Tag: fun?

happiness, mommyhood

Family Vacation

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It’s family vacation time. If you have to pack for young children, this means your workload increases by a factor of ten. So, you can call it a ‘vacation’ if you want, but everyone knows if you are a stay-at-home-mom, your work comes with you and then some. Since you are not going to be in your normal setting, you have to work hard to pack for as many worst-case-kid-scenarios that your trunk space will allow. It’s a little overwhelming but you do your best. You do your best because in your heart you know that the most important part of the vacation will be the family part. That makes all the extra work worth it. I’m only saying this because my kids are over the age of two. If you would have asked me how I felt about family vacations when they were two and under; well, let’s just say, all bets are off. With time comes wisdom, and with age (meaning that of my children) comes a whole lot less of your house you need to pack up to have a great vacation. Regardless, vacations are fun; even if you have to work really hard for them.

Family vacation pic from a 2008 Disney trip

We are heading to Gatlinburg, TN to meet up with my sister and her family. I will try to post our adventures along the way. Be patient and know I am committed to daily posts (at least until my blog’s one-year anniversary) and will get them out when I am able. Thanks for your continued readership and I love each and every comment. Have a great day!

gratitude, happiness, kids, mommyhood

To All A Good Night!

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As we prepared our home for Santa’s arrival there was much discussion concerning the placement of his cookies. Full Speed reasoned that we put them in his line of sight directly across from our fireplace. He was very analytical about it and very sure. He stood in front of the fireplace and reenacted what Santa’s point of entry would look like to prove the accuracy of the cookie placement. And, prove it he did.

T.Puzzle threw his two cents in by imitating Santa’s laugh all through the day. ‘Ho, Ho, Ho,’ could be heard from one end of the house to the other. I believe his belly even shook a little like a bowl full of jelly.

Late in the day we settled in front of the television outfitted in our superhero pjs. With popcorn in hand we watched the movie ‘The Santa Clause’. Somehow, it managed to capture their attention for its entire length. That is a Christmas miracle in and of itself.

Then it was time for the official reading of ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.’ I don’t know why I torture myself into having this tradition. One year Mad Dog had to hold Full Speed upside down dangling in front of the book to keep him interested.  T.Puzzle was a babe at the time and fussed throughout. Last year went more smoothly but not quite the peaceful reading I had imagined. This year, they were more invested but it was about three pages too long. I really need to find a shorter version so my boys stay put. Something like, ‘Twas the night before Christmas and to all a good night,’ just might be the ticket.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

children, happiness, kids, mommyhood

Ready or Not

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It is Christmas vacation for all the kids in our neighborhood. We played with our friend, Miss Cutie, who is off for the holidays. Her Mom walked her over to our house with her baby sister in tow. Full Speed decided he was going to push Miss Cutie in our red car with the long blue handle. I gave him a laundry list of instructions on how he must handle the situation with care. No wheelies, no crazy zig-zag pushing and to keep the speed down. He did an excellent job. So much in fact that Miss Cutie’s Mom and I stopped paying attention and began cooing over the baby (she’s in the smiley phase which is irresistible). We both look up at the same moment to see Miss Cutie sailing by in the push car unaccompanied at a high rate of speed. Her Mom rushes over to stop her just as she bumps into the curb. Luckily she was not injured. We dissolved into laughter. The great thing about Miss Cutie’s mom was that she was a tomboy growing up. She relates to my boys in a way that moms of girls sometimes can’t. She rolls with the punches and is able to laugh with me (not at me) over their antics.

T.Puzzle eventually joins in the hub-bub after an almost three and half hour nap. This is just about the time Full Speed decides he wants to head back inside. He invites Miss Cutie to come in and play with us. He has a habit of inviting everyone into our house at all hours of the day. I appreciate his hospitality but sometimes I’d like a minute or two to pick up dirty socks or whatever else might be lying precariously about. Full Speed helps me clear up the cul-de-sac while T.Puzzle takes it upon himself to help Miss Cutie inside. Of course with his ‘help’ she lands in a pile on the floor (again, no injuries were sustained).

I love that my boys have a sensitive, chivalrous side. Just be careful if you see them in public. They may unleash their chivalry at you at all costs.

Ready or not.

gratitude, happiness, kids, parenting

Peace on Earth

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We attended the Avondale Luminaria Celebration. It is a local community Christmas event. We have friends that live nearby and were able to get us parking as it is very crowded. Then we set out to explore the luminary lined streets on foot (simply beautiful). Essentially it is a festival of holiday lighted homes and vehicles that drive up and down the main drag with the passengers (some in Santa gear) tossing candy. There was a live nativity (little T.Puzzle couldn’t get over the baby calf) and of course another meeting with Santa. While waiting in line the boys almost reached their breaking point right as they were about to meet Santa. They were getting wrestly and antsy and almost knocked over some decorations. Luckily, as I could sense we were reaching the danger zone of behavior, it was their turn. They sat nicely on Santa’s lap and had a lengthy chat.

Full Speed made himself right at home with our friends insisting that he hold their hands as we paraded down the street. T.Puzzle followed suit as he has to do everything his older brother does. The boys shouted ‘Merry Christmas’ to all we saw and seemed to fully participate in the collective holiday cheer. It was a joy to watch.

My friend asked me a little about the boys and family. She commented that Mad Dog was an awfully quiet guy. I said he is mostly, however there are times he can surprise you. I could tell she didn’t believe me.

Full Speed had managed to claim her as his own personal companion for the evening and they begin darting among the crowd (at Full Speed’s insistent lead of course). At one point Full Speed and my friend got separated from the rest of us. Her husband, Mad Dog, T.Puzzle and myself stopped in our tracks hoping that soon we would be reunited.

We made the best of it while we waited. T.Puzzle and I watched the lighted cars go by and sang Christmas songs while Mad Dog watched the Steelers big comeback on his iPhone (so much for sacrificing football for family time; you will not be allowed to say that again, Mad Dog!). When the Steelers scored their down-to-the-wire winning touchdown, Mad Dog shouted so loud it startled me (and everyone in a five block radius). If only my friend had been there to hear that. Then she’d know Mad Dog’s not as quiet as one might think.

Turns out Full Speed and my friend had lost us in the crowd and decided to head back to where we had initially parked. No harm, no foul. On our drive home, two very tired but very happy boys were as quiet as mice. Apparently there can be peace on earth after all.

children, mommyhood

Follow Suit

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There was a music class preview held at our neighborhood amenity center. We bravely attended. Why would we need courage you may ask? Structure and T.Puzzle have a very tumultuous past. It could be a funny disaster or disastrously fun, either way there is danger.

Throughout the course of the class he is slightly aggressive with me. It’s subtle and I am thankful his aggression is channeled to me and not the adorable, one year old girl in the Elmo dress. He sits on my crossed legs with a thump, plants his feet in front of me and pushes back with all his might. It takes a lot of strength on my part to remain upright. At random intervals I have to whisper to him in my scary Mommy voice to ‘knock it off’.

Then there’s a group game. All the kids gather around the teacher and we sing a song about groceries. She directs this question to the gaggle of kids at her feet, “What do you buy at the grocery?”

“Bananas!” a four year old girl says.

The teacher looks at T.Puzzle, “What do you buy at the grocery?”

“Apples!” he says.

I’m so relieved I nearly faint. I was waiting for him to say, “Beer!” or “Guns!” or something wild that would have the whole room questioning the safety of my home as it pertains to child-rearing.

At the end, the teacher puts on the sweetest, most melodic song about thanks and love. We are supposed to rock our kids gently in various configurations to have them wind-down and get some cuddle-connection time with their Mommies. Before the song even hits its first chorus, T.Puzzle is getting intensely wound up. He’s vocally getting loud and I have to lock my legs in fighting stance (see? I pay attention at Tae Kwon Do) so he doesn’t knock me over. I also can barely swing him because he is like a squirmy block of concrete. My friend who attended with me says, “This wouldn’t be a good wind-down routine for him before bedtime I take it.”

“Pretty much, nothing is. And, the really scary part is, he’s my calm child,” I respond.

Overall, he did much better than I anticipated. He didn’t bite, tackle or hit anyone (huge milestone for my boy). He actually participated, danced and even giggled now and then. It wasn’t until it was over that I realized my shoulders were high up around my neck as I had braced myself for the worst. Maybe someday, in the not so distant future, my shoulders will relax and assume a more natural posture. I might even learn to not always expect the worse. I bet if I loosen up, my kid and my shoulders just might follow suit.