The Things They Don't Teach You in Parenting 101

Today has been a day full of reminders that often, I have NO idea of what I am doing as a parent! Somehow I missed the part in the Parenting 101 Class, or the instruction manual that came with my first child (Ya'll got one of those with your first kid, right?) the correct way to be prepared for certain things that will come my way!

Some of the lessons that have been especially obvious today include:

1. No one told me how hard it would be to get a decent picture of my kids. Today, no matter how hard I tried, this was the best I could get:

2. That after 4 kids, 10 consecutive minutes of silence would feel like HEAVEN! (and also, that those same minutes are EXTREMELY rare and hard to get.)

3. How sad I would feel once my last baby started walking all over the place.

4. That it is possible for the piece of skin on the top (outside) of the ear to swell at least twice it's normal size and turn purple! Thanks Justin for demonstrating this today. (I always thought it would just bend and go with anything.... I guess not)

5. That the best way to find humility as a parent is to take 4 unruly, disruptive, fighting kids grocery shopping with you and endure all the other shoppers stares.

I think I've learned enough lessons for the week. I have a bad feeling though, that I'll get a whole new set of lessons tomorrow!