Happy Mother's Day

I have this old book that I eyed recently sitting on one of my shelves. I pulled it and have been reading little tid-bits with the boys during our family dinners at the table. The book is called " 50 Things That Really Matter." So here it goes...

Wisdom, Warm Spring Days, Memories, Honest Work, Faith, Bubble Baths, Passion, Puppies, The Sounds of Music, Seashells, Candlelight, Saying "I Love You", Saying " I'm Sorry", Flowers, Motherhood, A Good Book, Kindness, Afternoon Naps, Friends, Thunderstorms, Sad Movies, Family, Gratitude, Quiet Time, Independence, Imagination, Contentment, Milestones, Hugs, Sunrise, A Child's Art, The Smell of a New Baby, Romance, Holidays, Trust, Sympathy, Holding Hands, Charity, Summer Nights, Old Dogs, Family Dinners, A Good Cup of Coffee, Curiosity, A Sense of Wonder, Hope, Companionship, Home, Butterflies, Courage, You...

I remember of a time when I lacked some of these. Going through this book again I had realized that I have experienced all of these but one and continually developing some of it. How grateful I am and what a wise book. I came to this realization after reading the chapters and imaging my own I could write from my background. I would like to switch the Good Cup of Coffee to Tea, Earl Grey style please. My lacking here is of a puppy, I have the precious old dog... but maybe someday the other.

In honor of Mother's Day this brings me to my very personal fave chapter of this book: Motherhood. What I feel is the true blessing of the blessed. My most favorite job of all-time, hands-down. I am ridiculously, crazy in love with my children and this blessing. Being a mother is an artsy balance which can easily consume you. It's so important to me for many reasons to have the little somethings that I have of my own. I personally really need that. It not only makes me a better mom but creates a unique craving, value and respect between my boys and I that we share. It's healthy. D asked me what I wanted to do for Mother's Day in advance, sweet boy. I asked him what he thought. He told me that since I cook dinner for us we should go out to eat for Mother's Day. So I thought about it and proposed something a tad more meaningful. Going out to eat is over-rated and frankly often a bore was what came to me in a silent thought. It was a collaborated plot by the mom and babes for a memorable Mother's Day and the outcome... The boys are going to make mom dinner. This came with lots of surprises. What wasn't a surprise was D's response. Stink, the anti-kitchen kid was keen on Mother's Day but certainly not too keen on this whole cooking idea presented by the unlovely look on his face. My Benny was in sheer delight. So guess who developed a stomach ache when it came time to cook Mother's Day Dinner? S. Stink. I was mad... he knew. He ended up spotting that unlovely look now worn on my face and helped his brother a little with the pizza. He did this by dumping garlic on a piece or two of the pizza dough. Mom luckily chose that piece of pizza so I could tackle him and smother him with post dinner garlic kisses- which heck yes I did. It was a sweet release of our innocent mutual tension. Benny and Stink jolly and jointly made a strawberry cake and decorated it with Mom's favorite colors, pink and yellow. It was so good and so pink that the boys made mom eat most of it and double her work-outs for the next week. Then mom felt bad. S. Stink's tummy ache turned out to be one doozy of a GI virus that required TLC, oatmeal baths, naps, crackers and Gatorade over the next few days. True mothering I wouldn't have traded, and we both ate that stuff up. The boys gave me their usual homemade Mother's Day presents, which are still so near and dear to my heart... truly the best! It made me drag out my "special box". It's a box filled with cherished pictures, cards, notes, small gifts and tangible things I have received and stored out of meaning (it's getting big btw). The boys enjoyed going through it and seeing all of the things they have made in past Mother's Days. I shared and showed them their "special box" they have of their very own. They appreciated it- but will appreciate it far more in the later years of their life. I love them, oh how I just totally love them. Ben-Tenny and I decided on number 51 of things that really matter: Balloons.







This just proves that the very best things in life are free... Then we decided the next best things you can find are at Michael's. :)

Backpack Discoveries

Every once in a while I get surprises in the boy's backpacks. Some are sweet notes, cherished projects, odd things they have found at recess, mushy fruit, and evidence of creative ways to use the plastic water-bottle. This time, in Benny's backpack I recieved a sweet note and found a "kid of character" certificate. The kid of character certificate is for having qualities like reponsibility, respect, caring, fairness, trustworthiness, and citizenship.

Dear Benny,

I am so very proud of you, my Sunshine! You have one of the most kindest, purest natures I have seen. I don't take my job of raising you or your brother very lightly... it's sometimes challenging but I do my very best and always will, I promise. Mom will always be here for you, whatever way it may be. You have brought a lot of joy into my life, and today finding this note just brought me a little more. You are amazing. Way to go son, and... thank you!

Love,

Your Proud Mommy

P.S. I love you so much too.

P.S.S. I think it's super cute that you are catching on to my dot-dot-dots...

No spring sphere, here!

I was busy doing some charting one day at the Nurse's station and a transporter was killing some time at the desk waiting for his patient to get ready. So he picks up one of the many Easter Eggs sitting in this basket in front of me and looks at it. He asks me if I know the new name of the Easter Egg, since what we call it isn't politically correct... it's now the spring sphere. He not only killed time, but killed my Easter spirit for a brief moment. I probably gave him a weird look, my apologies now.

I have to admit I never really knew what the Easter Egg truly meant, until my little cupcakes told me so. They learned this at church Easter Sunday. They probably learn this every Easter, but decided to bring the information home to mom this time. "Mom, the Easter Egg represents life." say my dear babes. Then, whah-la, my Easter spirit is fully back... thank you. We all got the opportunity to paint, color, and put some stickers on these little life representers with Great Grandma and Grandpa before the headed back to the mid-west.

By the way, church and the Easter Sunday Sermon was nothing short of prodigious. It all started with these two handsome men, so adorable mom could eat them alive. I told them they are seriously going to have to watch out for the girls this morning, even those sweet church girls. They knew it, which was even cuter.

The message was about scars. We are all destined to receive them, healing and what we do with the situations put before us is a choice. Everything happens for a reason. It can be a blessing when you learn to live broken for a while. For it's a shallow life- one without scars. It was touching words and made me so very thankful for not only my scars but His.

After service I had a juicy turkey in the oven and a houseful to share it with. Dinner was almost as good as the message. Since we have a trip coming up I decided to do something a little different for the boys. Instead of baskets this year I got the boys luggage with little gifts wrapped up in each pocket. We had a non-spring sphere hunt at dusk... which forced me to crack that the Easter bunny wasn't real. The boys are getting older, plus the evening hunt brought on too many questions for logical answers about why the bunny didn't hide the eggs and why didn't he do this in the morning like usual. They kind of already knew... it kind of made me sad. Though the Easter Bunny isn't real, it made the true meaning of Easter more real... and that, is kind of more special. Happy Easter!

The Birds and the Bees

I'm not the only one trying to make my house a home lately. I will start with the pleasant. I have enjoyed more than ever having my front door open. There is this sweet little bird who likes my eucalyptus wreath that sits upon a peg on my security door. He perches himself right at the top and chirps away. I wished I knew what he was telling me... I think he was calling all bees though. I was in my kitchen when S. Stink goes, "Mom, there's a wasp in the house!". Sure enough there one was... in my very kitchen, on the chandelier. My girlfriend and I freaked for a minute, then figured out how we were going to get this thing out of the house. I had some spray but getting close enough to spray it was another thing I didn't want to grasp. So there I go, hopped up on a chair getting the guts to spray this thing with frights that it's just going to attack me and sting the pita chips out of me. Candace opened the back door, and I... just did it. I did it and there it flew, gracefully out of my back door into my backyard. I wasn't the one being so graceful though, and neither were the three boys huddled in the hallway waiting to see what happens and if mom gets stung. After the tension built up and I had the courage to shoot spray I screamed, and flew off of that chair to go hide in the other room. Only I couldn't get to the room because the boys had the same idea. They all ran into each other tripped and caused a dog-pile in the entryway of the room I tried to go in. We were all a little wimpy and there was Candace calmly saying, "There, there it went." Figuring out where it came from and how it got into the house though was just as scary. It came from the home it was making by my front door along with a couple other wasps and my favorite bird. That's where I drew the line. I could try and tackle one, but I'm not touching, trying or thinking about getting a home of wasps down. So great Grandpa came over with Candace's same calm attitude and flicked it down with a broom, and that was that. No more bees! Then there is my garage of tarantulas. There are only two classifications of spiders to me. All the black ones are black widows and brown ones are recluses... and I treat them all like so no matter what they really are. I can't stand them. My uncle was doing some re-arranging in my garage for me and got one when I wasn't home thankfully. But I found it's big friend in the next couple of days. I got my handy dandy spray and stood there, spraying more than half of the bottle on him to make darn sure this was his last day in my garage. I got a great April Fools joke that another wasp was in the house, courtesy of Stink and Benny. I believed them and it brought on terrible flashbacks. I didn't care for that but it gave me a good giggle. I haven't heard my dear Mr. Bird and his lovely songs since though. I really do miss that bird, but surely not his posse. I set the boundaries and those poor home-makers are all gone... and a sincerely good riddance to them.

Benny's Bank

We woke up to the sound of rain this morning... it was hours full of beautiful moments. The boys wanted to continue watching Ghostbusters in my bed. We all fell asleep last night in the middle of watching this. I woke up though, at a wee hour to hear a kurplunk, collar jingle and a whine with the not so quiet TV in the background. Benny fell off the bed... in Pursie's smelly spot she sleeps in, and on her. He climbed back into my bed and I held my baby tight, right back to his peaceful sleep. I was in love holding him but that Ghostbusters theme song that was blasting over the TV on the DVD title screen was getting to me... I'm still humming it in my head today and feeling like I could even bust a ghost myself. I was glad to firmly press the power button and continue in my own sleep after all that. This morning, during our morning snuggles and the gentle sound of rain somebody was missing in action: Benny's Bank. I had a feeling I knew where it was. I looked in Pursie's dog spot, and there it lye. I reminded him of the episode including him taking a trip down to floor last night. He didn't remember it at all, didn't believe me, and thought I was joking. I shared with him how he had a slight scent of our old girl as I held him back to sleep. I also showed him the evidence of Bank on the floor, bundled up with Pursie. I knew he believed me at that time. I rescued Bank from the old dog pit and returned it to our nest. He didn't want anything to do with it... in fact Benny was mad. He was mad that he went to that spot and mad that his precious Bank went there too. So mad that he wanted nothing to do with his blanket, and nothing to do with my snuggles. He demands, "Mom go wash it." Benny is my nit-picky son and his blanket just wasn't in it's usual state. Grandma Carlson made him this blanket when he was born. As you can see he loves it. It's been dragged through just about everything, caught on a lot, and I'm sure the culprit of a couple colds. But it's a part of his security and soothes him almost as good as his mom. Bank was in rare form though this AM. It had been with Pursie all night, which I'm sure she loved. I would. It ferments of Benny's sweet baby smells... still to this day. But this morning the typical "bank aura" was off, and it didn't fly with Benny. So I decided to share with him, over the soft rain, why it's so special this morning. Pursie is a part of our family and she can't get up on our bed anymore... so now we have her love in a different form for our oh so special snuggles this morning. Well, as sweet as it sounded to me, that didn't cut it for him. So S. Stink and I snuggled with Bank hoping to spark some jealousy, and nope, that didn't work either. He still didn't want it. Bribery with breakfast in bed sure did the trick though... it was a smokin' deal. He thought so too because it brought him, his beloved blanket and all of our loves back into my arms, and... with a smile. Happy Saturday... :)

Three B's

Break and Beautiful Blossoms. I looove Spring!! Who doesn't?! I live in the best State, really. The state where the beach and snow are just a drive away and when it gets too hot you invite some friends over and hang out by the pool. That's bliss... so I guess I will add a fourth B. Spring comes with thee number one smell in the entire world, I sooo look forward to this time of year: Orange Blossoms. It takes me to a different place. I catch the smell in the air on my way home from work with the sunroof down. At a stoplight that air and a quick glimpse at the stars in the sky can take the most stressful Nurse's day away in a split second. This time also brings a great break my children get from school, and I want to spend every ounce of it with them in my beautiful state! We did a lot over the break. We hiked new mountains, took premature dips in the pool, went to a festival, had sleep-overs with late nights, and threw in a spring training game. My children came to me as they know they can and talked to me about something heart-crushing happening at their Dad's... but I will declare we get through everything put before us. Aside from that note, today was a topper. Us mother's enjoy our children and the break, but we truly feel the last day. The last day is a vulnerable state for the siblings and the dedicated on Spring Break. My girlfriend's and I did some cramming today with the kids for the last hoorah. It was some jam-packed fun requiring an early bedtime and a glass of wine at the end. I'm not quite done... back to orange blossoms. I caught that smell today in one of my girlfriend's backyards from her planted orange trees. It reminded me of her beauty... She's gorgeous, inside and out. Her and her family are moving out of State. The last hoorah brought tears for S. Stink and I this evening... my boy who hardly ever cries. S. Stink has had one two many close friends move away this year. We shared some mommy and son thoughts together. Friends are always a call away, they come and go leaving the good memories and lessons engraved, but we will always have the Lord and each other at the end of the day... no matter what. I will surely miss you, Mammy my love (here comes another tear).

It was another great break in my great place I absolutely love.

We Do Like Green Eggs & Ham

We do like them, Sam I Am!! As I served the dish I forgot to green up the ham which the boys would not eat unless they were properly served, verde style. So as I received a gentle reminder of how the ham needs to be green, I gently rubbed on a little style last minute, not realizing it would leave a lovely mark on my hands... totally Seuss stained. Now for the explanation... I don't cook green eggs and ham because of the look or even the taste, but we need to honor a most talented author in this home. We love Dr. Seuss Day, and we love Dr. Seuss books! He most definitely has some weirdness to him, but opens a world of imagination through rhymes and laughter like no other. He even teaches a lesson or two through his work. I have a Six by Seuss book I received from my grandparents when I was young. I can tell I was really young when receiving it because the pages are aged and inside the front cover it says (in my inexperienced cursive writing), " To: Jenny, from: Grandma and 'Grampa'. Then, This Book Belongs to: Jenny, then once again, From Grandpa and Grandma. It's a great book full of classics I never get bored of reading to my children. My favorite is about a smart little bird who learns the hard way, Gertrude McFuzz. The boys know my fave Seussy and let me read mine, then theirs... Yertle the Turtle, a story about a boss who becomes beautiful. So in honor of this dear man I made green eggs and ham complimented with Cat's Hat... pancakes filled with strawberries and whipped cream. Delicious!