Selfies with Girls vs. Selfies with Boys

You be the judge.

Pumpkin Patch

I'm a horrible Mother.

I've never taken my kids to a Pumpkin Patch.

I think Pumpkin Patches are boring and lame and all kinds of ridiculous.

I think the Farmer who first thought up the idea of charging people large amounts of money to see his/her animals, ride on hay bales, walk through his corn patch, and choose a pumpkin was freaking brilliant.

Pumpkin Patches are a total racket.

I don't have a strong opinion about this or anything.

When the Kindergartener found out that there would be a field trip to a local Pumpkin Patch, she was over-the-moon excited. Seriously? I didn't get it. But decided to try to keep my opinion to myself and go along just because I love her so much.

The day before, she was so obsessed with anticipation that she whipped out her art supplies and created masterpieces dedicated to fields of pumpkins and riding on hay.

And the actual field trip was everything she hoped it would be and more.

Me? I would have been bored stiff, if I wasn't so caught up in watching her and her classmates run around with silly delighted grins on their faces.

She wanted to go back again the next day.

I said "No, honey, Pumpkin Patches are a once-a-year kind of trip".

Relief for me, disappointment for her.

No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to muster up the enthusiasm of a child. Must be those grey hairs creeping into my mane.

Heartfelt

The sweet, sweet days of being the Mama of a First Grader equals

Baby-Food-Jar-Covered-in-Crepe-Paper-Tied-with-a-Ribbon-Candleholders 

for Mother's Day.

Made even better by the quite persuasive creative writing assignment 

detailing why I happen to be the most "inportant" Mom in the whole world 

(translation follows the photo)...

"I think my mom is the m-

ost inportant mom in the 

whole world! She's inportant

because she's a stay at home

mom. Also, she lets me have

TCBY. of course she is the

nicest mom ever! In

addition she makes the best

birthday cakes. That's why 

I ♥ my mom!"

Favorite

I am proud to announce that as of Friday, I have now packed away the remaining bits of Christmas.

Well... with the exception of the little fake tree on the upstairs landing covered in kids' ornaments. Perhaps later this week for that task...

Part of the joy of getting the decor all put away was the subsequent cleaning and organizing that led me to the stash of Christmas gifts that I had ignored during the weeks of my sickness. And there, at the top of the stack, my very favorite.

A secret organized by his school teacher, which came home wrapped, with a handmade card, and rested under the tree for agonizing weeks.

"Merry Christmas! Mama" it screamed at me from the front.

And inside, "happy holoDay's! MAma! I have a Present for you. close the carD anD open the present it's a nice present."

And indeed, it is. You should have seen his face when I told him that it was going to live on the mantle once I got the Christmas garland put away. He was so happy and proud to know that I was willing to put it up with some of my favorite things.

And truly, it is the one thing up there now that I would try to save if the house went up in flames. Such a priceless little treasure, crafted with love by my Boy's hands, and painted blue because he knows that's the color I love best.

What was your very favorite Christmas gift this year?

Fun With Kids

It doesn't take much, really.

Just an old camera, held together with a rubber band and masking tape,

and add a little dose of silly imagination.

Good old-fashioned fun is there waiting for anyone who wants to take hold.

There is much to be said in defense of Innovation as the Mother of fun.

 

 Who needs to rely on plastic and factory wares for entertainment?

Who says feet are meant to stay on the ground?

I say feet are there to be used as we see fit, and if those feet can make a person soar, then so be it.

Especially if that person weighs 37.6 pounds and has the most contagious giggle in the world.

Drippy

Such a great word... drippy.

Describes the weather... my nose... and the eyes of a few Kindergarten Mothers this morning, as our kids moved up to the next grade.

On the count of three, they all took bites from "magic" Twinkies, and instantly turned from Kindergarteners into First Graders.

The Little Sister was jealous that she didn't get a special treat too, so I made up for it when we got home. She and I, on the count of three, took bites from Zingers, then magically turned from SisterofaKindergartener and MotherofaSisterofaKindergartener into SisterofaFirstGrader and MotherofaSisterofaFirstGrader. Whew... you really have to keep your brain on its toes when you have kids. Its no wonder I'm more forgetful than I've ever been in my life... I've never before had to use up so much of my think tank on improvisation and spontaneous question answering.

Pretty Much Sums it All Up

Goodnight Mom (with apologies to Margaret Wise Brown)
by Sarah Jio (Parenting Magazine)
with a few adaptations by Beth Twist:

In the messy green family room
There was a telemarketer ringing the telephone
And a crying toddler because his sister just popped his red balloon
And a picture of -

The cow jumping over the moon (which someone colored on with permanent marker)
And there was a missing teddy bear, and a girl with gum in her hair

And one to be scolded
And laundry to be folded
And a very hungry spouse
And something stinky in the house
(that no one else seemed to smell)

And a comb and a brush and a colicky baby who just won't shush
And a frazzled mommy screaming I NEED SPACE!

Goodnight messy room
Goodnight scribbled-on moon
Goodnight cow getting out while she can
Goodnight telemarketers and the popped balloon
Goodnight long-gone teddy bear
Goodnight whatever-that-is smeared all over the dining room chair

Goodnight spitup
And goodnight leaky sippy cup
Goodnight much-too-little-house
And goodnight grumpy spouse
Goodnight comb and goodnight brush
And goodnight to a certain almost-3-year-old who just needs to hush right now I mean it

Goodnight Elmo and Thomas
Goodnight toys we'll pick up tomorrow or the next day

Hello Merlot, OPB, linen and thread...
"me" time finally

Self Portrait

I've sprouted an extra head. To the ancient tribal woman who first invented the sling, a resounding THANK YOU on behalf of my "Hold-Me-RIGHTNOW-Baby".

What the Firstborn Was Up To

while I fed the Baby yesterday afternoon...

I Never Want to Forget

How last evening felt.

We went to the wedding, both kids in tow, hoping that we could stay long enough to eat the dinner that was sure to be very good, but knowing that we would likely have to leave with a crying baby girl. Sure enough, just as the appetizer and cocktail hour was coming to an end, Baby Girl let us know she had had enough.Big Brother, too, was asking to go home, despite the big cake that would follow dinner.

So off we walked, back to the car, through the humid air, and headed home. Sparky's pizza beckoned us, our old standby for those nights when cooking dinner at home just isn't going to happen.

We sat on the back deck, enjoying the cooling air and our Italian Roma pizza with fresh garden greens newly picked. Baby was happy to be home, Big Brother was happy to eat pizza, and we were happy that they were happy!

After our dinner, and the Baby's dinner that followed, there was still an hour to burn before bedtime. And it was just then that the threatening sky turned into a full-blown thunder storm.

There we sat, the four of us, on the back steps, with patio umbrella for shelter, watching, listening, and feeling the storm all around us, rain and all. But the air was warm, and we were dry, and the kids were still happy. And the best part of all was that we sang "Winnie the Pooh" several times over (ever lived with a toddler?), and it didn't feel ridiculous at all to be doing so.

Is Summer Finally Here?

If so, we are a very happy three...