Many new stages of life.....

      I am in an interesting stage in life.  I am an "old" married woman of 22 years this June. *that is a long time to be married in today's world *  I have a daughter who is married in college, I have a daughter is graduating high school this year, I am a mother with teen daughters at home and soon to be a pre-teen son. I am a mother of three little children, two of those are going to Kindergarten and that will make me a stay at home mother with ONE? child again.  TO ME THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING PLACE TO BE.

    WHY? you may ask?  I will tell you why.... I have five children all at school for years and this last year, everything happened so fast. In November 2011 I married off one daughter *who I was still trying to get use to having at college* and I adopted three little children. 

   I have had people ask me why. "WHY DID YOU START ALL OVER?"  I have heard statements like.... "YOU WERE ALMOST FREE "  FREE??????????? *I NEVER DID GET THAT ONE*  Free of what? A mother is a mother for forever. FREE OF KIDS? ... Um if I wanted to be free of kids do you think I would of had five? LOL 

   I will admit, I found myself forgetting some parenting techniques which  took trial and error to be reminded of what I use to do. I even went so far as to ask for advice from younger mothers who have little ones now.

   But here I am... a mother of a married daughter. THAT IS A HARD STAGE FOR ME!!!! I thought college was hard? WHATEVER!!!!!!!! I am having to hold my tongue A LOT! Its hard. I am use to be the one in control of everything and how things are gonna go down. The ORGANIZER and the ADVICE giver. But... wow I have had to learn to KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT unless asked for my advice. *now I must add, my daughter is amazing, she has never said anything to make me feel this way... I have just realized in this part of my life journey stage... that I have to let her now be the adult I raised her to be and make her own decisions*

    Another stage I am in * that I have never ventured before* is being a mother of a daughter who is about to graduate and live at home.  She is now an adult and her plans are to go to a local college but stay at home.   I AM THRILLED ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!!! I will still have her around.. But this stage, will be about me letting her make her own decisions and hoping she will ask for my advice or listen if I give it.  I will add, I am nervous I might mess something up!

   I have my first son becoming a PRE-TEEN...  He is changing so much so fast and I am sorry... YES!!!! IT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN GIRLS! and seeing how I am NOT A BOY and I have NEVER had one before, I am lost. I think I need to find some book with a manual out there that can teach me what to expect.  I am nervous. He is so cute and already a ladies man!  I am telling you, you know Fathers are wanting to be at the front door with a gun for their daughters... I WANT TO TO BECOME HIS BODY GUARD and ward off all the girls by being a weird MOM or something ... anything to scare them off.... *ANY TIPS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! *

 Then  I have these two little angels who are going to go to Kindergarten. One is repeating it...but that is OK, we are calling it PRE-FIRST and one is starting Kindergartner for the first time...  Now, I am not sure what to expect there. Will the first one get emotionally upset because the younger sibling is in his class? Will he feel stupid? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? Where is that CRYSTAL BALL when you need one??? Will they continue to go on together till graduation in the same grade and be OK with that???? or will my daughter end up repeating as well? *because there is so much to teach them and catch them up on*  I can't stand the UNKNOWN!!!!! I AM A PLANNER!!!!

 While all of that is going on, I have little miss Shaker and Mover home with me.... *we are gonna have fun!* seriously... I am not worried there except she might get bored from time to time...but what child doesn't who wants to be in school with their siblings!

My two teen daughters... I got this! Because of my two older daughters... I feel I have parenting teen daughters down! These girls are doing all the normal stuff teens do... boys... and busy.... friends and sleep overs... you name it!  They are actually at a fun age! :) Not too serious yet about boys but think they are cute... and not too young to do girlie fun stuff teens love to do, like make overs and such. 

 When people see me they don't know what to think... 22 years of marriage? WOW! The comments are great! :) its a great accomplishment! To love someone and to be dedicated to them for this long with plans of FOREVER :) yep I am proud of that one...

People that meet up with me and hear I have 8 kids crack me up too. The comments range from YOU HAVE HOW MANY????? to THANK YOU? which is always uncomfortable to me... and GOD BLESS YOU. To comments like... 5 wasn't enough? ARE YOU CRAZY?

  I think I can answer that last question. YEP I AM CRAZY! I HAVE A CRAZY GREAT LIFE! I wouldn't trade it in for the world :) I will be a young GRANDMA and one day an OLD MOM! LOL!  I will have the best of all the stages in life.. some simultaneously *that wasn't really planned* but I am going with the punches :) 

 I just have moments where I think about all of this and I am like... wow.. I am really in an interesting place in my life... so many different stages all at once but I am thankful for them!!!!!! EVERY ONE OF THEM! :) I wouldn't have it any other way! :)