Warmish Wednesday Words

Ahhhh.  It's a flip-floppy kind of day!  I actually cracked out my favorite black Nike ones for some errands this morning.  My toes were in complete shock to be taken outdoors uncovered.  They looked pale-white in fact.  I often wonder why I buy many short-sleeve shirts?

Today I had a massage.  In fact, it was my last one in a very, very long time.  You see I've had a membership for nearly six years.  With tighter budgets and cutting unnecessary things, this was something that had to go.  Hard to take in that I've had over 60 of them.  That seems so excessive.  And blissful...  Goodbye "Nicole".  I'll miss you!  And so will my knots.

I never knew what a minority I was!  I noticed in the paper that the percentage of stay-at-home-moms has risen!  To... 29%!  I had no idea.  

Speaking of parenting.  Yesterday wasn't the best day in the parenting books to be honest.  And at bedtime one of the MYP was sitting nearby and asked, 'is being a parent fun?'.  I wanted to say quickly 'actually today it kinda stinks and I'd like to throw in the towel'.  But what I did say was that it can be fun, but it also is rewarding and challenging and scary and then there are times when you think the buttons will just pop off your chest in moments of pride and joy.  Sure, throw in the word fun.  Because some days it is. 

I'm so very excited!  A transfer of goods is happening today on my behalf!  Wheat berries!  Glorious, wonderful, free-of-bad-stuff wheat.  Hard and soft red wheat begging to be ground and then shaped and molded into cookies and muffins and bread and soft dinner rolls and pizza crusts.  It must be considered my hobby since it is one of the activities that I do that I can't wait to do again.  I will meet my parents soon to unload the 125 lbs. of goodness.

Mr. Tiger Tom (aka Simba) is celebrating his 2nd birthday on Saturday.  Cans of tuna could be delivered to... oh never mind.  He gets whatever he wants.  Especially mice and voles and other unlucky rodents that cross his path in the dead of night.

Speaking of birthdays... mine is coming up shortly.  My dear family loves to make a fuss over my birthday but I rarely have any suggestions for gifts.  What should I ask for?  I continually ask for well-behaved MYP and I receive back a sigh and an eye-roll.  That must be too hard to find.  

Time to get out and enjoy some of this sunshine!  It always makes everything better!

Monday Musings

And a good Monday morning to you!  After having some very special and slightly overwhelming days last week, it feels actually nice to have the cat sleeping next to me and the quietness of the house back again.  However, it was so very special.  All of it.  This was one of the 'bonus' visits at my parents.

This was in our own home:

This one makes my heart melt.  If you know her, you know why.

Yes, the special day.  Always brings out emotions and a camera.  The MYP don't understand how much I enjoy knowing I'll have a picture from each year.  They aren't perfect photos, but they are our babies growing.  Here is 2001.  Nearly a year of parenting under our belt and they are smiling.  Must be going ok.  I remember trying to have them both side by side on a sofa and son #1 kept pushing daughter #1 away.  He wanted his own gig.

Two years later we have another gift of a child on the special day.  Be still my heart.

And now today.  Well, actually, yesterday.

This just cracks me up.  You see for the very first time, son #1 was MIA.  He was off shooting things at the chicken farm and they brought him to the special day.  However, he had forgotten his shoes, so we at least had that.  Heh heh.  I wonder if he chose to be gone because he didn't want to have another annual picture taken.  Surely not!

Then we were invited to spend time with a very full house of Italian relation eating spaghetti and homemade ravioli.  This little sweetie pie was there.  This is one of the few babies I would just love to bring home with me.  He's kinda like the 'golden retriever' of babies.  Every day seems to be the best one yet.  And he's Adorable with a capital "A".

Then there is this picture that was taken in the morning by daughter #1 with my phone.

I asked her to do it since our last decent picture of us two was nearly a year ago.  Since I'm not into false advertising, I decided to update my FB profile shot.  I need to be sure everyone knows that my golden locks are graying by the day, a new wrinkle has appeared, and quite possibly the start of an extra chin.  But I hesitated to do it.  Why?  Because if you update your picture it kinda appears like you want people to look at you.  You are begging for comments and 'likes'.  I'm not.  But when I woke up this morning after posting it last night I had (as I type this) 62 'likes' and 14 comments.  Sweet and appreciated, but so very unnecessary.

I read recently that the most successful marriages are not 'on-line'.  I tend to agree.  I very infrequently say much about the Chairman because, well, I don't think I need to.  But I will just say this today because of the picture.  I'm incredibly thankful for nearly 20 years of being Mrs. Chairman.  And that's all I need to say.  

Happy Monday to you and yours!  

Thriving Thursday Thoughts

Thriving.  Such a nice word.  Flourishing!  Prosperous!  I hope I'm that way in a deeper sense.  This week is one of those 'special' weeks that many of you know about.  Not only do we get our own privilege, but I have been included on two other visits.  Apparently the word is out that I need extra-special help.  And that's ok by me!  I'm so glad to be around people that cause me to want to be better than I am.

Well in a very normal-living way, I've been busy at least!  By 9:15 this morning I have five loaves of fresh bread out of the oven and a batch of granola made.  Also made a couple school lunches and homemade whole wheat pancakes for breakfast.  Whew.  I should go take a nap.

Speaking of lunches and morning.  Daughter #1 was adamant that I didn't need to get up to see her off this morning.  "Please mom, don't bother.  I like being alone anyway."  I think I'm on to something.  She's just plain sick of turkey sandwiches.  Because somehow her lunch didn't make it to school this morning.  

Saw a personalized license plate yesterday on a car that raced past me at break-neck speed.  It said:  "SINNER".  Well yes, especially if you speed like that too.

I got all the bushes trimmed and cleaned up the flower beds the other day.  I may or may not have chosen that day because the forecast was for gale-force winds and I knew that my trimmings would be somewhere near Lake Michigan by the time the wind stopped.  I was happy to see this in the garden.  So will Simba.  His catnip is the first thing I spot coming up! He deserves it as he's become the mighty night hunter and is offering up various rodents once again each morning.

Well there are several more items to make in the kitchen before I head out for some more provisions.  Then four volleyball matches between two children and two schools will make for a busy afternoon.  Happy rest of the week.  I know mine will be very special...

Lessons in falling

One of the best gifts we can teach our children is humility.  It will take them a long ways in life.  And sometimes it is hard to know just how to teach them that - other than the obvious way of showing them by our living.  So I tried to do just that yesterday.

The girls and I decided to do a quick bit of shopping after school last night.  We pulled into a parking lot right near the front door.  In fact, the van was right next to an elevated landscaped area.  I grab my purse, open the door and hop out.  I wait to hear that all the doors are closed so I can hit the lock button on my fob.

As I turn around to make sure all is well I feel my ankle about to give way to soft thawing ground underneath  Mind you, this is the same ankle that has let me down repeatedly.  Somehow, my body said 'don't let the ankle twist again' and instead of that I just lost all balance and plopped down on my can in the parking lot right near the front doors.

My daughters come running, 'MOM!  Are you alright?'  Followed immediately by, 'mom, get up you are embarrassing us'.  Fortunately for them and me, there were not many people around.

I hop up and survey the damage.  Nothing but a scraped up pinky finger and a scuffed boot.  And today?  An achy, middle-aged body that wonders why certain muscles are aching in weird places.

So.  Teaching humility.  Sometimes we just don't know how and when we can be teachers.  Maybe it will catch you off guard and happen when you least expect it!

Monday Musings

Well hello Monday!  I love you so.  Today is a bright, spring-like day here in Dairyland.  I intend to go outside and get a bit dirty in the flower beds since there is much I neglected last fall.

Lets see.  We had a very busy weekend.  It started in mid-afternoon on Friday when daughter #2 had a school friend come stay.  That isn't newsworthy in itself.  It was the fact that little 6-year old brother came along because he likes son #1.  "Dad" dropped them off with cups of Starbucks (I'm not kidding).  It honestly all went very well.  When he picked them up Saturday noon he admitted it was the first time 6-year old had slept away from home.  Oh wow.  He did soften the blow by saying, 'we knew it would be good because we know you are a safe family'.  Oh really?  Well... thanks!

Then we turned around twice and this little fella and his parents came to visit for the rest of the weekend.

Lisi being her sweet, gentle self waiting for him to hand over the ball.

Baby love

I saw this recently.  The MYP make tremendous fun of me with texting because I type too much.  Maybe this will help.

Tough tiger Tom would probably be embarrassed by me posting such a picture.  He crawls up on my lap while I'm reading after a big night of hunting outside.  However, maybe it is I that should be embarrassed to post a picture of purple-striped pajama bottoms on a red-striped chair with a dog paw just below.  

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day.  I have a hunch some weird things will be happening in our house.  When you have MYP, it is a splendid day to prank a sibling...

Happy Monday!

Wednesday Words

Approximately 10 or 11 years ago, I was in the throes of parenting toddlers and a baby.  I mentioned to someone ahead of me in this parenting gig that I was just.  plain.  exhausted.  I was looking for sympathy and encouragement since her children were young teens and could care for their own basic needs.  But sympathy I did not get.  Her response, 'you may be physically exhausted now, but as they get older, you will be mentally exhausted'.  I kinda scoffed inside.

Fast forward to today.  We have two teens and a wanna-be teen.  They can tie their shoes and feed themselves and get up with their own alarm clocks.  I love these growing MYP more than I did when they were chubby toddlers.  But I think about them more.

What do I mean by that?  Yes, I think about them more.  I think of their lives and futures and struggles in life.  In the next five and more years, there will be life-long choices that will be made.  First jobs.  Learning to drive.  Choosing post-high school options.  It almost boggles my mind.  Yes, I think about them and their choices more.

Now it is my turn to look at new parents.  I share in the thrill of new babies and milestones the little ones are making.  But now I see it all through the jaded eyes of a parent with MYP.  Those precious little souls will be growing and changing by the day and soon they will be MYP with their own ideas and dreams and values.

But I want to let you in on a little secret.  I love parenting teens.  I love conversations with them.  I love having one of them clamour to come along with me on a walk so they can have 'alone time' with mom.  I love watching them participate in sports.  I love seeing growth - both physically and emotionally.  I love the way they try to throw an insult my way but feel the love behind it.  I love having a teenage son come home from school and literally body-slam me across the floor to a corner and tell me that's how football players tackle.  I love the slight eye-roll when I come out of the bedroom with what I feel an acceptable thing to wear and get marched back to my room to make another choice.

Yesterday I was mindlessly thumbing through a catalog that came in the mail.  I said, 'wow, that's cute!  Do you think I would look good in this?'  The response?  "Yes!... well actually no.  It would look a lot better on someone like Sarah (a relative) who is younger.  That just looks too cheerful for you."

It looks too cheerful for me?  Seriously?  Apparently mothers don't come across as real cheerful.

To keep an even playing field, I've had my fun too.  Yesterday, I sent some day-old egg salad to school in a lunch bag.  Apparently the smell of onions and eggs after a day comes across as bad gas.  Who knew?  They better be careful because I have some two-day old chili in the fridge and that could make for a very interesting afternoon if you get my drift...

So if your children are wee little babes in arms, or are toddlers crawling up on your lap asking for one more reading of 'Goodnight Moon', enjoy it.  And if your children are MYP, enjoy it.  They are simply bigger versions of what they were before - except they have opinions and ideas and dreams.  But the common factor between the young and the teens is exactly the same.  They want to feel safe and loved and heard - just the size and packaging are a bit different.

Monday Musings

I'm officially sick.  I did manage to avoid the flu all winter (no shots here!), but have finally succombed to sickness.  It isn't all that bad.  I think it is called spring fever.  The forecast looks promising for my fever to break.  Or my spirit...

I had a slight panic last night before bed.  I realized it was to be Monday today and I feel I have little to muse.  There's a lot of pressure to be interesting, amusing, and encouraging when sometimes life is mundane, blase, and even bleh.  Oh well, maybe next week...

Here's the results of my new enterprise.  The Chef has now moved into the business of hardwood floor restoration.  Or not.  I just hope the finish stays on a bit longer than six weeks so I don't have to do it again.

Here's the result of a battle over a bed:

You can see who won the latest round.

It's mad around here this March!  You see I'm not into basketball in the least.  But I have some relatives who enjoy it quite muchly.  An offer to participate in a bracket.  I'm guaranteed to be close to last place.  But oh well.  At least I didn't pick my teams based on pretty jerseys like someone I know.

The latest on the war on eczema is as follows.  I'm now currently using comfrey ointment on it.  And it seems to be doing the trick!  In the past 18 hours I have not had any desire to bite off my thumb so I consider it a success. 

Congrats and welcome to baby Greyson to our extended family!  Too bad he lives 1,700 miles away!

Well time to lace up my bootstraps and get the pine balsam window box filler pulled out.  Maybe if I do that the daffodils will start popping out.  One can only hope...