Motherhood: The Journey with 4 Teens
When my second child, my oldest daughter, Kristen, was 3 ½, she needed brain surgery to stop her seizures. Although the brain surgery stopped her seizures, it left her developmentally delayed and physically challenged. But, she is now happy and healthy and amazes me each and every day, as do my other 3 children – Justin, Caitlyn and Shannon, each in their own way.
My life is not so different that anyone with a couple of kids. It is a balancing act – each child has schoolwork and their own activities so I am pulled in many directions, hopefully not too many at the same time. The only difference is that some of those directions are to physical therapy appointments and the fact that Kristen was in an out-of-district school for many years, sometimes giving me 3 different school calendars to keep track of. Although, this year, for the first time in 8 years, all my kids are in the same school, if only for 1 year. I’m thankful for the little things that make life easier.
I’m sure anyone with teenagers knows, these years are crazy and wonderful and I’m going to be both extremely proud and a little sad when my oldest leaves home next year to go to college. Their childhood goes by so quickly; I’m just trying to cherish each and every moment.