Category: gratitude

children, gratitude, happiness, kids, mommyhood

Frosted Cupcakes (Almost)

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Today is an exciting celebratory and busy, busy day. It is Mad Dog’s and my sixth anniversary and we are celebrating T.Puzzle’s third birthday. His birthday is technically the day after our anniversary but we need to take advantage of his aunt and cousins being here. When I went in to get him up this morning I said, “Who is celebrating their birthday today?”

T.Puzzle replied, “Thomas!” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he isn’t in fact, a tank engine.

I would write more but my guilt of being a Mom of a kid with a food allergy is not affording me any extra time. T.Puzzle is allergic to eggs so I have spent my morning making dozens of eggless cupcakes (I want him to have a bunch to take to school tomorrow on his actual birthday). They still needed to be frosted and sprinkled and frankly, I don’t want to spend the remainder of my sister’s visit attached to the computer or stuck in the kitchen. I also need to put my sister to work. Hope she’s a good cupcake froster!

children, gratitude, happiness, mommyhood, Uncategorized

Christmas Wishes

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Mad Dog’s car is finally fixed. It was a bum battery. It was a lengthy process but eventually he has a new battery free of charge because of his vehicle’s warranty. I’m so glad it was the battery and not operator error. I never would have lived it down if I had in any way caused harm to his beloved convertible.

While Mad Dog was tackling the car problem, I took Skee, my nieces, Soccer Girl and Sparkle, along with Baby D to the spa for some mani/pedis. The girls were so, so cute and Baby D was surprisingly cooperative. He sat on Skee’s lap while she had her pedicure and was an angel. I’m glad it was such a success and that the girls seemed happy with their freshly painted nails.

To cap off the day, when we picked up the boys from school, we headed to the same studio where we had our recent family portrait sitting. There was a Christmas special where Santa comes and has a personal visit with your family for pictures and stuff. Up to this point, Baby D has been very attached to Skee and cries whenever I hold him (he has since warmed up to me considerably). However, when Santa came, Baby D sat in awe and smiled like a champ. He was completely mesmerized by the man in the red suit. It was the cutest thing and yet, it hurt my ego just a tad. He won’t let his dear old aunt hold him but a stranger with a pot-belly and white beard is perfectly acceptable. Oh, well.

When it was Full Speed’s turn to tell Santa his Christmas wishes it went something like this: guns and swords. You know, peace on earth and all that.

I am having a wonderful time with my sister and her family. Seems like Santa already cared for my wish.

children, gratitude, mommyhood, Uncategorized

Hey, Gorgeous!

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone (okay, more like Happy Thanksgiving All Twelve of My Loyal Readers!).

T.Puzzle woke up with a little sniffle and a sneeze. In good German form I said, “Gesunheidt!” (That’s a shout out to my Mom’s heritage).

“Thank you, Mommy,” T.Puzzle replies.

Full Speed throws in his two cents. “T.Puzzle, when Mommy blesses you, you should say, ‘Thanks, gorgeous’!”

“What did you say, Full Speed?” I ask.

“Thanks, gorgeous!”

“Where did you hear that from?” I wonder. Inside I’m secretly smiling. I know that in a ponytail and sweats I am far from gorgeous. Tired maybe, gorgeous no. I love that in the eyes of my five year old a Mom looks gorgeous no matter what.

“I don’t know, I guess I just made it up,” is his practical reply.

Today I am thankful for a son who thinks I’m ‘gorgeous’ and am hoping my readers are spending time with people who think the same of them.

Happy Thanksgiving, Gorgeous!

children, gratitude, loss of parent, self-discovery, self-image/self-acceptance

Zits Happen

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I have a bone to pick with my beloved ‘People’ magazine. This week’s issue has an article highlighting Demi Moore and her uncanny ability to seemingly be aging in reverse. Don’t misunderstand me. I think she is an example of as you uncover the truth of yourself, you shine internally and externally. I love that her husband is several years younger and I aspire to be a smidgeon of that gorgeous when I am forty-seven (hey, miracles happen, right?). The article claims she’s never had plastic surgery (okay I can buy that) and splashes her upcoming December ‘W’ magazine cover as part of their pictorial. She looks incredible and about twenty-two years old.

I’m sure in person she is quite beautiful but they clearly forgot to mention the air brushing and photo shopping that went into this magnificent photo. I suppose they aren’t totally responsible for feeding into a hard-pressed quest for perfection. I mean it is the nature of the celebrity, youth-obsessed, cultural beast. If I ever have the chance to get on the cover of a magazine (so likely, I know), I say photo-shop away. I’m only saying this because on my recent family portrait sitting, our photographer photo-corrected one picture of me so I could see if I liked it (yes, sir, may I have another!). I looked at least five (maybe ten) years younger (he calls it digital Botox) and it appeared as if my face hadn’t seen the likes of a zit in twenty years (which is not the case because I grew a new one yesterday, last week and the week before that). All I’m saying is I want to look the best I possibly can for whatever age I am and apparently, air brushing can make that all possible. I just wish magazines would attempt to bring some realism into their photos. Aging can be beautiful. It brings wisdom, inner strength and experience. Let’s try our best to embrace it, one tired Mommy at a time.

Okay, I just stepped down (you know, off my soapbox and all). Now, back to my family portrait. Mad Dog and I made it into the studio to pick out our favorites pa183403(with two adorable boys that pretty much encompasses every, single photo)pa183383. The photographer pulled the best of the best and set it to music. He had it projected on to a huge wall and it was everything I could do to not break down and start weeping uncontrollably. Why? Because I love my three boys more than anything else on earth and when you feel a love like that, you gasp as it takes your breath away.

I also was overwhelmed with the knowledge in my heart that my Mom wouldn’t be sharing in these photos at all. I didn’t have to order her a single one (normally, I ordered her just as much as I ordered myself). This made me infinitely sad.

I was an emotional wreck by the time our photo choosing was complete. I felt I had run through a rainbow of feelings and it was quite stressful. So much in fact, I think I feel another zit coming on.

children, gratitude, happiness, marital blissishness

Welcome Back!

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p9243341Grandma and Grandpa joined us for some Buckeye football. Well, it was more like Grandpa came for the football and Grandma came to spend time with the boys (I don’t blame her one bit!).

They brought chili in a crock-pot that Grandpa had made (spicy and good) and I willingly attempted to watch the game (I think I lasted a solid five minutes of actual game time) with Grandpa and Mad Dog.

The boys were invited to play with their cousin at a nearby park. Grandma jumped at the chance to escape football and enjoy the gorgeous day. This quickly evolved into an invite for them to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa’s.

This is the Holy Grail of parenthood; willing Grandparents who offer to take your children OVERNIGHT and who seem to genuinely enjoy the company of your children. I suppose in small doses, Full Speed and T.Puzzle are quite charming and endearing. Of course with this charm and endearment comes equal parts impulsivity and hyperactivity (like T.Puzzle biting a little girl at Grandma and Grandpa’s church day care; in a church of all things, where were the boy’s scruples??!!!).

Mad Dog and I were in heaven. I drank wine; Mad Dog ran to Publix and got me some cake (it’s vanilla and is essentially a glorified Twinkie) and some Haagen Dazs ice cream. We had an ‘Entourage’ marathon upstairs in the loft and slept in really, really late the next morning. This was all followed by Mad Dog making breakfast (he does a pretty mean scrambled egg) complemented with mimosas. After the breakfast dishes were cleared and cleaned (by Mad Dog, he deserves the recognition), we took the remainder of our mimosas, sat out on the lanai and read in peaceful silence.

I had forgotten that such a thing as peaceful silence exists. I suppose you have to lose something to truly recognize its absence and appreciate its return. Welcome back peace and quiet, oh, how we’ve missed you!