A Calm Mommy

     Friday night was game night in the Estock house.  We got a lot of really fun new games for Christmas so we played Wits and Wagers Family.  It is so funny to play games with the little kids.  Jacob doesn't really have a concept of numbers yet, so he had some great answers to the questions.  We had a lot of fun and Meaghan and I tied for the win.  After the game Adam wanted to look at some of the question cards, so he grabbed the whole stack out of the box and ended up dumping them out all over the living room floor.  It was an accident, but I got after him for taking the whole huge stack out of the box.  As soon as Samuel saw that I was upset at Adam, he ran and got my new head massager. (It looks like a whisk with the top cut off...I found it in my stocking on Christmas morning and I love it!)  The head massager only works when my hair is down and it wasn't down friday.  My hair was in a ponytail, but that didn't deter Sammy.  He came up behind me and started trying to cram the massager down on my head.  It really took some doing because the wires had to get under the hair that was in my ponytail.  Sammy knew that as soon as that head massager was firmly on my head I would be feeling great, so he kept pushing.  Dan was laughing hysterically watching Samuel trying to work the massager onto my head.  The other kids were watching pensively to see if Samuel would be victorious in his quest.  After Samuel finished he took a step back, clapped his hands in achievement, and said "Whew!"  He had single-handedly made me so happy because now I had my new massager attached to my head.

    

A Simple Meal???

Wednesday evenings are always a little hectic.  I have mutual on wednesdays so dinner has to be on time if I want to eat with the family (which I do).  I generally try to make a simple meal.  Last night it was beef stroganoff and salad.  If all you could see was me making dinner it would seem a very simple task.  Zoom out a little bit and you can see Clara standing up holding onto my legs crying wanting me to pick her up.  Zoom out a little more and you see Samuel sitting at the computer yelling for me to help him on PBSkids.  Zoom out a little more and there is Jacob crying and wanting me to hold him because he has a tummy ache.  Zoom out more and Adam is trying to read his homework story to me. (three times in a row!) (he is reading very loud because he is competing with Clara, Samuel, and Jacob)  Zoom out even more and there is my sweet helpful Meaghan asking me to get her the dishes down so she can set the table.  It's amazing how complicated making dinner becomes when you add 5 kids to the equation.  Yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.
~maria

Welcome to bloggerhood

Woohoo!  I have a blog.  I am new to this, but I really enjoy reading other peoples blogs and I have so many things in my head that I want to write this seems like a fun way to do it.  I titled my blog Snapshots of Motherhood because that is how my brain works.  I don't think in essays...just snapshots.

This morning I smashed my little finger in my bedroom door.  I haven't done that since I was twelve years old when one of my friends slammed her car door on my hand.  I forgot how much it hurts.  My little finger started throbbing and I cried out it pain.  Immediately my sometimes sweet* 3 year old Samuel came running to my aid with not one but two wet kisses for my finger.  His love really did make my finger feel better.  I love being a mom!

~maria


*It may seem harsh to say that Samuel is sometimes sweet, but for those who know Sammy know how true this is...I love him so much, but he is often in a rotten mood and he lets us know it.  I am grateful for his sometimes sweetness.