Bananas, Boogers and Oatmeal

While cleaning up around the house today, I was reminded that these 3 substances; bananas, boogers and oatmeal could be used to replace say, concrete, gorilla glue, or cement. What the heck!? We are talking some major scrubbing, fingernail scraping and soap to really pry each from the surfaces. Ben says, "mom, I made up a new friend today, but I can't remember his name." I love that he says, "made UP a new friend" as if he means the friend is imaginary. This is not what he means. He means to say that he "made a new friend." so cute. Ben had some zucchini bread today, apparently for the first time, because as he is eating it (and he is my very pickiest eater) he says, "Mom, it is good to try new things." As if this is something that just occurred to him as opposed to something I have been saying to him for the last year or so. At dinner: I said, "lets go around the table and say what we are thankful for." Scotty says, "I thank God for this lovely meal he has bestowed upon us." Ben says, "I thank God for such a special day." Elaina says, "I thank God for flowers and puppies." Jack says, "I thank God for cheeseburgers, a piece of pizza and mac n cheese." (which is not what we were eating). Charlie says, "Man." and the kids thought that was hilarious.

How whole wheat is ruining my life!

This is what Scotty just said to my husband. As he is making muffins, and messed up and had to begin again, he says to his dad, "This is just another example of how whole wheat is ruining my life." True, I have been on a bit of a health kick lately. Just trying to make my family eat some healthy food once in a while, so sue me. But really you would think that I am forcing arsenic down Scotty's throat. He has been brought to tears more than once because of being told he couldn't have a soda. He has been in a crabby mood for most of a day because I said no to a 5th helping of bread. And right now, he is stomping around the kitchen as he is making his muffins for the 2nd time, because whole wheat is "ruining his life." I'm at a bit of a loss. I want to teach the kids good nutrition, but I also don't want to over exclude foods from our diet and cause them to rebel and become junkfood junkies as they get older and start making their own choices. Ugh. The balance is not easy. Tonight for dinner we are having yogurt fruit smoothies and banana bread. I would say that is a pretty delicious dinner....I should hear no complaining. but tomorrow, its broccoli! Also I don't want to forget: -Charlie is running around in a fur monkey suit costume. ADORABLE. I asked him what monkeys say and he growled at me. We will have to work on that before Halloween. However, he did just try to climb up the kitchen drawers onto the counter, so I guess he has the climbing part down. -Charlie ate 3 pieces of gum, 7 tic tacs, a bag of cookies, and all of my friend's iced tea. Bleacher season has begun. We will be on bleachers a lot again, watching volleyball, and soccer. I better restock my purse with some better options.

Jumping off of a frisbie

2 yr olds can find such joy in such simple things! Charlie keeps getting on top of a Frisbee that is lying on the floor, and he jumps off of it, yells "ta da!" or "Wow that a big one!" He has been doing it for like 10 minutes straight. I think he could do it all day, but I have to make him stop so I can dress him for church. Yesterday I saw Charlie picking his nose. Then I saw him eat a booger. I said, "Charlie, don't eat your boogers that's yucky." He says, "Yes eat boogers! I EAT boogers! I like boogers!" What do I do with that? I can't stop him. He is unstoppable. He also recently thought it was hilarious to poke the dog with a plastic sword, hide legos in his mouth, blow air into my mouth when I try to kiss him, play in a big puddle that he created out of fruit smoothie, "help" daddy plaster the basement walls (use your imagination), and brush his teeth with everyone's toothbrushes. 2 yr olds find the joy in the simple....let us all be more like them...(except for the eating boogers part).

Waiting turned Blessing

I had a Lowes date with my bathroom remodeler today. He said he would be around early afternoon to go pick out grout, paint etc. with me. I waited....I played puzzles with Charlie...I waited some more. No remodeler showed up. I waited....I built blocks with Ben and Charlie...I waited some more. No show. I waited...I hung in the playroom with Ben and Charlie watching them play together, build together....I waited some more. No show. I waited....I read books to the boys.....I waited some more. No show. When the remodeler finally called to say he was sorry he wasn't able to make it today, I couldn't even be upset. I had been given a day at home that I would not have had otherwise. If I had not had a reason to stay home and "wait" then I am sure I would have found some errands to do, or had planned some chores to begin. But thinking that I could be leaving at any moment, kept me just living in and enjoying those moments! with my boys! Also I don't want to forget: -While changing all of the kids' sheets this evening I found a rubber chicken under Jack's mattress. -Ben showed us his new wushu (Kung fu) moves this evening. I cannot explain how adorable it is for your son to basically take you down at age 4. -Ben's teacher says as I am picking him up today, "Ben is such a sweet little guy. And so smart." I mentioned this to Ben, and he smiles hugely, giggles and says, "I guess cause I am so good at school!"

Thank God for Starbucks

Starbucks has been many things to many people over the years; a wake -me-up, a pick-me-up, a meet-up spot, a hook-up spot, a relaxation location, an office for "work-at-home" folks, and more. But Starbucks has become for me something I bet it has not been for anyone before. Starbucks can add "family moderator" "family saviour" "insanity suppressor" and "neutralizer" to its list of accomplishments. I will explain. I am so like my son, Jack, that it is ridiculous. I recall my homework fits from childhood. Fits where I would want to pull my hair out, fits where I would procrastinate to no end just to not have to work on my homework, or read an assigned book. My mother was amazing with me. I only now realize this. After doing homework with my son tonight I started recalling my own childhood, and so much rushed into my mind. I recall my mom really patiently helping me with my homework. My mother read almost the entirety of Ben Hur to me when I was 14 yrs old. 14! I would read a page of it, and reread the page and reread the page and just get soooooooo frustrated, frustrated to tears, because I couldn't bring myself to stay awake, or even stay focused enough on the book to read a chapter and know what I had read. My mom would sit on my bed and read it to me, and eventually would rent me the movie (which I don't actually recommend since I found out the hard way that there are a number of differences in the 2). In any case, she was really good with me. In order for me to be that good with my son (who to my defense may be a bit more difficult at homework time than even I was) I have discovered, decided, that we need to leave the house. Being in a public location keeps me from reacting to his outbursts, and keeps his outbursts much more subdued. He can't storm off, he wouldn't cry in public, and I wouldn't yell in public either. I may not have a super amount of self control, but I am smart enough to figure out a way to make this whole homework thing work for us. Get out in public. Tonight was not easy. Starbucks was waiting for us again this week (Thursday nights are our homework nights, the other 3 homework nights he spends with our 15 yr old babysitter at the library, she as homework helper and he as infatuated boy wanting to impress her with his studious knowledge - another fabulous idea I had). So, Starbucks was waiting for us with its calming aromas, its sweet muffins and warm coffee. Once settled in, there is no telling what can happen. Tonight, a math assignment and preparation for a test happened. Next week, who knows, perhaps I will be reading Ben Hur...I will try not to cry so much this time through. I thank God for the chance to have this luxurious Starbucks date. Without my babysitter at home getting little ones to bed while my husband coaches volleyball, I would not be able to leave the house. And right now, leaving is saving, supporting and enhancing my relationship with my kid. Also I don't want to forget: -Charlie has decided his favorite thing to say is "No Way!" He says it really to almost anything I or anyone says to him. Sometimes it sounds defiant, other times sarcastic, but each time it is hilarious. -When I change Charlie's diaper lately he puts his hands down by his goods and sort of protects them and looks at me out of the corner of his eye and says, "Hey, hey, hey mom. No no." Cracks me up. I try to explain that I am helping him out, but he always looks very skeptical of my motives of washing and changing his soiled pants. -I'm working out "Every Rose Has its Thorn" on the guitar for Jack and the piano for Scotty so they can play as a duo. We all 3 spent some quality time singing and playing this afternoon and evening. Very fun. Need to keep this up.

Overconfidence

I witnessed something grand from my four year old today. He and his buddy were playing at the park. They were taking turns on the monkey bars. It was not easy for them. They were sweaty, red faced, and breathing hard! Ben had made it across a couple of times and his friend was getting very close. Ben mentioned proudly a few times that he had made it ALL the way across and I was thinking, "hush or you are going to hurt your friend's feelings." Soon though, his friend began to get really close to the other side. I was thinking to myself, "Oh, I hope Ben doesn't say something rude like, " I made it across first" or something like that. I should have given my son more credit. As his friend drew nearer and nearer to the other side, I hear Ben begin to yell, "You got it LUKE! You are doing it! You can do it!!!" And as Luke reaches the other side, Ben runs around to him, wraps him in a huge hug while yelling, "YOU are the Best LUKE! You did it! You did it!" Luke grinned ear to ear. And I began to cry, since I can no longer watch any act of kindness without tearing up. Apparently motherhood removes all control from the tear ducts. A couple of days before this I was tearing up again as this same son consoled a friend in preschool. Reminding his friend that preschool is fun and "lets go play together." So, here I am so proud of this sweet boy I have raised. And I am further feeling all proud as I relay to some friends about what a great strategy I have going with my kids at home during homework time. Feeling so in control and all set. But this is when the slap to the face comes. This is when you are hit with the truth of, "You can never let up." Letting up only means you mess up. I was a bad parent this evening. I won't go into it, but suffice it to say that I am not proud of my reactions and lack of patience that I exuded during my evening parenting. So, herein lies the lesson. We teach our children to always keep trying to do better - in sports, school, music.... Never should they feel they are the best at something. As you begin to believe that, that is when someone comes along and beats you at it. I believe it is so true in all things. It is when we believe we are so close to God, being just what he wants us to be, doing just what he wants us to do, that we realize we are being quite righteous and need to work on our humility! There is always something to work toward. Parenting will last forever. So we may as well keep trying forever. Keep working at it forever. And keep crying forever. Because it is worth it.

Giving in

I go to pick up my daughter from her friend's house. They were setting up the snow cone machine when I arrived. As I tell her that I am sorry and that we really have to get home to get her homework finished before Daddy takes her out to dinner, she begins to get that lip quiver. She reluctantly thanks the hosts and sulks away to the car. When we get into the car she says, "We were having soooooo much fun, and the you just PULLED UP in your CAR!" I felt so horrible, so mean, like the cruelest mom ever. As I watched the tears go down her cheeks, and her lip turn down so sad, I hear myself saying, "How much homework do you have?" "Just ONE PIECE! Mom." I start pulling back into their driveway. Today, I just couldn't be the one who ruined her fun. I just couldn't be the one who made her miss out on a real snow cone made right there at her friend's house. I will likely pay for this the next time she wants to "stay a little longer" at her friend's house, but I will be a stronger, sterner mom on that day. Just felt like being the sweet mom today. I have the right to change my mind. I remember learning that in grade school.