Transitioning to adulthood

So my oldest daughter turned 18 in July. She likes to think she's an adult, but really, she's just an old teenager. LOL. She keeps testing the waters. When I tell her that I can speak from experience and something she wants to do is a bad idea, she does it anyway. I think it's just to spite me, but she says that its just the way she learns. Really? You learn to be a dumbass by doing dumb things?? It's like telling my 3 year old something is hot, he trusts me enough to NOT touch it and burn himself, yet my 18 year old doesn't get it!?!? I have resigned myself to not telling her anything anymore. I know that may seem drastic, but really, I have tried time and time again to be completely logical in explaining something, and not dictating "this is the way it is" and she still won't listen to reason.
So here's my advice to all of you. Let your kids make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Don't rescue them, don't save them, don't dig them out before they get in too deep. Let them get so far in that hole that they can't see daylight. And then, when they finally ASK for help, jump in, with everything you  have.
 I'm having a hard time stepping back and just watching from the sidelines while my #1 child young adult keeps making silly mistakes, but I suppose it will be better in the long run. Plus, it's always nice to hear "you were right". The greatest part is someday, when this cycle plays through for her(if she has children, she says her 6 brothers and sisters have made her realize she's never having kids!) I can laugh and laugh at her trying to make her kid listen to her logic. Parenthood is so much fun. I can't wait to see how the next 6 kids turn out. :)

Everyday isn't rainbows and sunshine

I can't be a cheerful person everyday. Today was one of those days that I just wanted to scream at someone or something. Monday mornings are never easy around here. When you have to wake everyone up before 6:30 to eat and get ready for school, somebody is going to have a meltdown. Today felt like it was everyone's day. Even *I* was having trouble getting moving. I can't remember anything eventful about the morning, but I remember it seemed like everyone had something to complain about. It was AWESOME(that is called sarcasm, you'll have to look for it, because I use it a lot)!!!
Moving on with the day, my #1 child(who says she's an adult, but I'm sorry, don't adults go to the doctor by themselves and pay their own bills???) had to go to the hospital today to have a gallbladder ultrasound. We were sure she had gallstones or something was wrong with that useless organ. So, I drive her there, and she tells me she can check in by herself. Ok then, why did I come along?? Any way, I had to take the 3 youngest kids, and it just happened this appointment was during naptime, so I had #7(baby, almost 11 months old) strapped to me in the Moby, #6(3yo) riding in the umbrella stroller(an aside, why do they call it an umbrella stroller? It neither looks like an umbrella, nor does it HAVE an umbrella on it), and #5(4yo) "helping" puch the stroller. Everyone was tired, and # 5child & #6child insisted they had to go pee, so we left #1child to check her adult self in while we found the nearest bathroom. Thankfully it was close, and quick, and they did their business at a quick pace. As we arrived back to #1(still checking herself in) she waves me over and asks if I know anything about the payment. Payment? No. Usually insurance covers these things. Apparently our NEW insurance(new meaning my husband's work just switched to a different company effective Sept 1, 2012) thinks we have a deductible and the lady was requesting I pay her $461 today. Uh, how about no?!?! So, I politely tell the woman I don't have $461 on me, I don't have a credit card(because I don't, I'm so bad with those things!!!), and if I paid her from my checking account, my kids wouldn't eat for two months(ok, I didn't say that, I just told her I did not have that kind of money just sitting there).  They said they would just bill us. So I walk #1 to her ultrasound and she doesn't let me go back with her. Great! Why the hell did I come again? Well, this lovely new insurance wouldn't cover #2child's diabetes supplies, so his specialist was in the same building at the hospital, the three little ones and I run over to her office while #2 does her business. That was a bad idea. They whined about how far it was. They threw themselves on the floor of the elevator, and of course, #6 that was in the stroller with the diaper bag strapped to the back of it, made the stroller tip all the way to the floor because the weight of the diaper back was contigent upon him sitting in the stupid umbrella stroller to balance it all out. Then of course everything falls out of the diaper bag IN THE DAMN ELEVATOR. Ugh. I'm trying to bend over to pick the stuff up while having a small person strapped to my body, get the other kid to sit in the stroller to hold the diaper bag up off the floor, and make sure we get off on the right floor. I thought at that minute I was going to completely lose my mind. I sure hope no one finds my tampons that dumped out of the diaper bag. LOL. They were not used, but still, how embarrassing to find something like that on the elevator!!!! Anyway, I finally get out of the elevator and wouldn't you know it, those two HAD to go to the bathroom again. Why? Because there was a different bathroom to try out. Is there some law that says kids have to use every bathroom in every place they go to? I missed that memo. So, we find the next bathroom, and one pees, the other just plays with the toilet paper. We get into the specialist office, I take care of what I need to there, and head BACK down the elevator with a screaming #7 because she is done and wants out to walk. Too bad so sad sister. We start heading back to where #1 was supposed to be, and accidently find her waiting near the elevators for us. She got out early. Said she had been texting and calling me. My phone doesn't work in the hospital, but hers did? We have the same phone and the same cell company. Explain that one.
Anyway, that was the longest 30 minutes of my life, and completely wore me out. But I still had to go grocery shopping, help kids with homework, and make dinner. My day was far from done. I don't remember the rest of the day, except that it flew by in the blink of an eye. I had two big old Cake vodka and Diet Dr. Pepper's and now, it's time for this exhausted Mom to head to bed. #1s results came back. Nothing is wrong with her gallbladder, so now we get to go see a GI specialist. I can't wait. Maybe I can take 6 other kids with me to that appointment. Or maybe #1 can be a REAL adult and do it on her own. Yeah. Sure.

You are excited about that?!?

As a mom of seven(7 kids? Yes, from 10 months to 18 years!!), I find myself getting excited about goofy things: finding a recipe ALL the kids like, no temper tantrums between getting home from school and bedtime, and sleep. I think sleep is the most important one of all. I don't get by well on just a few hours. If I don't get close to my 8 hours, I am a BEAR to deal with. Everyone in my family knows this, and the older kids all know you do NOT disturb a sleeping Mommy. My younger ones? Not so much. But how can you be mad when the most adorable 3 year old little boy comes in and says "But Mooooooooom, I neeeeeed you"??? Sleep is a precious thing and I would trade anything for it, well, almost anything. I wouldn't give up one of the kids for it. I guess I'll just learn to endure the years of non-sleep I'm going to have because my sweet(sometimes) children are worth it. :)

Here is my BLOG, #1 child

At the request of my oldest child(only adult child? After all she is 18 now) I am starting a blog for my facebook statuses. She is annoyed with how long they can be. So here, I will start chronicalling all the fun and insane things that happen when you are a mother to 7 kids. Hope you have a toilet nearby because you will probably laugh until you pee, or if you haven't had a kid, then some tissues for the tears rolling down your face from laughter. Really, what can you do but laugh most of the time? The stuff that happens around here doesn't seem real, but you can't make it up. So get in, hang on, and get ready for anything. :)