Thoughts on Mom(my) Blogging

by Ajike Akande 

Blogging about parenting has become so big over the past few years.  I enjoy the parenting blog, but I should admit, that I typically read parenting blogs written by moms.  It’s certainly not because I don’t think that all parents have interesting perspectives on parenting, it’s just that I like to obsessively compare myself to other people so I try to at least have gender identification in common with the blogger whose work I am reading. 

Based on my limited research, there seems to be three types of mom(my) bloggers.  

1.  The Pinterest Mom
She is all look at me in my clean and enviable organized house.  I cook all the things; I teach all the things; my children have all the morals, and all the soft and hard skills that reflect all the intelligences.  I also happen to live somewhere that never has winter or rain, except when it conveniently adds to the mystic beauty of my day.  My kids are conventional looking or strikingly beautiful.  I’m also a photographer on the side so everything looks even better in my photos.  If I have all the money, I have access to many more things than everyone else, but I never mention this.  If I have only a little of the money, I like to share my tips on living on less and perfectly couponing.  I’m probably married, and straight and white and able-bodied.  If I’m not, not only am I Pinterestly perfect, I’m also marginalized so you should read my blog because then you can say how brave and strong I am (We love to point out the strength and braveness of people who are marginalized, which is another way of othering, but that’s a different rant.). 

2.  The Self-Deprecating Mom

She is all I get you.  I see you.  I am you.  I’m tired and my house is messy and my kids are making me crazy.  I suck at cooking but I do it most days except when I take out the frozen nuggets (chicken, fish or veggie) and serve those.  I loathe all those moms who post their perfect meals, including the school lunches that are pieces of art, all over Pinterest to make me feel bad.  I wear “mom jeans” or slightly stained work clothes.  My kids swear and tear the house apart and forget everything, everywhere, but they reach out to the lonely kid at school and help the neighbours and write me chocolate stained notes reminding me that they love me and I’m the best mom ever.  My life is a mess but I guess I’m doing something right because my kids are loving and confident, and creative and a gift to the world.  I make you feel okay about not being perfect (nobody is sister) but my posted photos, like yours show the world that my kids are better than alright.

3.  The “I’m–The-Worst-Mother-Ever-And-I’m-Not-Afraid-To-Prove-It” Mom

She is all like here are all the ways that I suck – in a list because lists are the bomb-digitty in the blogging world.  My kids are impossible and I don’t deal with it well.  I look like crap all the time and I drink too much wine and eat too much chocolate.  My kids are probably the same as anyone else’s – loving, healthy, sick, somewhere on the ability continuum, a bully, bullied, etc..., and like most kids, they will be better than fine in the end.  I am perfect when you need late night laughs and reassurance that compared to me; you are the best parent ever.  You’re welcome, by the way. 

That’s how I see the Mom(my) Bloggers out there. I obsess over the perfect Pinterest moms, especially the ones with large families and children with special needs.  Every time I read one of these perfect mom blogs, I walk away from my computer and whine to Wife about how other moms can handle raising many children and children with special needs.  “If they can do it why can’t I?  And they even cook!  I never cook!  What’s wrong with me?  I’m the worst.  Why am I the worst?  And you know what Wife?  You’re the worst too.  We are the actual WORST together!" But then I post this picture on Facebook:

 

And then I’m all “look at my perfect, beautiful children” right? 

I regularly look to the self-deprecating moms for virtual, and totally one-sided friendship.  Whether they work outside of the home or in the home, whether they have many or few children, whether those children are developmentally typical or not, healthy or not, we are the same.  They get me.  I get them.  And mostly, they make me feel hopeful, but sometimes, they make me feel like a total failure because in this mothering competition (It is soooo a competition!) everyone, even self-deprecating mom is beating me. 

They post photos like this too:

Pictured: The Littles swimming in an entire bag of $9 organic, gluten-free cornflakes that they dumped on the floor.  Self–deprecating mom's caption reads: “I can’t manage my kids, but aren’t they adorable?”

I occasionally glance at the blogs written by the “I’m–The-Worst-Mother-Ever-And-I’m-Not-Afraid-To-Prove-It” moms but honestly discovering that we have many things in common, makes me feel as bad about myself as discovering how little I have in common with the Pinterest moms.  At least from the Pinterest moms I can learn a few things! 

As I hashed out a description of the three types of Mom(my) Bloggers, it occurred to me that I may actually be all three types of bloggers at different times.   Hmmm… interesting and so self-reflective.

Anyway a good friend told me that I may be getting close to being one of those mom(my) bloggers who make other moms feel badly about their mothering.  If that is the case, Girlfriend, I’m sorry.  That is not my intention.   Let me tell you something, you know how Rome wasn’t built in a day?  Well, children aren’t raised in a day.  And we can thank the creator for that, because for most of us, most parts of most days are a sh%t-show.  And when it’s not?  Total win for that day!  Truthfully, I think we are all messing up  this mothering thing except for a few blogging mothers who actually are doing it all right.  I have list of their names and web addresses .  Contact me if you would like this list so you never accidently land on their blogs and totally give up because you’re obviously so far at the back of the race, you’re not even really part of it anymore.  I kid you not, some mothers are out of our league and we just shouldn’t play with them! 

Keep on, keepin’ on friends.

XO Ajike

Black Women Entrepreneurs On The Rise

by: April D. Byrd

We suppose the reports are just catching up with the facts because, Black Women have been taking charge for a while now. Over the last 17 years to be exact, according to a report by KTHV. An increasing number of minority women are starting businesses 6 times more than the national average. There are more than one million African-American female business owners in the U.S.

At this time the rise may be becoming too phenomenal to ignore. According to Bruce James Dean of Business at Philander Smith College: "As more and more African-American women obtain higher degree levels they are more likely to start their own business because they feel that they are better prepared to do so."

James issued that "one of the greater issues with not being successful for minorities and women in general is being under-capitalized when they start their business ventures". However, thanks in part to social online tools crowdfunding, millennials and minorities are overcoming the gap. One recent example is Demajali West, a young women who greatly exceeded a $17,000 Kickstarter campaign goal, for her original "hookie-do" trademark.  Many women still face obstacles in the work place dealing with double-standards, office politics, etc and have decided to take matters into their own hands.

A recent report released on the State of Black Women in 2014 revealed that black women led in labor participation rates, and were overwhelmingly likely to work, even as mothers of small children. Little Rock's KTHV, interviewed entrepreneur Cushina Scott  for a recent women's week segment,  Scott stated: " at the end of the day I'm all about women empowerment, she has everything, she can have everything. She can be what she wants to be."

We concur.

check out Scott's KTHV Interview below:



Follow the latest updates from The Truth According to Trey Blog on Trey Anthony's Facebook Fanpage and Twitter/Instagram: @aprilinspired.

So, it's still summer...

By Ajike Akande

I don’t know if I have any loyal readers, but just on the off chance that you stop by every Wednesday to read my rants and whines, I feel that I owe you a few updates. 

1.  Less than a week into summer break, I wrote some early reflections on my increased time with the lovely young children that call me mommy.  You can read those early reflections here.  I regret to tell you that my children have done nothing to make me reconsider my theory that any school break longer than a standard weekend, is just too damn long.  My children think this extended break from school is a good thing because young children are not self-reflective.  They don’t see themselves coming completely undone.  They don’t realize how much happier they are with order and routine and a reasonable bedtime.  Don’t all of you message me with suggestions about creating structure in our home and establishing routines because all children crave routine, and autistic-y children and anxious children desperately need it.  I know this but first of all, FIVE little kids and second of all (and most significant), we be tired!  Damn, I need a break.  And not one of those, go for a walk and grab a cup of tea breaks.  I need a restorative break so I can sleep, do something I enjoy and plan how we’re going to manage the chaos that is our life.  Wife and I are teachers, and we can assure you that teachers need prep and planning time, and professional development so that we can meet the needs of our students.  Well you know that whole, “parents are children’s first teachers” slogan?  Where the heck is my prep time?

2.  Remember how I said here that I started walking every day because I really need some exercise.  Yeah well, that’s not happening.  But it’s going to happen again.  Maybe.  I’ll let you know. 

3.  We came home from our “vacation” visiting Wife’s family, earlier than we had planned.  The kids had an amazing time.  They love, love, love their grandparents, but Silverman-Akande love is loud and short on sleep and sometimes looks and feels like a tornado.  Wife and I were starting to lose steam and were feeling more defeated and less hopeful about parenting in general so we started discussing the great escape – with the kids, of course.  No leaving them behind.  We were feeling defeated, not irrational!  Anyway, we went from discussing to actually packing when G-Dog and F-Jammie got into such an intense physical fight in the elevator that they accidently pushed the emergency call button.  We had spent the whole week teaching The Littles not to touch the call button and then one crazy shove and it was pushed.  When we got down to the lobby, Wife explained to the concierge that there was actually no emergency.  He said, “I know.  I saw what happened on the video camera.”  After I ran through my mind, trying to recall if I had ever picked my nose while in the elevator, unintentionally letting the concierge know that I am, in fact, gross and still five, I told Wife that we had to go home.  The nice people at the Riviera Condo complex had endured the Silverman-Akande family for long enough!  If you’re going to move through the world with five kids under seven, you have to know when you are wearing out your welcome!  

So, those are my updates.  I just didn’t want to leave you wondering.  

In all seriousness though, Wife and I, have committed to focusing any energy not used up getting through the day to day this summer, on coming up with workable strategies to support The Middles.  Miss O and G-Dog are struggling and need some good lovin’ and attention.  We have things to sort out.  There are amazing community resources available, and we are certainly taking advantage of all that is out there.  We are lucky the girls are healthy and (mostly) happy and adored by many.  It could be very different.  It could be so, so, so much worse.  It’s funny, though, because even though we can take a step back and see all the blessings we have and yes, compare our situation to others who are much less fortunate in any number of ways, the feelings of frustration and disappointment, are just as real and big.  I am overwhelmed by the task of caring for our brood in general and with the needs of The Middles in the mix, I just want to run away some days. 

In the most challenging moments with the girls, and there are many, I remember what is probably the single most important thing one of the nurses said to us during Miss O’s assessment for autism.  She said, “She is not doing this (behaving in challenging ways) on purpose.”  Yes, there it is; the gem. We heard something similar when we sought support for G-Dog. 

She is not doing this on purpose.  Stop yelling.  She is not doing this on purpose.  Take a deep breath.  She’s not doing this on purpose.  Hold her.  Squeeze her. She's not doing this on purpose. Wait with her for her feelings to settle.  She’s not doing this on purpose.  

We have so much work to do with The Middles, and we are stupid tired, but we’re doin’ this.  We’ve got this.  As Glennon Melton of Momastery* says, “We can do hard things.  Carry on, Warrior.” 

What’s your hard thing?  What are you giving time and attention to these days?  Whatever it is, just remember, “We can do hard things”.

XO Ajike

 *http://momastery.com/ 

What's In A Name?: The Recompense of #IAmJada

by: April D. Byrd

The fact that Jada chose to reclaim her name back after such public disrespect and degradation is extraordinary. The 16-year-old girl from Texas who woke up after attending a party and found pictures of herself  unconscious and naked online, believes she was raped, after being given a spiked drink. If all this wasn't bad enough the pictures of her body were being ridiculed under the hashtag #Jadapose.

In this age hashtags are as important as names, and just like a birth name they can take on a life of their own. Yes, Corruption and debauchery can be digitally personified and taken lightly. However in Jada's case Bravery, Awareness, and Resilience are coming out on top, as the power of good tends to do. Jada chose to stand up and make her voice heard. She made the choice to claim her true character under the hashtag #IAmJada.

In an interview with Marc Lamont Hill on huffpost live, there is a striking moment when Jada states the aim to "Get Her Name Back". For many people who have been a victim to such a crime the tenacity that Jada's shown does not come so easily, if at all. What's commendable is that she chose not to hold back. Her voice is uplifted, with much support. Given the many cases where so many voices have gone unheard because of fear. Her strength is helping to foster a world where survivors know they are safe, they are believed, and they're lives will not be consumed with shame*.

The names given to us represent our character and essence. The very name Jada is from Hebrew origin, meaning "wise", or "one who knows". It's fitting that Jada knew the power of claiming her voice. Her life and her name need not be consumed. Her story is a testament that our name and our true character can never be taken.

There is significant power in owning our strength, Your strength is yours and it belongs to no one else. In earlier reports Jada stated that her "reputation was over." but through this, It can be said that it has just begun and it's the best one yet. The very fact that Jada took a stand is a statement that there is power beyond her body. As a woman your power is not solely in your body or sex appeal. Women are often objectified in media, and we can play the blame game all day, but the truth is individuals need to be held accountable for their actions. The men in these cases, or any offender should not be excused. Stop blaming victims. Stop letting true criminals go uncharged.

In the interview with Hill, Jada is tired, and dealing with the issue seems very taxing, but her bravery has yielded a great reward. I imagine she would be tired, but may her strength be renewed, may she continue to run on because the cause is worthy.

Millions are standing in support under the hashtag #IAmJada. We will not let "Jada" go unheard. To every "Jada", understand that your dignity will not be stripped, your consciousness is your power, your raised voice of awareness is vital, and You Are The VICTOR!

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presences actually liberates others*. Jada's presence has made a difference online and off. She is #BOLDJada #BraveJada #FierceJada #WiseJada #SmartJada, #VictoriousJada, #ConsiousJada #AwareJada #FearlessJada! We stand proud to be a #Fearless Jada!
                                                                                           


Follow the latest updates for The Truth According To Trey blog on Trey Anthony's Facebook Fan Page and twitter @aprilinspired


*Marianne Williamson quote.

*as quoted by For Harriet online.

Things I’m Learning on our Family Vacation

by Ajike Akande

The Silverman-Akande family has fled the nest and has set up shop in Wife’s hometown of Ottawa.   It’s kind of a big deal that we are here; last summer was our first visit to Ottawa since I was pregnant with The Middles.  We were waiting for life to calm down before we ventured that far from the homestead.  As it turns out, things aren’t going to calm down for-flippin’-ever, so we decided to take our beautiful mess on the road.  Anyway, I’m a life-long learner, so here are some things that I have learned on our family vacay so far. 

1. Actually I learned this first one just before our family vacation.  Packing up the seven of us is getting easier. I hesitate to admit this as I always want to reserve the right to lose my s*$t the day before any family trip and blame Wife for everything but in particular making us take this upcoming trip with the family.  I am not sure this has anything to do with our current situation; I had pre-trip meltdowns BK (before kids) too.   

2. Wherever you go, there you are.  Our inability to manage our children’s behaviour, our frustration, our stress – they all travel well.  Home is wherever your real messy, wonderful self is.  We are always at home when we are all together. 

3. The realization of the former is both depressing and comforting.  We know what to expect.   We know not to expect rainbows and sunshine, but something more like cloudy with a chance of sun, which may last for quite a while, followed by sudden thunderstorms.  This kind of temperamental weather is fine if you have the right gear at hand.  See below. 

4. Free feeding, as in “here is your food for the day, feed yourself as needed”, is very best way to do a road trip.  Meals and snacks are actually the enemy and quite possibly the biggest barrier to parenting bliss.  Simply pack a day’s worth of snacks in each child’s backpack, strap ‘em in and drive.  You are welcome for that helpful nugget! 

1    

If your pre-trip snacks don't look like this, you may be doing things wrong. Just sayin'

5. Wife will insist that we play car games while the children watch DVDs during the five-hour drive.  I will groan about having to play a game instead of doze off.  I will not handle losing the car game well.  I will immaturely whine, “You see, this is why I hate these games!”  Wife will play by herself for the remainder of the trip.

6. Spending time with family that we see only once a year, gives us a chance to see our wild small humans though the eyes of others who are instantly taken by them and amazed by how much they’ve grown, learned and changed in a year (I’m talking about you guys, Uncle Mark, Aunt Sue and Cousin Greg).

7. I still totally hate getting wet.  Swimming?  Twice a day? Yuck!  When The Big Z said he doesn’t like participating in activities (with the family) that he doesn’t enjoy, he get a mouthful from this water-hating mommy who has been in the water twice a day because, dammit, I like to see my family happy!

8. Any TV or videos watched while driving to visit Bubbie and Zaidie’s in Ottawa as well as any TV or videos watched while staying at Bubbie and Zaidie’s totally don’t count towards the daily, weekly, monthly or yearly amount of appropriate screen time. 

9. When Wife and I don’t need to prepare any meals or go on field trips alone, our life is WAY more possible.   Staying at my in-laws is like being at an all-inclusive resort.  It must be noted that while they enjoy hosting and providing us with a family vacay, it takes them (and the residents of their quiet condo community) an entire year to recover from the Silverman-Akande visit. 

10. We will make use of the massive box of “just in case” medicine & other random cure-all ointments that we hauled from Toronto.  When I went out at 10 pm the night before we left for our trip to buy the contents of the “Just In Case” Box, Wife was all like, “We’re going to Ottawa, it’s not like we can’t just get whatever we need.”  And I was all like, “Pipe down woman, nobody wants to do a 6 am run to the drugstore.  Go pack the damn van!”

11. Wife and I did the most awesome, exhausting thing by giving our five wild children each other.  When we are not worried that they are all working together to break our delicate spirits, their connection is basically the most amazing (and loud) thing I’ve ever seen. 

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I’m bound to learn a few more things over the next few days of this family vacay.  Let’s hope it’s not that there is no way we’ll have a successful second family vacation week scheduled for two weeks from now.  If we survive this week, do we really want to push our luck and try another week of togetherness?

Hope you're all enjoying summer, whatever you’re getting up to.

XO Ajike

P.S. Um... This. You're welcome.

  

I'm Exercising, People! Day 1

by Ajike Akande

When I arrived at the library today to write this week’s post, I thought I’d write about this article that has been circulating on Facebook about a mom who stopped yelling at her kids after she realized how it affected them.  I realized quickly, that I really didn’t want to write a post about how bad the article made me feel about the loud, probably soul-crushing, parenting I inflict on my kiddos.  I would really like to be a non-yelling parent, and I think I actually try hard not to yell, but I’m not there yet. If it’s any comfort to all of you, the more out of control yelling I do (is there such a thing as controlled yelling?), the more in-mommy’s-face laughing from my kiddos.  They think it’s hilarious to see me and Wife lose it on them.  While this is seriously annoying, I’m glad that their souls are not being entirely crushed by our yelling!

Then I thought I’d write about our Miss O who is going through such a hard time right now.  The wind down of the school year, its eventual end and the beginning of summer has left our beautiful O-Bear, who has Sensory Processing Disorder and rests on the diagnostic cusp of high functioning autism, is so out of sorts.  She pushes and hits when she doesn’t mean to because she just can’t help herself, and she “disappears” when life feels like it's all too much.  So I thought I’d write about Miss O but then “Fix You” by Coldplay started playing on iTunes, and the people at the big table in the library got to watch me cry and try to pull myself together.  Needless to say, I’ll have to get back to you about our girl. 

Oh here’s the song if you are sitting in a public place and you are in need of a cry.  http://youtu.be/k4V3Mo61fJM

Those two topics are out for today, so I have no choice but to share this beautiful photo with you along with an explanation for why I was wearing this get-up. 

I don’t know if you've heard, but just because parenting is exhausting and quite frankly, can make you sweat, it is not actually exercise.  I feel like I’ve been tricked!  With this new-to-me info in my back pocket, I’m making some changes.  Last night was Day 1 of my “Walking With Mike (Michael Moore)” adventure.  You see I have been giving this exercise thing a great deal of thought over the past, oh I don’t know, three years!  Sure I have tried a few times to get back into Nia (dance) classes, but seriously, I have not exercised in years. 

Truth is, I hate exercising.  Really, really hate it.  The only type of exercise I actually enjoy is dancing, but attending dance classes requires that I follow someone else’s schedule, be on time (not my specialty) and plan to leave the house.  That is a lot of work for someone who isn’t really into exercise in the first place.  Joining a gym?  Well joining is not the problem.  I’m a joiner at heart but going to a place, to do something I hate, alongside people who seriously look like they are experiencing their own slice of heaven, is not my cup of tea (or wine, which actually makes more sense, as I like wine way more than I like tea).  And I can’t take up running because honestly, I won’t even run for the bus.  Heck, I’d consider other options before running away from someone chasing me! 

Clearly, many forms of exercise have been ruled out by yours truly, who has been happily exercising my right to lie on the couch and watch TV.  I know that moving the body with some level of vigor is really good for one’s physical and mental health, so after lying on the couch googling “how to motivate yourself to exercise,” I flipped onto Facebook and saw a Michael Moore post about walking for 30 minutes every day.  Apparently people all over have started virtually walking with him and of course tweeting about it with the hashtag #walkwithmike.  Well, I love me a good bandwagon so I’ve decided to hop on – minus the tweeting.  I don’t get Twitter. 

So, last night I went for my first walk.  Not wanting to over do it with some fancy “See, I’m exercising outfit”, I slipped on a sports bra under my spaghetti strap dress, shoved my feet into my new runners, which I purchased only because they’re awesome looking, grabbed my iPod that I purchased years ago for the sole purpose of exercising, and put on my 7 year old’s Angry Birds headphones.  “Oh no you didn’t!”  “Oh Yes I did!”  I listened to music I haven’t heard in ages, walked briskly, bopping my head along with my tunes and thought about what treat I was going to have after my 30 minute walk.  Best part?  I came home sweaty!  Thank you very much! 

Now, don’t go thinking that one day is hardly a new exercise regime.  We are not here to discourage.  One problem though, it’s day two and it’s pouring rain.  I don’t know if I am serious enough about this Walking With Mike thing to do it even when it’s raining!  Alright, I am officially on an exercise kick, except when it’s precipitating or too cold, or too hot, or I’d rather watch Orange Is The New Black.  Okay, that last one is a bit pathetic.  Friends, this is happening.  I am exercising.  I’m one of those people! 

XO Ajike

Redefining The Meaning Of #LikeAGirl (Video)

by: April D. Byrd

The feminine hygiene products company Always recently created a "pantene-esque" type social awareness video to get down to the true essence of the phrase "Like A Girl". In May 2014 the brand conducted a study surveying 1,300 American women between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. The results were what we probably would have guessed already: The phrase was mostly considered demeaning, and not a lot of people had a positive association with it.

More than half of the girls surveyed in the study claimed to experience a drop in confidence at puberty. 89 percent agreed that words can be harmful (especially to girls) self-confidence. That's a rather high count. Maybe society has neglected the old "sticks and stones" adage, but the wrong words to a person with already low self-esteem can of course hurt like hell.  The truth of the matter is "Where there is no enemy within, the enemy outside cannot hurt you"...not verbally at least. This means when you know for sure who you truly are and all the light that you're created to be, you know that darkness is a non-factor because you in fact have power over it. So...it doesn't matter if the haters throw shade, they can't dim your shine.

Words are big and powerful issues, especially now in this age where everybody has a platform. We don't have to eliminate them or ban them like Sheryl Sandberg's ostracized " Ban Bossy" attempt, but we can turn them around for the better. The nature of doing anything "like a girl" a girl or woman should be emphasized in strength, because women are the very essence of it. Any media's degradation of women is a lie and a facade.

The great thing about the #LikeAGirl video is that it indeed took a turn for the better. When the actual "girls" where consulted on the issue, they gave their actions all they had. They didn't put forth light or lazy effort, but operated in true strength and substance. One little girl when asked "What does it mean to 'run like a girl?" she replied "It means run as fast as you can."

Check out the #LikeAGirl Video (below):

What do you think about the video? did you think it was funny at first as well? Share your thoughts in the comments below and follow up on the conversation with Trey Anthony on her Facebook fan page.

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April D. Byrd is a Writer, Social Media Producer, and the Creator of Breath Of Life Daily Online Journal and Praying Empress. You can connect with her on twitter @aprilinspired.

Day 5 - Silverman-Akande Summer Vacation

Don’t you just hate it when people lucky enough to be blessed with children complain about raising them? Don’t you just hate when parents, who have put forth considerable effort to acquire these children through say, adoption and extensive and expensive fertility treatments, complain about raising them? I totally hate them too, which is unfortunate, given the fact that I am most certainly the complaining, blessed, effort-full parent of five beautiful living children. Yes, that’s right, living, I even know what it’s like to lose a very wanted baby and I still complain about my brood.

This parent gig is crazy hard! I hate it only a fraction less than I love it, and I LOVE it. A lot. Every single one of my children was truly, truly wanted – including the ones that came in pairs. In fact, when my fertility doctor transferred our last three embryos into me, I spent two weeks rubbing my belly whispering, “You are wanted. All of you.” To some people, this may seem crazy, and poorly thought out. Three embryos becoming three babies? Who tries to make that happen? Look, we wanted another child. I didn’t think that I had actual embryo implanting powers, I was just putting out my intentions to the universe. I was going all “The Secret”. So yeah, we wanted a big family. Four kids, was probably our magic number, but how lucky are we to have one more kiddo to love? (Very lucky, Mr. Lee. Isn’t it funny that because he was the last one out, I think of him as our extra, unexpected blessing?)

So you get it, we love them. They’re beautiful. We can’t imagine life without ALL of them. What a blessing. We are single-handedly repopulating our city’s school board. We rock. But, holy mother of God (whichever you believe in or don’t believe in) who thought that summer vacation and quite frankly any school break longer than a standard weekend, was a good idea?

The Big and The Middles finished school last Friday. This is the fifth day of summer vacation and I can honestly say, I hate my kids a little bit. Okay that is not true, I hate much (so, so much) of what my kids do. The sad thing is, I’m not even one of those amazing, impressive parents who actually if they can, use this time to be with their children all day, every day. I send the big ones to camp. The only break from camp they get is when we are visiting their grandparents and when we are up north at my family’s farm. Out of a nine-week holiday, we are really only going to be with all of them for two weeks.

It won’t always look like this…

…or this.

The problem is, camp is nothing like school. It lacks the structure and discipline and pressure of school. This is amazing for children. I am all for a break from the rigidity of school – for the children. Unfortunately, I find the happy, spirited, creative, fun-loving children that come home from camp utterly exhausting and fairly annoying! The “rest” that comes with seven hours of parenting only the little ones (with Wife who is off work for the summer) is completely cancelled out within the first hour of The Big and The Middles being home. It’s only five hours from them getting home from camp to bedtime and it nearly kills me! Furthermore, don’t even get me started on summer bedtimes. Damn you daylight savings time! If I wanted it to be light out until 9 pm and therefore totally reasonable to be at the park until 8pm because it’s way cooler than the house, I would have sent a memo to whoever is in charge of this time nonsense!

 Now, all of you parents rolling your eyes like I am some ungrateful, horrible mother, (“Doesn’t she know her children will read this blog one day?”) don’t think I haven’t noticed how many of you have posted on Facebook about your kid or kids heading off to overnight camp. Sure you’ll miss them, but if they’re absence improves your parent to kid ratio, sometimes down to one or two to zero (yes we mean you, our neighbours two doors to the west), I imagine you’ll find a way to deal with missing them and get your (own) vacation on!

Seriously, our blessed life is like a really bad start of a joke: A busy seven year old, two five year olds with sensory integration issues and one on the autism spectrum and the other with significant anxiety plus a couple of almost three year olds, appropriately called The Force walk into a bar (looking for their mothers)…

So what I am trying to say is, if how I am feeling today is any indication of how I am going to feel for the remainder of the summer, we are in truuu-bullll! You all need to pray for me, if praying is your thing, or meditate on it, or send the vibes; whatever, just do something! Help a sister out! I love these small humans of mine but so far, they’re kinda ruining what could be a perfectly good summer!

Stay tuned. I will let you know how the Silverman-Akande Summer 2014 is going.

XO Ajike