Kudos to All Teachers

“I was just wondering... I already have multitasking on my CV but can I add teaching as an experience on my CV?” I am asking for a friend.

My mother was a fifth grade teacher and I didn’t inherit it.  I have a third grader, a first grader and a toddler 😬 and I want to mention that they are still in good mental health and happy but I believe that they are deliberating if it were possible to fire “Mama” as their teacher.  One of them went as far as explaining (with full-effect stuttering); “Mama, well ...well... see, I will always love school, but... but... BUT... if you ever teach kids, you know ... like... like you know my friends, umm yah ... no one will want to come back. “ 🙄 

—-guess which of my children?  —-

Let’s just say I’m glad I love my career because I’m pretty sure I was told (politely) to NEVER pursue a career “teaching kids.”

No this post isn’t about undermining teachers or about showing that my few days of “home schooling” measure up to our teachers. In fact, the few days spent, have shed more light to how much more love our teachers deserve, and how much attention is needed to their compensation.  Underpaid! 😳 How in the world do they do this with a warm look on their faces? Because, I’m already asking for extra compensation and I’ve only been on it for a few days and I’m pretty sure I’m not meeting full time hours 🧐

I organize our weekly plan (thanks to the hard work 😓 of their wonderful teachers).  I even plan out activities for my toddler to keep her busy, while the older ones are working, but I feel that I’m never quite organized😩. At the end of each day, I always feel like I could have done more. And to be honest, I thought I was doing a great job hiding it but apparently not. Especially judging from my poor evaluation and counsel to stay clear of schools 🤣 

So if you are a teacher and you often feel this way at the end of some school days - on behalf of my household, thank you for coming back and doing it with my children all over again.

Anyways, I also created our daily schedule and pre plan our PE breaks and morning meditations. Then we do our best to keep to the tasks and assignments of the day.  I bounce off trying to keep the toddler away from getting in between her older siblings and my teaching skills. This includes my subpar puppet show performance, making silly faces, singing kids songs, practicing our colors, shapes, dancing, reading, storytelling, more singing, lots of jumping and yay! ... Most of the times this is distracting to the older ones and so sometimes I catch myself yelling at them to get back on task😬 so again on behalf on my household- thank you for your patience with my children especially one of them in particular. Yes, the same one who gives unsolicited advice. 

So today I included an extra break in the day where I get to run and hide on my mat to meditate and practice yoga. We got to do it together and it worked but Oh boy! the time in the day feels like it is no longer enough, because today the children were lost a lot in their imagination and, it was interrupted a lot with essential necessities such as lunch or snack breaks... 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ so thank you again as I only have three children and you have twenty-two.  🤔

So dear teachers all over the world; I want to give credit to all of you wonderful humans; who work tirelessly to provide education (outside the home) to our children; thank you for everything; thank you for the hard labor you put in a short time frame to get virtual learning plans available to us. I will do my best to keep my children afloat during these time but I want to let you know that I see you, and truly value your efforts.

Thank you again🙏🏽 for all of your support and love.

I admire the parents who already home school but to the ones like me who are new to it; to those of us who are having to balance it with work and life responsibilities ... how are you all doing? hope we are all finding a balance as although, it is very important for us to assist them in completing their tasks. But it is even more important to not undo what our teachers have done and that is -maintaining some fun in learning.

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my birthday and I've had a great day thus far! 😂  I want to tell you all about it but first I have a confession to make; "great" for me today is not the same as "great" ten years ago. Now that we are clear I will tell you about my great day.

So I slept in today! I woke up at 0730 by my family (singing to me); it was wonderful and they were even extra cautious about waking up the baby so as not to ruin my day. Then I read all of their wonderful self-made cards (thanks to #coronavirus). I was surprised by the note from my son as it read "You are the best mama I have ever had!" You can imagine my confusion as I read it aloud again just to be sure especially since I just woke up.  Then I asked him if he recalled a different life with another mama as I was sure I pushed the whole of his 10 + pounds body out by myself 😕. The children just chuckled.

Then my first daughter (a bit of a show off at times) told me that her birthday gift to me was that I don't have to deal with her school work today as she completed all of today's assignments yesterday; I was so excited and so naturally I turned to look at my son and... well let's just say he had other gift options in mind and I had to deal with his assignments today. Although, I'm not sure that her gift was just for me as she has stayed mostly in her room all day. It could be that she also wanted a day off and new that the only way to get it was to get ahead of her assignments.

Then my toddler woke up at her usual time and she has no clue that it is my special day and so she says "change diaper and then eat! eat!" then utters "good morning mama!" so I naturally greeted her back, got her changed and dressed and we went downstairs while I multi-tasked between making breakfast, sorting out home work assignments, phone calls, social media birthday greetings, text messages etc I got to sing and dance to baby shark with baby girl, and practiced her numbers and then allowed them to run around screaming without a care in the world. I dared my neighbors to knock on my door as I already had my rehearsed answer, "Hi! It is my birthday today and I would like to be unbothered for once." Shhh now the baby is taking a nap and I have some space to share with you about my day. I will spend some time on my mat and when she wakes up, we will likely all take a walk, obviously with maintaining social distance. And face time my brother whom I share a birthday with (he is not a twin, but we are of the same parents.)

The humor in this is that even if there aren't the safety precautions in regards to coronavirus, my special day would have likely been the same and plus or minus an evening date at a family friendly restaurant. I would have expected a lot more attention from my husband lol but I'm content as everything I expected from myself ten years ago I have accomplished it and more.  For example, I had not asked for the third child and I was blessed with one 😆😆😆

Happy Birthday to my Baby Boy

I can't believe he is 3 years already. My son is the sweetest but most difficult child of mine. He is mischievous to the T but hilarious lol His infectious laugh will send you packing with all of your plans for punishment. He is not my first child but he challenged me as a mother and still does.  He loves to play but is very curious and loves to learn new things. Amidst his many distractions he managed to learn his alphabet in Igbo, English and sign language. I'm pretty sure as bright as I was at his age I only knew my alphabets in English. He loves to sing all of his nursery rhymes, knows his colors, shapes, can count 1 to 30 in English and 1 to 10 in Igbo and sign language.  He knows how to cheer his mama and sister up and has held down the forth as the man of the house.  He also can sit through the barber chair without crying lol He loves to pray and can recite the Lord's Prayer and wait for it.... He is potty trained!!!!! Yay

To my boy,

May you have long life and many happy returns; we wish you a happy birthday and many happy returns. I pray that God continues to bless me and papa to continue to direct you to the right path in life. May you continue to shine as a child of God. As strong as you are, may it always be put for a good purpose. As intelligent as you are may it make you always prosperous. As you learn to love God may he always watch over you for us.  We love you and again happy birthday.

In The Midst Of Our Chaos

Hi my blog readers, how I've missed you so…. I never thought my busy life will stretch our distance but I would like to make a simple commitment to at least once a month.

As I write this post, Baby Girl is doing her homework; and Baby Boy is practicing his sign language and in between he runs to the potty and we (minus papa) all stop what we are doing to do the potty-praise-dance. Papa is out of state at Naval Postgraduate School (i'm sure studying for some exam); I have home made mac and cheese baking in the oven. This is a typical day in our home; I come home from a whole day of work; we exchange kisses (minus the hubby who is away); Nanny waves good bye; I prepare dinner simultaneously, while I finish my work notes and the kids do their studies and then we sit down for dinner and we talk about their day; then we play; read; bath time; prayers; pick out their outfits for the next day, sleep and oh my! I feel exhausted already just simply narrating the sequence of events (sigh). When the kids are in bed I go back to work! work! then clean up the living room while talking to hubby on the phone; finish work; do some yoga and then I sleep.
Typically hubby comes to visit us once a month, simply because it is easier for one person to travel than for three people to travel but for the first time since he has been away (14 months) I went to visit him and left the children with my parents and you wouldn't believe how much I missed this boring routine, I missed my children so much that you would think a country separated us.  I know it is ok to do this once in a while but I tell you I hope it is easier the next go around because for me there is something about tucking my babies to sleep and knowing that they will be in their rooms where I left them. Every night I had to close my eyes and imagine I was doing all of those routines just so that I could carry on.

Hope your days went well. Stay blessed

New Beginnings

It has been a while I came on here. I hope everyone is doing well.  Our house has gotten more crazy lol how about yours? I made a decision based on multiple special circumstances to resign from my previous position and take on a new one/role. The wait to start the new job has made me realize that a pause was necessary. Yes I am still a full time mom and I love it. I don't think I will ever trade that job for anything. It definitely doesn't pay cash but I love it more because what it does pay is better than all the cash in the world.  It also forces you to constantly reevaluate yourself even though you are not getting a raise. Isn't it insane? 

Most of you who know me well know that our house is on 'fast forward' there is never a pause or rewind. Sometimes as tired as I am, if I am not cooking or cleaning or braiding hair or making their almond milk or cashew milk or throwing parties or doing my yoga ...many have asked me when do you sleep? But I tell u I love the privilege of that mummy role. It is a title that I am most proud of.

  I have spent every single minute with my children this past few weeks and I am sure they will be in shock when I have to go back to work. Baby girl told me she wants Mama to be the new Nanny. 😔 I have two more weeks and I am off to enjoy every minute of it.

My children means everything to me and I love that they are very happy and I am happy that I changed direction so that I can spend more time with them.

Happy Birthday

Dear baby girl
I am so grateful that God chose me to be your mother. You have taught me a thing or two about patience. You are three and exhibit some of me and papas personality. You are very strong willed and always want to be in control. You are very protective of those you love. You still love to read and still can't sleep without Minnie Mouse. You are very smart but I have to remind you at times that you cannot out smart mama. You are very caring and love to help. You are easily pleased and love to make your brother laugh. You are only 3 but you are amazing I love all of the challenges that comes with raising you. You are beautiful but I ask God to continue to help teach you to achieve inner beauty.  You are into frozen and these days you like to be referred to as Princess Anna. You can spell your name and know how to sign all of your alphabets, u recognize and sound them in English and Igbo. You surprise me sometimes. God bless that hot brain of yours. Baby girl im glad you had a blast. I pray that your days may be long; may you always breath in success; may you value hardwork and always see the fruit of your labor; may you love God with all your heart; may you achieve inner beauty and touch many hearts. Happy 3rd birthday! We love you dearly.

I am content

I am content! I thank God for all of his many blessings in my life.  I definitely consider myself a spoiled child of God because he has given me everything I've ever asked for. Though I have had to work very hard for them it is nice to see that my hard work paid off.  I believe in hard work and dreams and I pray that all of your dreams come true. I am content!