Category: gratitude

children, gratitude, humor, kids, marriage, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Are You Ready for Some Football?

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Do you ever wonder if we complain about something just to give ourselves something to do?  How can I be upset that my husband loves football?  It’s not like I didn’t know this before we got married.  If any of you know him, he will gladly recount his famous “The Buckeyes are Why I Got Married” story. 

So, he may be less available to me on the weekends and/or we will have to plan our weekend fall activities around Buckeye games.  It could be worse.  I could be forced to watch the games and I’m at a point in my life that I would much rather read a book or go to a movie with a friend or start my hair on fire… you get the drift.

There is an upside to all of this.  Everything has an upside if you scrutinize it enough.  Mad Dog is involving our boys in his football passion.  They already are reciting Buckeye related phrases on command and Full Speed is becoming much more invested if they win or lose.  This means the boys will be spending more time with Mad Dog. 

Maybe I like to complain about football because I feel so left out.  Maybe I’m worried that I will be completely forgotten about on weekends and have to eat my meals in solitude or go for long, contemplative walks by myself.  Or maybe that sounds like a little slice of heaven.   

Maybe I should complain less and embrace more.  Maybe football season will become my very favorite season after all.

children, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Birthday with a Bite

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A lady doesn’t share her that it’s her birthday unless she’s shopping at a shoe store that offers a birthday discount.  Then she will shout it from the highest mountain top if needed.

So, my birthday was the thirteenth.  As you can tell I was pretty psyched for my $5 off birthday coupon at the shoe store.  Before I went shopping I had a lovely breakfast with my boys.  I told them that some of the best presents I had were their Dad and the two of them.  I said that I was very lucky to have two of the best sons in the whole world. 

“I love you no matter what,” I said.

“Even if we bite somebody?” asked T.Puzzle.

T.Puzzle has an unfortunate history of biting.  I would like to say it’s a phase but if something last three years and has yet to stop, that’s more likely a life habit (life sentence?) than a phase. 

I didn’t hesitate to reply to him yet it pained me ever so.

“Yes, T.Puzzle.   I love you even if you bite somebody.”

Unless you bite me! 

 Did I say that out loud?

children, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

The Two Mouseketeers

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Posing in front of the Disney Dream

There comes a time in your life when you finally understand that while you may not always get what you think you want, you end up with exactly what you need.

This blog about motherhood has always been my attempt to make sense of what it means to raise two active and highly spirited boys.  I have learned that while I may never totally understand their temperaments, they are pretty amazing exactly the way they are.  There is great freedom and beauty in this acceptance.

I have never appreciated their personalites more than I did on our Disney Cruise over the Labor Day weekend.  It was an absolute blast.  The boys and their phenomenal energy and spirit only enhanced the experience.  Well, except for the few times we were confined to our cabin.  At these points, I may have appreciated considerably less energy as would any rational human being.  Despite the slightly cramped quarters, the whole cruise was fantastic.  And best of all?  I got to bring home two of the best Mouseketeers any Mom could hope for.

children, gratitude, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

First Day 2011

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Yesterday was the boys’ first day of school.  The hardest part about it was the logistics.  Since everyone and several of each child’s close relatives were there to help celebrate the first morning drop off, it could only be likened to a human zoo.  The parking lot overflowed with cars going off-road.  Parents were shoulder to shoulder as we marched are children to their fates.  Patience was in short supply.

I allowed myself to be swept away by the noise, the crowd and generalized anxiety I was feeling.  This was how I coped with the changes upon us.  My stoic exterior finally began to crack once Full Speed was successfully dropped off and I was taking T.Puzzle to his first day of pre-k.  It was eerily quiet in the car.  He was calm and his biggest concern was where I had put his backpack.

“I’m so excited to start school!” he exclaimed.

And that’s when it hit me.  He is more than ready for this next phase of his life.

I am more than ready to not really be ready.

I know I should be thankful both boys handled the first day so well.  In a way, it almost makes it harder for me.  It shows me that they are two independent kids who are comfortable being out in the world and away from me.

Now all I have to do learn is how to be comfortable out in the world without them.

Somehow I think they got the better end of the bargain.

children, gratitude, humor, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Grocery Stories

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I’d like to take full parenting credit that my boys were excellent for me during checkout.  Instead, I owe it all to the technological era of our time.  They knew if they acted like crazy monkeys they would not get video game time when we got home.  Therefore, they were downright angelic.  Oh sure, there was a point when Full Speed somehow got attacked by the grocery cart and nearly had his ear ripped from his body.  And of course T.Puzzle couldn’t get over that there were no sprinkle cookies left.  He approached a meltdown and with his head hung low rather ungraciously accepted a plain sugar cookie.  The only thing that saved him was he remembered his manners and said ‘thank you, ma’am’ to the very accommodating woman handing out the cookies.  After a few more seconds of nonsense he got over himself, ate the cookie and promptly declared, “That was delicious, I would like to have a second one, please!”

All in all, not a bad day at the store.

I don’t particularly like to resort to all out bribery to get my kids to behave.  I also don’t particularly like to have my children’s pictures on the grocery’s red-alert watch list.

To bribe or not to bribe?

Today, I chose bribery.

You’re welcome, America!