1. Going to the OKC Zoo in May Might Not Be the Best Idea
Because there will be 352 school buses and a bazillion school kids. You’ll have to park at the horse racing track across the street and wrangle your stroller through a mob of people to present your season pass at the window. But despite the crowds, we still had a great day with friends. We saw baby ducks waddling behind their mama, baby Red River Hogs, bears taking a swim, and the most adorable baby gorilla. Jackson ran barefoot through the stream and smelled of sunscreen. He played hard and passed out just moments after being buckled in the car.
2. Mother’s Day Can Be Messy
Not because my husband forgot to get me a card, but because I’m reminded each year of the years I yearned to be a mother. I remember the tears in church and the ache in my heart. Becoming a mother didn’t make me forget the many women who can’t conceive, who are waiting to bring their children home from an orphanage on the other side of the world, or the women who have lost children. The day isn’t always filled with flowers and facials. Many times it’s consumed with heartache and tears.
3. Parenting Trumps Vacation
When your kid starts throwing up the morning you’re scheduled to leave for Vegas, you really don’t have any other choice but to cancel your trip. Because what kind of parent would I be if I left a barfing boy with his Lolli. The trip John and I looked forward to for months was a no-go. No sitting by the pool. No Mother’s Day Brunch at Serendipity. I won’t lie; I definitely did a little sulking. But it wasn’t all bad. I got to spend Mother’s Day with the boy who made me a mother. We had ice cream after church. And I got to eat a Jake & Dorothy’s chicken fry for dinner.
4. There’s A lot of People Raising Their Voices for Jackson
May 14th was Apraxia Awareness Day and I was blown away by the support of our family and friends. They wore blue or their Team Jackson t-shirts to educate others and raise awareness for Childhood Apraxia of Speech. And the coolest thing happened; my blog post was shared by CASANA and close to 600 people read and shared it.
5. Jackson Has Sensory Processing Disorder
We’ve known this was likely for a while, but now we know for sure. Jackson is Proprioceptive Sensory Seeking. You can read more about what that means here. Jackson begins Occupational Therapy in June. I’m looking forward to learning a good sensory diet, which will help regulate him and address the challenges associated with SPD.
6. I’m addicted to the Project Life App
I love to scrapbook! I’ve been doing it since I was in high school. I’m a bit of a photo junkie and sometimes that’s a tad bit overwhelming. I use my phone to capture a lot of our day-to-day happenings, so imagine my joy when I discovered I could make scrapbook pages right on my phone. The Project Life App has changed my life. All those phone pics have quickly been transformed into cute, creative page that just have to be slipped into an album.
7. I’m Over Tornados and Rain
We’ve been in our tornado shelter WAY too many times this year. Thankfully Jackson just needs a flashlight and a bag of M&M’s and he’s happy in the scary hole. I’m also beginning to wonder if we need to build an Ark. We’ve literally broken the record for most rainfall in Oklahoma. Jackson is climbing the walls and I’m A-okay with him jumping and wallowing in mud puddles. A Mama has to maintain her sanity somehow. Even though the weather still resembles Spring, I’ve already made our summer bucket list. Bring on Summer!
