Category: marriage

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

Merry Christmas!

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It’s Christmas morning and the presents are already unwrapped.

The cookies for Santa are gone, the new toys are already in play and the waffles made by Mad Dog already eaten.

Things start early on Christmas day when your kids are young.

We had some new traditions and kept some old.

on our way to Christmas Eve dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse.

 

the official reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' in our Superman pjs

 

two very excited brothers get ready to sleep in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would appear.

T.Puzzle announced that ‘Jinker Bells’ was his favorite holiday song.

Full Speed summed up his Christmas Eve experience at church as ‘good AND boring’.  It was good because he made a lot of new friends and it was boring because he had to keep ‘standing up the WHOLE time!’

For the introspective lot such as myself, it is a time of reflection.

Some of it sad, like missing loved ones you’d like to have near and most of it glad because of the loved ones you do have with you on this special day.

Mad Dog shows off his new office art.

Life is like a Christmas tree. 

Compared to others it may not be the tallest or the brightest.  It may not have the most presents or look exactly the way you want it.

If you embrace it for exactly what it is and appreciate how special it is because it is the only one you have, then maybe, just maybe you will realize that you have the tree and the life you were meant to have.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

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

This is Only a Test

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We are in our fourth day of the 17 days Full Speed and T.Puzzle will be home for Christmas break.

I know, you all just said a silent prayer for me. 

Thanks, I appreciate it.

My goal, other than the obvious one to remain as sober as possible during this time, is to test the waters to see if I would enjoy having both boys home full-time for the upcoming summer in 2011.

So far, all signs point to yes.

That wasn’t a typo, people.  I really wrote that.

Oh sure, T.Puzzle’s bit his brother three times (not to mention his own dear mother), and Full Speed’s imagination is in constant, kinetic motion requiring that he ask a minimum, and I mean minimum, of at least 1,000 questions a day.

In spite of all that, at the end of the day, I am glad to be spending it with them. 

Time is fleeting.

My boys are growing.

I must learn to seize the day.

Of course surviving this break would not be possible without two (I know, I thank the heavens every day that I have two) awesome babysitters that feel more like family with each passing day, and a willing parenting partner like Mad Dog, who will hopefully be present a little more on the home front in the coming weeks.

What can I say?

Either I’ve gone off the deep end,

OR

I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

Or more likely, I’ve learned to accept a kid or two for exactly who they are and learned to go with the flow a little more.

OR

Mad Dog has just signed me up for a lifetime membership to the ‘Wine of the Month’ club.

Cheers!

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Cupcakes and Picnics

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With Mad Dog away, in the evening I have decided to watch the Sound of Music with the boys.  Each night we curl up in our loft and watch the adventures of Maria unfold.

It seems they are enjoying it.  Full Speed woke up on Monday singing “How do you solve a problem like, Mari-aaah?”  He also is growing quite a crush on the littlest Von Trapp, Gretel.  “Mom, she’s so cute.”

T.Puzzle, well, he loves anything musical.  That is how I know we are related.

As the Von Trapp children traipsed through the fields of the Austrian mountains, Full Speed was very concerned that they left their picnic food unattended.

“Who is going to clean that up?” he wondered.  He’s not at all phased that the cast breaks into spontaneous song or that they end up in 47 different locations during the song’s 4 minute montage.  Nope.  He’s worried about the picnic.  In fact, he’d really like a picinic.

T.Puzzle wants one, too.  He would like to have chicken and cupcakes on the menu.

Do-Ray-Me-Fa-So it looks like a picnic may be in our future.

Know any good cupcake recipes?  I bet Maria would.  If nothing else, maybe I’ll break into song about it later.

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children, gratitude, marriage, mommyhood, motherhood

A Clean Conscience

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It has been a gorgeous weekend.  I have been outside with the boys watching them play in our cul-de-sac for hours and hours.  Our neighbors have been out to keep us company.

I asked my one neighbor if Mad Dog calls her to come and talk to me.  That way he can go inside without guilt and watch football.  She claims he does not but her timing seems to coincide with important Buckeye games.

It starts with the boys grabbing their bikes and I’ll start chatting with my neighbor.  Mad Dog silently sidles up to us with a lawn chair and powerade for me.  He casually sets it in the shade as I am a contradictory Florida girl who prefers shade to direct sunlight.  He stands a moment or two and like a henchman for Don Corleone, waits for his boss to nod his dismissal.

I always grant his discharge.  I can’t say it’s without a grudge but it sure beats sitting inside on a gorgeous day watching a football game (in my not-so-humble opinion).

When I was outside this afternoon he not only watched football, he cleaned the house and did laundry.  He’s leaving for a business trip in a few hours and will be gone most of the week.

Clean house, clean conscience I suppose.

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

Work Issues

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Sometimes my husband works a lot (those of you who know him, try not to choke!).

He is (and always has been) putting in long hours to provide for me, my boys and our future.  Even though the amount of time he spends working can be frustrating, I can’t fault him for this.

It has been a challenge at times taking on the lion’s share of parenting with my boys.  You’ve read my blog.  You know why.

Being frustrated about it gets me no where.

Well, except for the occasional bouquet of spectacular flowers:

All in a day’s work.