Simon

My heart is bigger then my head. This is a statement that my adoring husband has now deemed my personal motto. It all began through the internet. You see, we have a Yorkshire Terrier. A beautifuul, full of life and anxiety dog. She hates to be left alone and will destroy everything in her path if the opportunity arises. We have had several discussions with fellow Yorkshire Terrier owners and they all have said to add another to the mix. With that in mind I started surfing the internet and Petfinder.com presented the most beautiful and raggedy dog you have ever seen. I quickly emailed the shelter he was at and learned that the clock was ticking for this little dog. His time was quickly coming to an end unless someone claimed him. "I'll Take him! - I will take this precious dog - Where is he located?" Those words spilled from my fingertips onto the keyboard before I could stop them and well before I could hold myself back from clicking send. With in minutes a response was sent back - saying he is yours if you can get him by Saturday... In Missouri. MISSOURI??? I live in Minnesota - 2 states away - over 13 hours one way... What was I thinking and how was I going to convince my husband that we needed to take a road trip to Missouri for a dog.
Well, after deep thought and careful use of words we packed N & J and Lucy the crazy Yorkie and drove to Missouri. Where we rescued the now named Simon from being destroyed. What a gift he has been. His presence has calmed Lucy down a little and made me realize, even more, the gift of life.

Achievements

There are very few things in my life that I have accomplished that I am able to look back on and pat myself on the back. Maybe I am too critical of my achievements, maybe I expect more from myself or maybe I will never appreciate what I am capable of accomplishing. I look at my children and although they are two completely different children from two different beginnings they are two of my prized possessions and greatest achievements. N, the apple of my eye, the seed of my soul, the reason my name is MOM. J, the unexpected gift, the purest soul, the boy I didn't know I wanted. Both so innocent and sweet. Both achievments accomplished in different ways.

Let me explain:
N - the wanted baby, the desired fulfillment, the pregnancy that almost didn't happen, the baby that put up a fight, the miracle of birth, the gift of motherhood.
J - the baby nobody wanted, the fostering of someone elses child, the piece that fit my puzzle, the choice that changed my life, the fight to keep him, hearing he is officially mine.

Both of my children are reasons behind why my name is MOM.

A day at home

Today.. Well it started as any other day - getting up and getting N ready for school, since she is the pokey one in the AM. Then I go to wake J - who normally is up and ready before the sun. Today my little boy was pale as a ghost and not moving. I look at his baby blues and he gives me the cutest sick boy smile and says "I think I am sick". And proof became evident in a matter of minutes. So today instead of a normal Monday I am at home with the cutest, most polite sick child a mother could ever have. Each time he gets sick he says with his little smile "That was an accident". And then apologies for the mess he might have created. The joy of motherhood at its finest.

As for my day I decided to make the most of my day off of work. I have caught up on my Christmas baking. Gingersnaps (my favorite), Choc chip Oatmeal cookies and almond bark pretzels. I have to pat myself on the back because for anyone who knows me - I am the farthest thing from "Betty Crocker or Rachel Ray". I am more like an untrained monkey in the Kitchen - running around crazy making a bigger mess then necessary and in the end the results are usually minimal. I have discovered that I do enjoy staying home with my children, Healthy or Sick. A few years back I would have chosen differently - I felt overwhelmed when they were home with me. Now, I long to stay home with them and unfortunately am unable to. A goal of mine is to be able to stay home or at least be home for them before and after school. This is probably one of my top goals.

Intro

As with every book, whether good or bad, there is an Introduction. Usually this Introduction consists of a preview of the book or an acknowledgment of those involved. I believe MY INTRODUCTION will consist of an assortment of things.
I would like to start by introducing myself - I am one of the fortunate people in this world that gets to share one of the most important titles one could ever receive. I wear it proudly but feel I haven't fully earned it. I feel that I have a lifetime of lessons to learn before this title truly will fit like a crown on my head. This title belongs to people that I know who have earned it, and also to people that I would like to take this coveted title away from. In the end I hold in my heart the most precious thing I have ever received and by starting this blog I am hoping to understand not only me but the meaning behind this Title.

Hello, My name is Mom.

MOM, what a great title - so strong, compassionate, gentle, descriptive, universal, noble, and full. I can not tell you how many times I have introduced myself as N & J's mom and left out my legal name. I also can not tell you how many people I know solely by that same introduction. It is like we have children and "poof" our legal name is instantly replaced with this Title - MOM. We share it with so many, but each person named MOM has a story so unique that it seems almost unfair that we share this Title. I am a MOM with a story - a story of past, present and future. A story that I hope to write (and someday share) and through this experience I hope to define the meaning of MOM - My MOM meaning.