year Three Begins!

In two weeks my 3rd year as a principal will begin. I have learned a great deal from my students, their families, my staff and all who have walked through the doors of our school. Each year I aim to get better. This year, I will depend more on God for direction and strength. Pray for me!

TIRED

I am TIRED!!
We took the kids to Legoland for a couple of days. They had a great time and it was fun watching them enjoy themselves. However, I am truly drained. Overall, it was worth every single moment.

Glenetta Pope, Mom in Training

There are those days when I ask myself why have I not perfected my mothering skills. After all, I do have four. I should have it right by now..shouldn't I? But then it hit me this morning, as I am up with Aminah since 5 a.m..on a Saturday morning.
I AM A MOTHER IN TRAINING. Let's call it a "MIT." I may not 'perfect my craft,' until I am 90. Why? because every child is different and I will be faced with unique challenges as it relates to each one of them for the rest of my life. In fact, I may never 'perfect my craft." I will add to it with each child and every challenge, but perfection will never come. In the meantime, I can do those things which make life a bit easier for all of us. If I do the following below, I believe I can be a decent mom!
1. Be as organized as possible.
2. Maintain routines.
3. Do my best to serve nutritious meal options.
4. Get as must rest as possible.
5. Allow myself some mommy time each week.
6. Provide all of us with a consistently calm environment. (I am naturally high strung..so this is a challenge for me. Thankfully my hubby is the opposite so he helps to keep things balanced.)
7. Maintain a clean environment (not my forte!)
8. Pray with and for all of us.
9. Help them discover their talents and provide opportunities to nurture them.
10.Love them unconditionally.

WMG

Sometimes I have Working Mothers Guilt (WMG). When I look up and the house is a mess or things aren't going quite right with the kids. The flow of the family is just a bit off..WMG hits me like a ton of bricks,

Uhmm

Thanks to my handsome, intelligent and thoughtful husband, I slept in until 10 today. I feel like a new woman!

Now the big boys are playing the WII..golf. Aminah is playing Tea Time, which means water is every where. The baby is in his bouncy...in and out of sleep. I'm watching the ribs on the grill in the backyard. Thanks hubby for starting the fire.

It's gonna be a great day! Yesterday was the fourth and I absolutely loved watching the kids reactions to dad lighting the fireworks. Lots of fun!

Acceptance

Today I FINALLY accepted two things.

1. I will never have the same amount of energy as my four little ones so I must get more rest. No more staying up 4 - 5 hours after they have gone to sleep. It's just not enough rest. They always wake up before me..running through the hallway..playing some loud games in the room...'waking me up.' So, I must get in the bed..even if, I have not done everything I thought I would do in a day or even if..a good lifetime movie is on. I WILL GO TO BED! Especially since I end up falling asleep on the couch and not feeling fully rested in the end.

2. There is simply not enough caffeine in the world to substitute for real bonafide sleep. So...I have to cut back. Yes, I will still have a couple of cups, but ODing on caffeine is no longer an option.

GET SOME SLEEP GLENETTA!!

Summertime!

I can hear the Will Smith song in my mind and I can see me dancing to the beat. Yes, it is summertime. While I will not have the entire summer off, at least I will have a few weeks of modified R and R. Modified R and R means that I still will be taking care of the little ones on a daily basis. Qiym and Aminah will be in school most of the summer. Jahlel will do a few weeks of summer camp. Ultimately, I will at least not have to check in to work every single day and to that I say Hallelujah!!
Summa
Summa
Summertime!!

One Day I'll Have to Explain...

One day I will have to explain certain things to my children that I'd rather not. Today in the car Jahlel was talking about how his classmate kept saying crackhead and how funny it was. Of course, I told him that it's not something to laugh about. But someday I'll have to break it down to him. I'll have to tell him the story about two of his Aunts, my sisters, and the fact that they are 'crackheads.' One of whom shares the same birthday with him. One day I'll have to tell him about how their crack usage led them to abandoning their children and seeking the high..by any means necessary.

Until then...I'll let him think it is a "person with a dead brain," which is what he told me. Or, as my five year old, Qiym, said "It's a person with cracks in their head." And both of their definitions are not that far from the truth.
**The picture is a photo of my sis way before the drug use. The after picture is much too painful to post.

What a busy week! Jahlel turned 7 on Thursday. I can hardly believe he is already seven. Seems like I just gave birth to him. I bought a cake/ice cream for his school party. We'll have another party next weekend. Would have loved to have it this weekend, but my school is having a spring showcase on Sat and Sun.

So Far...

We are half way through 2010 and I just want to write down a few things I've learned or have been reminded of so far:
1. When things don't go their way...a 'friend' can become an enemy.
2. I have to take breaks! They will not be given to me.
3. More than anything, my children need a peaceful home, it is the foundation of a
peaceful life.
4. When you have a job where you plant seeds, don't expect to see growth for a
loooong time.
5. People will sell you out to make themselves look good.
6. I am still Under Construction.
7. I don;t have to settle!
8. I can't do everything..especially after 7 p.m.
9. Appreciate my mom more! Remind her of how much a blessing she has been to me.
9. I NEED GOD! Trying to do all I do in my own strength is fruitless!
I am really trying to become better each day. Trying to get more organized...Spend more quality time with my babies..and take better care of my body. At the same time, I give myself a break when things seem to be moving sooooo slowly..especially the things I want to change.