Mom Feature Monday: Meet Allison

Meet Allison

My husband and I have been married for seven years and we have three kids under the age of four. When my oldest was born, I quit my job as a teacher to stay at home. I have a three year old daughter who is in preschool two mornings a week. And I have two year old boy/girl twins.

My son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was 8 months old. It was his diagnosis that made me decide to start my blog Twingle Mommy.

I was looking to connect with other moms who have children with CP. I blog about our crazy life, and I run giveaways as well.

When do you feel like you're doing your best job as a mom? 
When my kids do something naughty, and I want to lose it, but I keep cool instead. I envy the moms who are not hot tempered by nature. But I am very hot tempered and it takes effort to keep my cool.

I also think I’m being a good mom when I take pictures of said naughty behavior. I want to show them why their kids act the way they do one day. Plus, the pictures are really funny to look at once you’re not mad anymore.

I wrote a post about my Top 5 Naughty Behaviors-Caught on Film to highlight some of their mischievous antics.

You knew this one was coming... when do you feel like you're doing your worst job?
When I’m distracted or busy with something and my kids want my attention and I tell them to go away. I have caught myself telling my kids to go watch TV while mommy does _______.

Once I hear myself, I cringe because I know that they don’t understand. And most of the time what I’m doing really isn’t that important.

What surprised you the most about motherhood? 
I was shocked to discover that having twins equaled that everywhere I go people would stop me to ask questions or give me “advice.” And while most people are nice and mean well, the 10% who are not cancel out the other 90%.

My husband and I cringe when people approach us because we are waiting for the dreaded questions and comments that make me want to scream. I think all moms experience this unwanted advice or comments regardless of having twins. But somehow having twins amped it up.

What is your go-to activity when a meltdown is on its way? 
When my kids are about to meltdown, we head outside. Sometimes I send them into the backyard to play alone. But normally we head outside and take a little walk. Between the change in scenery and burning off the built up energy it does the trick.

If it’s slightly warm outside we take a popsicle walk. That’s when they drip popsicle juice all over the neighborhood instead of inside my house. My neighbors might hate me, but it keeps my kids very happy.

What have your children taught you? 
When Mark was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, I learned that there is no such thing as the life you want, just the life you have. His diagnosis and being a mom in general has taught me patience and how to slow down.

There is something about having children that make you learn how to enjoy the little moments in life.

What will you miss the most about these years with young children?
I really struggled with how to answer this question. Do I answer with something that is so precious to this time or give a realistic answer? I decided to go with both.

I think I’ll miss the look on their faces when they do something for themselves or by themselves for the first time. The look on my son’s face when he took his first step was priceless. He was so amazed and proud of himself all at the same time.

Now that’s the good mom answer, the reality mom answer is naptime. My friends and I joke that naptime is how the kids stay alive and mommy doesn’t have a drinking problem. But really naptime is my time. It’s my time to talk on the phone without interruptions, clean (though you’ll rarely catch me using my free time to clean) and blog. I will miss 2 to 3 hours to myself each day very much when they are older.

What advice do you have for moms of special needs children?
Find parents who have older children with the same special needs as your child. You need support and having someone ahead of you on the journey will be very beneficial to your learning process.

When I had to fight the state to get services for Mark, I asked fellow CP moms for advice. They gave me verbage and statistics to back up my arguments. It helped me find the courage to stand up to Mark’s developmental specialist, and he is getting the services that he needs.

And one day, I’ll be able to help another mom.

Follow Allison and her family at her blog: http://www.twinglemommy.com

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