Puzzled

Yep.  Still playing with the exercise balls all.  the.  time.  If you think our children come home between the meetings on Sunday and sit quietly and read, well you haven't met them personally.  Two of the many young people changed so they can 'do stuff' and then they started to do this balancing act in the living room.  Luckily it was away from bricks and hard things.  And the winner is....  Mira at 13 seconds if I remember right.  And she didn't even change clothes.  

 I read something this week about kids.  A mother had a fear that she was treating her kids like a 'three-headed child' and it gave me pause.  You see in "normal" families, you pace yourself a bit.  You have a child and then wait two to three years and another comes along.  There is a bit of breathing room.  And uniqueness with each kid because they all are at different stages.  Well we didn't have much choice in how our children came.  I feel sorry at times because I never got to really sit and enjoy a baby that much.  Two months after little Rayna came, here came baby boy.  Then in the throes of busy-ness, here came baby girl the day before Rayna turned three. I was in reaction mode most the time.  But I did hold them - a LOT.  Rarely left them with anyone unless I absolutely had to.  And we made the most of moments.  But now they are honestly often like triplets.  Best of friends.  Worst of enemies.  The constant squabbles are getting less as they get older.  As parents, we try to embrace their differences.  And more and more the Chairman and I are trying to have alone-time with one and do a 2/3 split if possible.  Saturday I had time alone with DD #1.  And she loved it.  And I loved it.  We talked.  Shopped.  Laughed.  And she felt special.  And I felt like I got to know her just a little bit better.  Because she is uniquely her.  And her equally-loved siblings are uniquely them.  They are not a three-headed child.  I hope I remember this for the next so-many years.

Puzzles.   I can't stand them.  They bring out the worst in me.  You see I like things all in their proper place.  I like things 'done'.  And so puzzles are not a good thing here.  My dear family bought me two new ones recently.  I whipped through one.  Decided I wouldn't touch the 1000-piece one for a bit since it would take awhile.  But it is out on the card table and I am frantically trying to get it all put back together and 'done'.  For all the hobbies out there, puzzles are the most troubling.  I can't get a warm neck from a new scarf.  No new clothes from sewing.  Not even a beautifully hand-stamped card to share with a loved one.  Nope.  Just a puzzle all put back together like it should.  Stare at it for a day or so.  Get the slightest of satisfactions and dump it all unceremoniously back into its box and stuff it on a shelf.  Dumb I say!

Son #1 is in his 5th grade basketball season.  They started the season with two very successful losses.  Like bad losses.  And now they've won three in a row.  Last night they were down by 12 points at the half.  Not a good thing for 5th grade basketball.  But they came behind and won in the last seconds.  It felt like the Super Bowl win!  Really!  Nothing like the feeling of your heart bursting when you see your kid make some pretty neat plays and see his grin as he looks for you in the stands.

Do you have pet peeves?  I was lying in bed the other night not sleeping and made a mental list of things that just 'bug' me.  Nothing big really, but just like a little sliver in the finger of life.  Mine really don't make sense and it is a partial list.  Here goes:  cracked finger/thumb tips or heels in the winter.  Wind chimes of any kind.  Computer generated music.  Fake flowers.  Seams on your tights that are crooked in your boots.  Mismatched tightness of any kind - as a kid, braids or pony tails, shoes, wrist elastic,  you name it.  I want it exactly the same in feel on both sides.  Breathing.  No, if you are my friend or family or foe I give you permission to breathe.  Just not on me.  And finally!  This is riveting stuff.  Broccoli bands - you know those tough little rubber bands keeping it all together?  I don't like them.

So now you can all go back about your business feeling smug that you know just a little bit more about me.  And please... don't breathe... on me.