gratitude, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

The Army of Brotherhood

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Full Speed has declared that he would like to join the military or be a police officer when he is grown.  Whatever he says he wants to be I agree with him wholeheartedly.  Why?  This is because my own Mom never once scoffed at my goal of being a ballerina.  She didn’t hold it against me that I had never taken one ballet class and that I was better at throwing a softball than doing a pirouette.  She was good like that.  Therefore I have an ‘If you can dream it, you can achieve it’ sort of policy with my own kids.  Note to self…still have never taken a ballet class, maybe my policy should be revised.

As for now, Full Speed’s military aspirations are still in place.  Full Speed must have seen the commercial for ‘Surprise Homecoming’ on TLC.  It’s a show dedicated to reuniting military families with their deployed loved ones.  This is the conversation I overheard between him and T.Puzzle:

Full Speed: If there was a war and I was in the army I would take a break and come home and surprise my family.

T.Puzzle:  You would surprise me?

Full Speed:  Well, no, I would probably surprise the person I married and my kids.  I bet my kids would miss me a whole lot.

T.Puzzle:  Oooh, man! (sounding quite bereft)  You really aren’t going to surprise me?

Full Speed: (spoken with trepidation)  Alright, I’ll surprise you, too.

T.Puzzle:  YAY!

Brothers for life!
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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?

mommyhood

Stick to Your Guns

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This is an actual conversation I had with T.Puzzle this week regarding what he could take to his class for show and tell.

T.Puzzle:  I want to take my pirate sword.

Me:  I don’t think that would be very safe, how about your pirate gun?

Really, I hadn’t gone off the deep end, the gun was smaller in size, made minimal noise and performed a neat light trick of a skull and crossbones when directed at a flat surface.

So, there I was over waffles and blueberries trying to argue the merits of a gun over a sword.

I’m pretty sure most mothers of girls have not had a conversation like this.

Once T.Puzzle realized his lawsuit-magnet of a sword would not be allowed at school, he became very irate with me.  Our conversation continued…

T.Puzzle:  I can’t eat this blueberry, it looks weird.

Me: It’s kind of smooshed but will taste the same.  Eat it anyway.

With great effort, he passed the blueberry between his lips and swallowed it.

Me:  See? Didn’t it taste like a blueberry?  And you like blueberries, right?

T.Puzzle: (grimacing)  No. It tasted like meat.

Me:  Good thing you like meat then.

T.Puzzle:  It tasted like BAD meat.

And so it went.  His attitude for the duration of breakfast was aimed at letting me know exactly how mean of a Mommy I really am.

When it was time for school, guess what he took for show and tell?

A ‘Cars’ book.

He really showed me, didn’t he?

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.