christmas in august...

i know you're all on the edge of your seats wondering if hannah cleaned up her messes yesterday. She did. As soon as her friend left, I pointed her in the direction of the basement. There was MUCH foot stomping, teeth gnashing, and groaning about how completely unfair her life was. I told her she was right, it was unfair, but such is life. I know. My compassion overwhelms. I stood at the top of the stairs and listened for what I knew was coming next. The flopping of her (clearly) abused self on the floor and commencing of waterworks. It took a few minutes for it to take full bloom, but when it did, I stood at the top of the stairs and informed her that she wasn't coming up until the basement looked like it did when she went down. If that meant she needed to continue crying for several hours and then get it done, so be it. I can wait it out. I got the standard comeback, " I just can't DOOOO it. It's too much for me all by myself!" I stifled a smile (I know, again, I lack compassion) and told her that if it felt like too much she should think about that next time she has a friend over and they decide to get every single toy out. I also told her that I wasn't budging on the original plan of not letting her leave until it was finished. Then because it's the kind of mom I am, I reminded her that she also had a bedroom to clean up and if she wanted to be able to leave the house again this week, she had better get on it.
There was more grumbling. But 1/2 hr later she staggered up the stairs (she's all about the drama) and said I could look. I did my inspection and gave her a few more things to do before it was done. She finished those things and then to my surprise came up the stairs smiling and PROUD of herself for getting it done. Then she went off to tackle her bedroom. She also managed to get it presentable again. Without turning on the tears for full-effect again. I was astounded. It worked. With a little screaming (from me and her) and a little perseverance, I got her to clean up after herself.
It's a Christmas miracle. God bless us, every one.

help me with this one...

why are 5 year old girls so much more dangerous than 5 year old boys? Or is it just MY particular 5 year old girl? I don't think so. Now knowing my fair share of 5 year old girls, I find them all to be similar in temperament. Meaning bratty, selfish, know-it-all, etc. Or is it just mine? Really, be honest. I spent the better part of the morning cleaning up after my little darling whirlwind. She spent the night with a friend so she was gone this morning. Meaning I can clean up her mess without her destroying it in my wake. It lasted a total of 10 minutes after she entered our residence. 10 solid minutes. I walked into her room a mere few minutes after she came home and her room looked like world war III. Again. I also spent an hour putting the basement back together this morning. She and her friend completely. trashed. it. It looks like it hasn't been cleaned in months and I just. did. it. this. morning. ***sighing heavily***
My experience with my boys is similar, but decidedly different. They can trash a room in 5 minutes flat also, but if you ask them to pick it up, they will. Without the hormonal outbursts so common with their sister. I told her that she was responsible for basement clean up. I know that it won't get done without tears. I don't know how to fix this issue. Same with her room.
I have these apparent choices...
1. continue to clean it up. I then run the risk of ending up cleaning her nasty bedroom well into her teen years (example: my mother)
2. make her clean up her disaster. I then run the risk of having to listen to her screeching about the unfairness of life in general. At the top of her lungs. This is especially problematic because I also run the risk of the neighbors calling child services because she is OBVIOUSLY being abused.
3. take all of her toys away. I tried this and it NEVER WORKS. I just removed all of her Barbies a few weeks ago because I was tired of vacuuming their shoes and having to pick their little blonde selves up. When she found out I thought the screeching would ensue. Nope. She just shrugged her shoulders and played with something else. Yes, she is spoiled. Yes, she has too many toys.
4. Let her live in her own filth like a pig and hope she grows out of it. Close the door if we have guests.

Not sure which of these options is most viable. All have their own merits and all have obvious set backs as well.
Maybe I'll just sell her to the gypsies for a nickel.

not very blog-worthy...

so much going on and at the same time, not a whole lot. My parents (scratch that- MY WHOLE FAMILY EXCEPT ME) (but I'm not bitter) were on vacation for 11 days and I was stationed as dog watcher at their house. Suffice it to say it was not the best run I have ever had over there and I've had some bad ones. I got the flu over the last 3 days that I was there and it was just sort of the rancid icing on a really stale cake. Not fun. But I'm not bitter. Once they came home I had 1 day to prepare for Carol and Scott's arrival. I didn't care that I was rushed and not feeling well. I knew we would have fun, so I just kept my focus there. And we did have a total blast at the lake. I just love that house. I also just love those people. The 4 of us had about a million and 1/2 laughs all wrapped into 3 wonderful days. They left on Sunday and Justin had his adenoid/tonsillectomy scheduled for Monday. That has gone off without a hitch thus far. He is healing and not hardly whiny at all. I love that boy.
More on the surgery... there is nothing more heart-wrenching than to watch your child be wheeled away for surgery. Any surgery. He was very, VERY loopy from the excellent drugs they gave him. Like his mama, excellent drugs=emotional train wreck. He was all dopey and grinning until the nurse came to wheel him off then he looked at me with these begging, watery eyes as if to say "don't let them take me away mama". It was all I could do not to dissolve into a puddle of mommy goo on the floor. In the end it was all OK, but yeeks, I hated that part.
Now, because my parents are plotting to drive me to the brink of insanity, tomorrow they leave for a dog show and I'll be stationed at their house until Sunday. Praying that this whole recovery thing continues as is. Although since MY WHOLE FAMILY won't be at the dog show, like they were in Florida, at least I'll have help.

hate to say i told ya so...

everyone on this street (well almost everyone) knows i got poison ivy and where i got it. Right in my front flower bed. I got it and still have it. It's a breed of poison ivy that apparently doesn't like to just go away. However, I have made it clear to parents and children alike that our front flower bed may not be a good spot to play in. Not that it ever was, but don't say I didn't warn you.
As a side note, one of the little girls who plays here on a regular basis has a nasty habit. If she needs to potty, she does so anywhere. Like in my back yard, next to the swing set, in my flower beds, etc. She doesn't bother to find a bush, she just drops trow and goes. I understand the need to do this on the emergency basis, however we have more than one working toilet in this house and I have urged her to either come in and use one. She doesn't. She prefers wide open spaces apparently. She even does it when we have guests over. I have had to step over many the dropped jaw of my friends who were over for dinner and had to witness her bare-assed in the middle of my yard, urinating.
Do you see where the side note is coming full circle? I told her not to do it. More than once, but she peed in my front flower bed one day and now her little tush is covered in poison ivy. A breed of poison ivy that doesn't go away all quick like. It sticks around for a good, long time.
I told you not to do it. Maybe it will be a lesson learned?

cardio...morning style...

i am not a lover of the morning. Not even a smidge, do I love it. A friend has been egging me to workout with her in the mornings and for weeks I have rolled my eyes at her and ignored, to the best of my ability, her ignorant morning workout plan. Because seriously? Me... the morning...we don't get along. However, I have been trying and failing to get to the gym in the evening for over a week now. I think my foot is healed enough to take a pounding. I NEEEEEEED to take a pounding myself. So my brain starts with this dialog. "maybe if you went in the morning, you'd actually go" "you'd be done before the kids even wake up" "think of all the energy you'd have" "if she is picking you up, you have to get out of bed"
My brain is saying all this and I am wrinkling my nose and throwing a face because, me...the morning... not so much. I also knew I shouldn't say outloud what my brain is saying because that might seem like I was agreeing and I WAS NOT because, me... the morning... have we already been over this??
She mentioned it again last Friday and I finally said "ALRIGHT ALREADY! I'll get with your ignorant morning fitness plan. Pick me up at 6:30 on Monday." Both her husband and my own looked at each other, looked at us, and then laughed. Because...well we don't DO mornings.
But we did. We bitched the entire way to the gym. Seriously, the entire way. We both looked like hell on a bad day. But we did it anyway. We survived. And it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. And I can't believe I just said that. Not only did we survive... brace yourself for this... have a seat if you are weak in the knees... we are going to do it AGAIN TOMORROW.
You know why? Because we both said we would. The beauty is, my house is on the way to the gym for her, so she said she'd pick me up. That means if she doesn't feel like getting up, she has to because she said she would pick me up. Same goes for me. I told her I'd be waiting at the door, so I have to be.
I can't believe I actually did it.

step away from the chocolate and no one gets hurt...

PMS is a bitch. A bitch that is only sweetened with chocolate. Lots of it. What can I say? I must feed the monster...

i *heart* the 4th of july...

i always have been a big fan. It's always been high on my list of favorite holidays. I love the cookouts and all of the stuff that goes along with it. When I was a kid, my parents always had a huge bash on the 4th. All of the kids in attendance would take off somewhere in the middle and go to the carnival that was a few blocks from our house. We'd eat fair food until we were vomit-ous and then park ourselves on the street somewhere that was blocked off and watch the fireworks. Then we'd hike back to my house where our parents were all in good moods enhanced by Budweiser so we could get away with more. In this day and age we'd never be allowed to go to the carnival by ourselves. One or two of the parents who drew the short straws would have to leave the party and watch the kids and we wouldn't have had anywhere near as much fun. We were probably 12 the first time they let us go to that carnival alone. Like I said, it would NEVER happen now. But, gawd, it was so much fun.
This year we spent the 3rd out at Buckeye Lake. Matt's sister and her husband bought a house out there last summer that I am currently in love with. It is the perfect little lake house and Buckeye Lake is a blast. They bought a pontoon boat towards the end of the summer last year and it sealed the deal for me. I love to pontoon :) The fireworks over the lake were awesome! Made even better by the fact that we were full of fabulous food while we watched. The plans we had for the 4th had to get a last minute shift because one of our friends had sick kids. We ended up going to my family's house for a cookout, then came home. Our neighbor was having a huge party and all of the neighbors were there, so we put Ryan to bed and walked next door to chat while Justin and Hannah ran with the kids until they fell over from exhaustion. They spent the better part of the evening catching fireflies. And they had a fabulous time. All of us parents marveled at how we used to do the very same thing. And then poke holes in the jars so we could keep them forever to light our rooms. Only to find them dead in the jar in the morning. Justin found the same thing to be the case. I think it is a rite of childhood passage to catch fireflies.
All in all it was a really fun holiday. No carnival, so no elephant ears, but also no nasty toothless carnies leering at my 5 year old daughter. Times they do change, and so does my idea of fun!

irrational...

when hannah was small (er) we marveled at how fearless she was. Justin was the total opposite. He would try things slowly. I never had to worry about him jumping or climbing on things that were too high, he was my little chicken man. Hannah was a different breed. She climbed to the tallest rocks and jumped off. She was always hanging like a monkey off of furniture. She'd try anything once. Sometime in the last month she switched a gear and I can't un-switch it. I noticed it the first time in her gymnastics class. They wanted her to hang from a bar and she flat out refused. Bizarre. Then she was swinging from the rings on our swingset and I tried to show her how to let go upside down. She went apeshit, screaming no at me. My sister and I shared a puzzled look. Any other time she'd have been begging me to show her. It has gotten progressively worse. Now it's about water. She won't go in the pool. We started swimming lessons this week and Mon. it was a joke. Tues was a little better. We missed Wed. because of dentist appts and today she was back to clinging to the side of the pool and refusing to FLOAT ON HER BACK WITH THE INSTRUCTORS HELP. That's right. In 3'6" of water she is afraid to attempt a float with someone holding onto her. This is my fearless-wonder child. Even at the dentist yesterday she said she was afraid. She's been before and actually enjoyed it, so I don't get it. She got a haircut today. Before we walked in she whispered to me, "mom...what if it hurts?" WHAT!!??!! I'm trying to be patient but it's infuriating to me. She is acting like a complete chicken over everything and it's just not normal for her. Plus...no one else can have fun at the pool because she is terrified. Clinging to the edge of the pool. In 3'6" of water. That she can TOTALLY stand up in. I'm sure it's a phase. At least that's what everyone keeps saying, but God help me if she doesn't work through it quick like I'm going to lose my rocks. I found my self screaming at her this morning to get it together. At the top of my voice I'm screeching at her "you will go to swimming lessons, because it's fun and you will eventually enjoy it!" Yeah mom, that's helpful. I wanted to eat my words or at least the tone in which I screamed them at her as soon as they left my mouth. I hate that I yelled at her and I hate that I lost my patience. It just seems like very piece of our life now is covered by "but what if it's scary?" I have no answers. Sometimes life is scary. Hell, I'm scared to open my mailbox and look at the ever mounting stack of bills every day. This swimming thing just baffles me. She's had lessons before. We didn't do much swimming last summer because of the chaos that was our life in the summer of '06, but should that have turned her into a total chicken?
Any words of wisdom on chicken children and working through this not-so-fun phase of childhood would be greatly appreciated.

fun was had by all...

we had a blast. We knew we would. Our friends always take glorious care of us. Although... even just an evening in the backyard with the kids playing and all of us eating, chatting, drinking... really it couldn't be any better than that. Oh and IKEA. I sing the praises of Ikea once again. Where else can you buy an end table that is living room worthy (in our home anyways!!) for $12.99. No, seriously. It was $12.99. I remember going there the first time with Janet and being absolutely floored by the cheap-ness of it all. I bought end tables then and thought to myself "self... for under $15 even if these tables only last for one year it was worth it." I am now replacing that same table with one in a different color. 5 years later. I'd say we got our full $12.99 out of them. And really? It's wonderful because I don't have to be one of those people who twitch if you don't put a coaster under your drink.
So we're back 'down south' again. We miss our Northern friends, but not our old neighborhood. We drove past the old house and the new owners don't seem to be giving it much love. It isn't horrifying, just sad. We saw our old neighbors. Our kids loved them, we did not. They haven't changed a bit. The kids were happy to see them so that was nice. We just drove away shaking our heads and being thankful to be out of the neighborhood. The house across the street is still for sale. Has been for 2 years now. We were lucky to escape when we did. It was a nice awakening though. With all the quirks that our new neighborhood and set of neighbors has to offer, we are MUCH happier in our new surroundings. If it wasn't such a long drive to visit friends, it would be perfection. Though still, even though we have been separated by so many miles and months, we fell back into laughing, chatting, whining about our kids and husbands, etc...just like the old days. It was a good weekend indeed.

headed north...

we are off to visit michigan this weekend. Since my beloved trip to Canada had to be sidelined this year, we had a blank weekend on the calendar. No such thing as a 'do-nothing' weekend in this family so we decided to fill our blank weekend with a trip to visit Michigan buddies. To say the kids are psyched is an extreme understatement. I don't think anyone will ever replace their Michigan friends in their heads. They have friends here now, but they still look at the pictures of their Michigan buddies with longing and talk about them constantly. Hannah still has a bulletin board in her room full of pictures of herself, Dana, & Kaitlyn. And who am I kidding? I miss them all too! Matt had to be prodded into the trip, because he (unlike myself) is all about an empty space on the calendar. Don't get me wrong, I love me some unscheduled time, but this weekend was just perfect for an escape. I figured the best way to spend it doing whatever we wanted, was to go somewhere else and GET AWAY. Now that's it's all planned and set up, Matt is really psyched about it too. We always have a blast when we all get together and our kids play incredibly well together.
So, now I have to spend today getting everything set up here at home. Making feeding instructions for the pets and getting their cages/tanks/litterbox/whatever else cleaned so the my sister doesn't have to deal with anything icky. Plus getting laundry together, packing, and getting all the kids stuff together. The list is never-ending, but I'm just so excited to go!! I don't even care!! Plus...there is the possibility of a trip to IKEA!! Did I mention IKEA??!!
So we're off for the weekend. Hope the weekend is wonderful in your spot too!

the grind...

as a mom who stays home, like has no job, is "just a mom", occasionally i get in a funk. One of those those I-never-get-to-do-anything-for-myself-my-sole-purpose-is-to-serve-others kind of funks. It doesn't help that with my right foot being down, I haven't driven in 2 1/2 weeks (until Monday when I was forced to because I had to drive to the Dr to get a shot in my ass because I had poison ivy, but I digress) It still is painful to drive because having my foot at the angle that one needs to push the gas pedal, is just not comfy yet. But tolerable. Anyhow... yesterday I was supposed to get my haircut. I am so looking forward to this for many reasons. Most of them because my hair looks like crap right now, but also? I wanted some "me time". Selfish? Probably. But I've only been out of the house ALONE (meaning without a child attached to me) to go to weight watchers in the past 2 1/2 wks. and I really wanted to be ALONE for say, an hour. The appt. was at 7, so I just had to have a husband in place to take over my job by 6:30. And 6:30 was pushing it so I asked if he could shoot for 6:20 to give me plenty of time. No problem he says. Then he shows up at 6:40 sputtering excuses about traffic. I'm sure it was traffic involved, but being that there was no WAY I could make it there in 20 min, I had to cancel my appt. And I was not a happy mama. In fact I didn't speak (nicely) to him for the rest of the evening. Selfish? Probably. But damn. I just wanted a haircut. Now it's going to be another week or so before I can do it again. The only other thing she had in the evening this week was a 6:30 appt and let's face it, if he couldn't get home in time for a 7:00 appt odds aren't good that I'll make it there a 1/2 hr earlier.
And so...last night I was evil. And angry. And feeling like my whole purpose on this earth is to serve others and does anyone care about me?? So the children and husband steered clear of me and the black cloud hanging over my head. I went to bed early and feel marginally better about my lot in life today. I do love my "just a mom" position. I just wish I had a provision in my contract for personal time. Personal time that didn't always have to involve Dr appts. I'd like personal time that involved me ALONE for say... 1 hour. And a professional with a pair of scissors that can make me look like Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama. I know I'm asking a lot.

bring it on...

so we're off with a bang. Never a dull moment 'round these parts. We spent the weekend tearing out bushes, because I am not a big evergreen bush fan. Can't say why, but I just am not a fan. So now they're gone and I have a big empty flower bed to plan. Most of it won't get done until the fall now when I can split hostas and daylilies, so I have time to look at stuff and plan. While we were tearing out bushes we came across a vine that was growing up and through 2 of the bushes. I saw it a month ago and tore some of it out. This weekend I tore the rest of it out. All the men, who were helping tear out the bushes, jumped away as if it were a deadly snake. It was just a vine. Of poison ivy. The shit doesn't scare me. **I** am not allergic to it. I tried to get out of staying at a heinous camp one summer by rolling in it to no avail. I just got really dirty, not a blister at all. I have torn it out of places my whole life, never a blister. As I mentioned earlier, I took some of it out just a month ago. Again, no blister. Because **I** am not allergic to it. Except...now apparently I am. I look like Will Smith from the movie Hitch. It isn't anywhere on me except my face. My eye is swollen, my upper lip looks like I got Angelina Jolie lip injections. Just my upper lip mind you, not the lower one. Oh Yeah. It's sexy. I went to the Dr. this afternoon and was informed it is also in my ears and throat. But...I'm not allergic!!! Why did this happen? It's this little thing called "your 30s". Never had acne? Now you do! Like a teenager! Never had allergies? Now you do! You lucky bitch! Along with these fun things you also get raging hormones that are out of control. Suh-weet! I just can't wait for peri-menopause in my 40s!!!
And so to recap the summer so far...
-sprained ligaments in the foot
-poison ivy all over the face requiring a cortisone injection

what next???

On the bright side all the kids are playing well with all the other neighboring kids and everyone seems content with the summer so far. No one has gotten too booooooooored yet.

ho hum....

really...there is so little going on i don't have much to blog about. I got poked and prodded for a fun update, but there is nothing fun here. I hurt my foot a week and 1/2 ago. Fun! It's in one of those menacing looking black boots now and everyone gasps at it and asks me what I did. Then they wait. Expecting some really cool thing I was doing when I hurt it. Well...I was walking. And then my ankle gave out and I wasn't walking anymore. There was lots of popping, cracking, tearing, etc. Now I can't walk on it. The end. Then they say, "Seriously? You were just walking?" So I ask, am I the only one who has that freak, ankle-not-working-suddenly- and-turning-underneath-me-thing? Because it happens to me all the time, but maybe I am alone. Maybe I have weak ankles? Maybe I'm just a klutz? Either way, it was a boring accident, just me being klutzy. Now I just have to wait until I can put weight on it again without screaming in agony. Because, really? I don't have time for crutches.
So there's my glowing update. Wasn't it fun?

someone remind me....

sometime mid-late July, when I am screaming about how long the summer is. Someone tap me on the shoulder. Tap me and remind me about how much I despise school mornings. Remind me that I definitely despise school mornings MORE than I despise long summer days full of angry children who hate breathing the same air as their siblings. Even those days when I hear someone say for the 1000 billionth time that day "I'm so bored!" or "This house is so boring" or "we never do anything fun" or any combination of those 3.
Because trying to get out the door and to the bus without killing one of my children is by far worse than any long, horrible summer day. Long, horrible summer days are easily fixed by a margarita or a beer, or both.

conquer this...

laundry sucks my will to live. No really. It does. There is ALWAYS laundry to be done. I have done laundry all day today. Washed it, dried it, folded it, found closet or drawer space for it. All fuh-reaking day. Now there is a small pile of laundry in the laundry room that is too small to be washed. Our drawers and closets are bursting with freshly laundered clothes. There is a serious lack of hangers. This should give me a feeling of accomplishment, right? It doesn't, because it's one of those chores that always regenerates itself in the blink of an eye. Tomorrow morning there will magically be a pile of laundry to be washed that resembles Mt. Vesuvius. Dirty clothes are like bunnies. You blink and where once there was 1 dirty sock, now there are 47. Not 48 because that would mean all the socks had matches. Not a possibility.

glowing....

i was almost embarrassed of myself last night. I was glowing, bouncing, etc. just acting like a fool. In front of people. I hit my goal at weight watchers last night. Go ahead with the applause, I'll wait :) ...................................


I thought I could remain calm and cool about it, but I acted like a 3 year old. This is something I have worked toward since I gave birth to Justin. I got really close to goal before I got pregnant with Ryan, but then after I had him, my body chose to hang on to the weight awhile. And I helped it out a little. Or a lot. But I finally got to the point this past winter where I couldn't take it anymore, so I put my foot down. And damn... it was hard. Cut out all the food I love. Cut out alcohol. Exercise more. None of this was easy. But I did it. I can now go to the Dr's office and be weighed and not wince. Also? they don't have to slide that menacing 150 lb marker across the bar before they can even start to gauge my weight. That was always a pet peeve of mine. I hate that 150 lb bar. And now I can engage in a little beer and not have it ruin a whole week for me.
I still have few pounds to get off before I am completely happy. Plus I have to make it through 6 wks of "maintenance" with weight watchers before I get my lifetime member status. But in the meantime, I can see myself in a new light. I catch glimpses of myself in store windows and doors and think I don't look 1/2 bad instead of gagging and thinking that can't be me. It's a good feeling. Even if I did make a total dork out of myself at weight watchers last night. It's all good.

update already...

for real. Not much in the way of excitement going on here. I have started and deleted at least 10 posts because, yawn, who cares???
We've just been busy with all of the stuff we're always busy with. For some reason everything on the planet gets scheduled in May & June. Not sure why that is, but ask any mom with school age kids and she'll say the same thing. This month is CRAMMED and it doesn't stop until mid-June when all the graduation parties cease to happen. I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer. Not that they will be lazy by any stretch since every neighborhood child will be at my house ('cause it's the fun house don't ya know?) but at least we won't be doing the morning rush to get ready for school.
You still with me? Told ya it's boring here. Go ahead and yawn. I'll wait....
Let's see, I got the info for my 15 yr class reunion in the mail yesterday. I know, who has a 15 yr reunion? I've been asked that every time I've mentioned it. I think it's because we had a blast at the 10 yr. No really, we did. Or maybe just I did? Whatever, they scheduled a 15 yr too. I hopped onto classmates.com to see what was up on the message board that was set up for the reunion stuff. Nothing was up, but I did find all the info on my very best friend in the world while I was growing up. I shot her an e-mail and hoped the e-mail address on classmates was right. We lived across the street from each other and were best friends all through elementary school and Junior High. She got shipped off to a private school for the first year of HS and we grew apart. Freshman year of HS is a tough time to be separated and we were doing different things with different people. Then my family moved to a new house and we just lost touch. I haven't seen her in probably 12 yrs now, but we spent last night e-mailing back and forth. She lives about 5 miles from me and we probably shop the same Target. Small world! I'm excited to get back together with her.
Other than that.... hmmm.... there's been soccer, dance, gymnastics, baseball, karate....a lot of spinning in circles and drawing straws to see who got to drag Ryan along to what. Poor Ry. Sucks to be the short straw. OH! we had Justin's root canal last week. What else???? HEY!! are you yawning?? I warned you it's been boring.
I'll post some cute dance recital pictures next week. Maybe that will liven things up around here?

to all my favorite moms out there...

in gearing up for mother's day, this one made me laugh out loud. Most of these answers sound like they came straight from my house!

Why God Made Moms

Answers given by 2nd grade school children (8 year olds) to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.


Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related!
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.


What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.


What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?


Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world and my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.


Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.


What's the difference between Moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.


What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

the good part...

the good part about having a to-do list as long as my arm, is the aftermath. When I cross a chunk of the items off and I feel tremendous accomplishment. Or when I get something done and can sit back and marvel at my own crafty-ness. Or someone else marvels at my crafty-ness and says to me, "you MADE this??" I will admit to a little head swelling when someone can't believe how unbelievably cool something is that I made with my own 2 hands. Or when my very good friend tells me what a huge weight I have lifted off of her shoulders by helping her with something. She's busier than I am, but would help me at a moment's notice if she could. It feels good that I can do the same for her. Even if by lifting her burden, I gave myself some burden. I think somewhere, somehow it all evens out.
I am a helper by nature. Do I allow people to use me sometimes? Yes. It's just the way I am. I've said before I don't know how to say no. But sometimes I get a really great end result feeling because I said yes, and helped out with something. I think that makes my stress level even out and makes me feel like a good person.

independence...

each of my children has gone through this stage. With Justin I was still a control freak (well more of one anyway) and I had a hard time letting him do things "by mineself". I knew it would cause a huge mess. With Hannah I loosened grip a little because she would throw a huge fit and scream unless I let her do it. Whatever. Now, that Ry is shifting into the stage I just let go of the reigns. Because, frankly? I'm tired. Does he make a mess? But of course. It's his job. So far this morning he has wanted 2,3,4 more waffles. He counts like that every time he wants more. "I want 2, 3, 4 more mama!" And it's so cute! He wants to get the waffles out of the freezer but as he's trying to get them out they crumble. Mess #1. Then he wants to put them in the toaster. He brings what is leftover to the garbage and spills 1/2 of it on the floor. Waffle pieces and syrup = mess #2. Then he brings his cup of chocolate milk to the sink. And misses. Mess # 3. But instead of freaking out, I'm just happy that he's trying to bring his dishes to the sink without being reminded 12 times like his older sibs.
Of course during the day I hear nothing but "No! **I** do it!". Well, that and the strains of the different Star Wars songs that he hums ALL DAY LONG. But all I can think about is how he has gone from baby to kid-like in a matter of a few weeks. Like putting on a pair of undies has suddenly changed his attitude. He doesn't want his Spiderman fork anymore. He wants the "big fork". I guess this means I can soon clean out the section of our silverware drawer that has housed our kid-sized forks and spoons for 7 yrs now.
It's good and bad. He's the last one to enter into the independence phase. The last one.