Multitasking...

If there's one thing that I've learned from being a mother, it's that you need to have an immense knowledge database. You also need to be able to Google with a quickness, for things you aren't sure about.

My children literally think I have the answers to everything sometimes. That's sweet and all, but sometimes I TRULY just don't know. Today I got to use information that was randomly stored, and helped Miss T dig up a plant. Not only did I need to know the proper way to dig up this flower, I also needed to know how to re-pot it. To go a step further, she wanted to know how I knew how deep to go, and if I got all the roots. I explained it was a bulb plant, and once I could see the bulb it was just a matter of leaving it intact. We had our own little science lesson. However she was just in awe that all she had to do was hand me a spade, and I went to work carefully removing this precious flower from it's home.

I'm by no means a gardener. I didn't receive that gene from my Great-grandmother, and Grandmother who both had a passion for flowers. Me? I was more interested in attempting to figure out which roses were female, and which were male so I could create my own colors. This was not okay with either G-mother, therefore I never figured out if I could do it or not, but I digress -

I am horrible at caring for plants, and don't know squat about them. Luckily I knew just enough to pacify the needs of a curious 7 year old who is convinced this flower will die if left where it is. It shocked me how naturally that information came out of brain storage and made itself available to use in this situation.

There's other situations I've needed extra knowledge in too -

I baked cookies from scratch for Santa with the children, and if there ever was a time to fake it - this was it. I am pretty good at reading directions, and winging it, but baking is not my strong suit either. Give me a pasta dish, and I'll knock your socks off.. place a mound of dough, flour, and a rolling pin in front of me -  instant hesitation.  However these kids were dependent on me baking perfect cookies, for this picture perfect moment. Miraculously, it happened. It also happened without any real obstacles or issues! (trust me, I was shocked, yet happy dance proud) The cookies did not burn, they were actually perfect texture, nothing was wasted or needed to be discarded, and I got a +1 for mom in the kiddos score book.

Today was just one of those days where it really dawned on me, that parents need to know a lot about, well, a lot. The things you must pull from seemingly thin air is really amazing. I'm expected to know how to care for a variety of different things, whether it be a hurt animal, some type of sickness, pets, or flowers; to needing to know how to draw and label the parts of a plant, or the layers of the earth. (that terminology is all but long-gone)

I am called upon to build things, and help them understand why it works only when built a certain way - and in the same day how to bake, or make "from scratch" ice cream. I magically need to know how to sew to fix clothing, and how to put favorite toys back together even though the manufacturer would probably give up. I know how to make the cd player start working again, and how to remove scratches from beloved DVD's. I am a one-woman wonder when it comes to stain removal, and how to remove bodily grossness from any kind of fabric or surface it needs to be removed from.

I need to have enough information about fruits, and vegetables and what makes them healthy, not just "because they are fruit/vegetable" - Why a certain food is bad for you. What kind of bug that is, and can it hurt you. What plants are good, which ones are bad. How to make this cut better, what to do for this itchy spot. How to make jewelry, how to assemble model cars. How to say basic things in different languages, and the most fun is needing enough knowledge to teach when they don't understand how to do their homework. It's pretty amazing the way things work out, and the knowledge I can pull from my hat in the knick of time.

Never did I ever imagine I'd be teaching someone math concepts, and helping them to find out how to figure it  out on their own. I didn't go to school for that.

I've definitely learned that being a parent is not only teaching the children, it's learning alongside them. Sometimes it's fun to research new things together, and explore the answers and reasons.. sometimes it's fun to secretly research and seem to really "know it all."

I'm excellent at self-teaching. Most of my "skills" - are self taught. I try to get the children on board with this, but they don't always share that same drive to learn something new all on your own; at least not yet. They tend to want me to answer the why's, and what's, and that's great for now - but soon enough I want them to really dive into figuring it out themselves, not just because mom "said so."

It's amazing the information you always thought was useless when learning, comes back to bite you in the butt when you're raising curious kids. Sometimes it's hardest explaining HOW I know something, when I can't remember how I learned about it.. whether a subject in school, or my own exploration into something I found interesting. One thing is for sure, I try to be humble with my children. I never claim to know "everything," though they had no problem deeming it so. I always explain that if I don't know what kind of butterfly that is, or I don't know how this is made, that we can research it together, and both of us will learn something new! I honestly think it makes it more fun, and keeps me from seeming high and mighty.

All of this to say, it's just crazy/amazing how much you learn, or need to know when raising children. I guess it was just a "wow" moment.

Multitasking is also one of those skills you must possess to parent. The more children you have? The better you must be at this skill. Being pregnant and multitasking is not my strong suit. I really have to concentrate to keep even part of my A-game. I miss the days where it came as second nature, effortlessly. It'll get back there soon after little miss makes her grand arrival, but right now it's painful. Being sleep deprived from a newborn's needs has always been easier on my poor concentration than pregnancy "brain fog." Though I did read in a spiffy mind magazine that brain fog is really the brain's gray matter reassigning itself in preparation TO multitask, and care for a new baby. So I'm 'slow' for a good reason. Disagree if you want, it's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Most of that "brain reassigning" is the reason I disappear from writing. This blog here took me a few tries to get up and running, and even now I'm trying not to dwell on re-reading because surely there's errors that would bug me enough to go without posting it.

I had a few other things I was going to add, however Punkin' is demanding I wrap this up because she's just not going to go to sleep with me not being in there with her. I may sneak back in here after she's conked out, unless I pass out, which wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit. I could certainly use a full night's sleep. I am dragging by these days, but that's all for another entry, another time.

'Till next time.