Loaded

No matter how many pep talks I give myself I can never quite shake the sense of doom that descends upon me about a week before school starts.  I always tell myself that this year I won't get all flustered and life won't be all frantic because I'll stay organized and on top of things.  And then, on the evening of the first day, I start getting a tick above my right eye and I end up staying up way too late signing more forms than one should ever have to sign at any given time.  Because I have stayed up too late I have trouble getting up in the morning.  Because I have trouble getting up in the morning I invariably run late. Whenever I'm running late (usually from August until June), I tend to get grouchy.  Along with grouchiness comes grogginess, and grumpiness (the modern day dwarfs who befriend Sleepless Not-So-Beauty).

I keep telling myself that since my kids are older, this year will be a lot easier on me.  And then, on the evening of the first day of school, my throat tightens up in an attempt to keep certain words from spilling out...words that parents should simply keep in their heads while they smile and nod.  All of a sudden my kids' loads at school are getting heavier; their responsibilities and activities are increasing.  As a result my parental load becomes oversized.  I can't help but to feel weak when I know I must be strong.  I want to lessen their load but I know it is only through these heavy trials that true character is developed.  My prayer is that we can all yoke together and carry one another's load in an effort to balance each other out.    May all of you who are experiencing heavy burdens find the strength to bear them and eventually release them.  Hopefully the loads we all carry are filled with the blessings and opportunities needed to help us become the best of who we were designed to be.

TTYL

I've got to hand it to all of you parents out there (mine included) who watched their child get into a car for their first official independent driving experience BEFORE  CELL PHONES HAD BEEN INVENTED!  I think that I was all cool and calm and "that's the nature of things"... but that's because I knew I would have at least the thinnest thread of contact with my son at the beginning, middle, and end of this whole "Nurture Your Child and Keep Him From Harm Only To Throw Him To The Wolves" thing called growing up (for him and me!).

Me:  "Text me AS SOON as you get there."
Him:  "I will."
Me:  "But not while you're driving."
Him:  "I know."
Me:  "Text me if you have to go ANYWHERE else."
Him:  "I will."
Me:  "But I don't want you going anywhere else."
Him:  "Okay."
Me:  "Be sure and text me AS SOON as you leave."
Him:  "I will."
Me:  "But not while you're driving."
Him:  "I won't."
Me:  "I love you."
Him:  "I love you too."
Him:  "I'm here."
Me:  (sigh of relief)  "Thanks for texting me.  Have a great day at work."
Me:  (Calling) "Why haven't you texted me yet?"
Him:  "Because I haven't left yet."
Me:  "When are you leaving?"
Him:  "In a little while.  I'll text you."
Him:  "I'm heading home."
Me:  "Thanks for texting.  Be careful."
Him:  (Walking in the door) "I'm home."
Me:    (Exhaling a prayer of gratitude)

VS:

Me: "Bye!"
My Mom:  "Bye"

It's Getting Closer

The countdown is well underway!  We are in the last week of school.  There is only a day and a half left and then time slows down.  It's as if the opportunity presents itself for that other half of me to live a little.  I love what I do but I also love doing nothing...and summer totally allows for that!  Even though I work another week after the kids are finished with school, I don't mind it at all.  There is something magical about driving my own car...by myself!  There is something liberating about being the only one awake and getting ready.  There is something incredible about walking out of the door ON TIME!  Nope...I don't mind going to work while the kids stay home....but...I don't want to do it forever!

But it's those precious, well-anticipated, last couple of days of school that make me love the job that I do.  Everyone is so excited and giddy...even the kids!  It is such a gift to be blessed with a job that allows for renewal.   

This is also the summer before my youngest enters into high school.  Next school year finds me the mother of a junior and a freshman.  We are talking an independent driver and an up coming high schooler.  Everything is getting closer....jobs, dating, proms, graduation, college.  I can remember being a kid and playing with my father's binoculars.  I can still recall having to squeeze one of my eyes shut in order to get a clear view.  My eyes are close set and the binoculars were always too wide.  I remember looking through the lens and seeing trees and fence posts in clear view.  No sooner had the objects come into view they would disappear as I jerked the binoculars away to see if I could see the same image with my own eyes.  Sometimes I could, though not distinctly...other times not at all.  I know I was fascinated with the dial in between the two lenses that allowed me to focus.  

Well...now it time for me focus.  I need to focus on being there for my children more than ever before.  I need to focus on making sure they meet deadlines...volunteer...apply for scholarships.  It's time to focus on slowing down even though life is speeding up.  Wait!  I want to turn those binoculars around so that when I look out into life things seem much farther away than they really are.  It is becoming clear to me that I am going to have to let go of the binoculars and enjoy the view that is right before me.

Confirmation Please

While it was my daughter who got confirmed this past Sunday, it was I who received confirmation.  I received confirmation in that I had, in fact, followed through with the vows that I made when she and her brother were baptized.   For four years "we" have been going to confirmation classes on Wednesday evenings as well as on Sundays.  "We" have been getting home late and "we" have had to memorize scripture.  While I believe this to be essential in their lives as Christians I must admit that I am relieved this accomplishment has been achieved.  I find it interesting that the burdens we feel, as parents, are usually ones we heap upon ourselves.  But deep down we know that the sacrifices we are making today will benefit our kids later in life.  And that is just the thing...when we stop grumbling and complaining about all of the things we "have" to do...and realize that we are doing what needs to be done....then, and only then, can we come to appreciate not only what we are doing, but what our parents did (or didn't) do for us.  This 'parenting thing' is so much more than making sure our kids look both ways before crossing the street, or that they remember to say 'please' and 'thank you.'  It is about ensuring that our kids have some kind of firm foundation upon which to stand.  Hopefully that foundation is large enough and sturdy enough to withstand the turbulence that will inevitably be thrown their way.  I guess what I am trying to get at is this:  yes, it was my daughter who was confirmed, but I can't help but to feel a little swelling of pride in knowing that I had a part in building a portion of her foundation.  The fact that Jesus blessed those efforts last Sunday didn't hurt a bit!

The Usual Suspects

With my son out of town on a hunting trip the duty of caring for the chickens falls to yours truly.  I suppose I should get our local meteorologist's cell number because I can usually predict the weather with ease...you see...every single time I have to spend some time in the chicken coop the weather is extremely wet or extremly freezing.  Yesterday morning it was in the 20s!  So, before I so much as poured the first cup of coffee of the day, I am outside with my pajama pants tucked into my rubber boots feeding the masses.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the lid of the toolbox we use to house all of the feed and discovered my long lost mixing bowl, kitchen knife, and dishwashing gloves...the ones with the leopard design on them (obviously one must look fashionable when scraping the floor of the coop).  Such is the life of a mother of a son.  But, he is not the only borrower  in the house.  In my daughter's room one can find items such as: tweezers, hairspray, fingernail clippers, eyeshadows and fingernail polish....all of the things that at one time originated in my bathroom.  Apparently what is mine is theirs...or rather the chickens in my son's case.  I have deduced that since girls generally don't hang out in the barn with power tools they tend to seek out beauty tools instead.  And when they find them they like to keep them within close proximity in the event that an emergency should arise...such as a stray eyebrow hair or a chipped nail.  I have also deduced that since boys are not huge fans of cleanliness but instead prefer to eat, their favorite place to pilfer is naturally the kitchen.  So, in the end, I have concluded that the crimes were committed in both the bathroom and the kitchen...by Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet, a.k.a. my son and my daughter.

Monkeying Around

This is the sight that greeted me when I came home today after leaving the kids home alone while I was at work.  Tonight I am writing out a detailed list of chores that absolutely must be completed before they can burn their stuffed animals at the stake.  Meanwhile, the kitchen showed signs of use as well.  I had to resist the strong urge to wipe up and wash out...after all...I wanted to have something for the little darlings to do tomorrow when I leave them alone again.  See, that's the "fun" of going to work...you never know what surprises await you once you return home.  It was so "exciting" to find mystery stains on the couch pillows and such a "joy" to notice how many pots and pans had been used in a single day.  I especially liked discovering that honey was a part of lunch today.  So now I'm left wondering which is better:  having to monitor every single move your toddler makes...or being completely unaware of your teenager's activities.  Yes, I know, "good" parents know everything their teen is up to....but still....ignorance is bliss!!

Squawk Box

Me: (in sweet voice) “Don’t forget to pick up all of your things around the house and take them to your room.”

Them: “---“

Me: (in whiney voice) “You need to get all of your stuff out of here.”

Them: “---“

Me: (in sharp tone) “I’ve already asked you several times to clean up…I want this mess picked up!”

Them: “we will.”(as they exit premises)

Me: (noting the entire contents of my bedroom drawers stacked in towering and teetering piles up the staircase) "AAAAAaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" (then I exit the premises)

For me summer is all about the opportunity to slow things down...to work on all of the projects I fantasize about completing "when I have time."  Project #1 is usually always the purging of junk in an effort to streamline and simplify life when I'm back at work.  The hard part about all of this is the fact that I don't necessarily want to spend my time off cleaning.  But then again I don't want to spend my time on cleaning either.  Truth be told: I don't want to clean-period!  Nevertheless I spent a couple of days taking all of the things I have squirreled away in my bedroom and have decided to squirrel them away in the loft (I never truly get rid of anything...I just move it from one room to another).  The method here is to stuff as much schtuff as you can in the one room most people are never likely to visit.  So, after this afternoon I should at least have a cleaner bedroom.  The loft will be cleaned next summer when I bring everything back down and cram it into my bedroom.

Ta-Dah!

"Thank You....Thank You Very Much!  I'm so glad you have been enjoying my crowing practice every single crack of dawn morning of your summer vacation!" 

Ahh...livin' the country life!  Some people actually leave the convenience of the city to spend the weekend in the "peace and quiet."  Oh sure, it's quiet here...relatively speaking.  I sleep with earplugs every night and I can still hear the roosters' crows, the cicadas' songs, and the peeping of the peepers.  But these "noises" are very soothing and remind me that nature is "alive" all around me...even when things appear to be still.  It is nice to sit outside and hear the whir and zip of a hummingbird...the skitter and scratch of a tree lizard...the whistle and snort of a doe who saw you before you saw her.  There is truly something magical about living out in the country...about not seeing another human for days on end.  My country home affords me the luxury of solitude and reflection.  At home I am able to watch and learn from the animals who teach me something new every day.  Sure, the crowing contests outside can be a bit annoying (especially when they take place around 4 a.m.) but they can also be comforting as well.  In fact...they remind me of my own brood...the ones who scratch and peck...strut and crow...sleep and eat.  The ones who are starting to venture out a little farther from their coop with each passing day....but who, at least for now, return to their home nest every night.

Too Small and Too Big at the Same Time

I knew my daughter had grown out of the majority of her clothes....but I had forgotten about the growing out of herself part of it all.  Yesterday, while purging her closet I discovered that she did, indeed, have carpeting in there after all!  Like most of us girls, my daughter gravitated toward the same few articles of clothing that were her favorites and basically ignored everything else taking up space and convincing her that she had "tons" of things to wear.  As it turns out she had good reason to neglect certain articles of clothing....especially the ones that were either four sizes too small or else resembled something a nine or ten year old would be more interested in.  Existing in the ambivalent and fuzzy area of "too big for the 'kid' section and too small for the 'adult' section, my teen daughter now has "nothing to wear."  Boy don't we all know that feeling...even with a closet full of clothes.  Like any responisble and frugal mother, I refuse to buy her anything for school until the day before it starts because she is more than likely to a)grow out of it the following week, and b)drastically change her opinion of what's "cool" based upon all of the look-alikes who flit about campus.  This "wait until August" approach does not sit well with my daughter but I am holding my ground.  As I held up each piece of clothing for her to say "yay" or "nay" to I had to admit that I, too, could instantly see most of it was a "nay."  Especially when I came to the oh so tiny denim mini skirt and little white shoes.....wait a minute!! She never wore that?!  This little "outfit" belonged to one of her stuffed animals....a beloved rabbit who was way better dressed than she ever was!  It was at this point when I realized that not only was my daughter outgrowing all of the clothes I just bought for her less than six months ago, but that she was also outgrowing all of the things that little girls play with as well.  No, I don't wish she would stay little forever...and, no, I don't reserve any tears for the years of following a toddler around....but I do realize that time is beginning to whiz by a little faster than it ever did before....which is weird in the sense that when life is crazy insane it seems like you are stuck in a time warp with no end in sight (such as when babies keep you up all night....such as when they only want to be held while you're attempting to eat dinner....such as when you have to pack, prepare, buckle up, unbuckle, carry inside--just to pump gas--and then repeat the whole process backward just to drive back home).  And yet, when your kids are finally old enough to bathe themselves, afford you the luxury of eating an entire bowl of cereal in one sitting, and actually teach you things....well time just whips right past you before you even have a chance to glance down at your watch.  On the bright side....I don't have to buy clothes for inanimate objects anymore.....unless you consider a teenager an inanimate object!

What a Crock

I had this crazy notion that once I was at home for the summer I'd be able to live life the way I was intended.  I assumed I'd be able to wake up refreshed from all the lounging I did the day before.  I figured I'd actually sip my coffee for hours (instead of spilling it on me en route to work).  I just knew I'd do all of this ALONE while my TEENAGERS SLEPT LATE.  I know...I'm insane.  The problem with that diagnosis is that no will even come and take me away.  You see...it's "that time in MY life" where "time off" translates as "time to cater to my children's needs."  Who do they think they are expecting me to rise and shine TO AN ALARM on my days off?!  I certainly don't recall reading this fine print anywhere in the parenting manual the lactation nurse left in my custody all those years ago.  Come to think of it I don't recall much of anything anymore.  All I know is that I thought our schedule was frenetic and on the verge of emploding while school was in session.  Ha! 
For the past couple of weeks I've counted myself lucky if I left my house with at least some form of clothing on at least one part of it.  This is because my son wakes up BEFORE his chickens.  He exercises BEFORE my coffee pot even clicks on!  (I'm thinking of having him evaluated....something is not right....).
I love him dearly nonetheless...especially since he inherited every gene I don't have.  And have I mentioned that this strange beast is ALWAYS HUNGRY!  Yeah...'bout that....  
This is the ultimate kink in my chord.  How on Earth is one expected to prepare a meal ...a hearty meal...fit for a growing boy before he attends a strength and speed "camp" 4 days a week for a MONTH?!?  HOW?!  I haven't even had "my time" out on the porch sipping coffee and flipping magazine pages!  I haven't been able to "ease into my day."  I AM NOT AWAKE!  Gone are the "pour yourself some cereal" days.  So too are the "how about some toast and jelly?" mornings.  Now I am expected to turn on the stove and measure multiple ingredients, all before 7:00 in the morning...IN  THE SUMMER! What a crock!

The Long and Shorts of it

Oh the weather outside is HOT!  So off I went to buy some shorts for the kids.  Is it just me or are the girls' shorts getting shorter and the boys' shorts  getting longer?  When I held up my son's shorts they looked like capris on me!  And when I held up my daughter's shorts they looked .... well...we just won't go there! 
It's times like these when it is fun to have "one of each"...a son and a daughter.  I obviously don't have to listen to fights about having to share clothes.  But I do enjoy having a boy and a girl in my life.  Their interests and their personalities never cease to warm me.  They have inadvertantly opened my eyes to the differences in the sexes.  On a daily basis I am reminded of just how body conscious girls can be and how oblivious boys are.  I see first-hand how guys grab an article of clothing off the rack and buy it while girls have to finger every item in the store, try on one of each color, debate over an indecipherable hue difference, and then 'narrow it down' to the "final 15" choices.  Boys can get by on two pair of shorts all summer long while girls need multiple shorts in multiple lengths, colors, and textures.  And so the saga continues well into adulthood.  There is no use trying to figure it out....we are the way we are because that's just the way we are!
(That being said: this girl will not only be purchasing longer shorts this summer but they will be camouflaged as well!)

NeverAgainLand

As the days passed it became painfully clear we must have taken the 2nd star to the left as we traveled straight on 'til morning.  We were nowhere near the likes of Neverland.  We had ended up in NeverAgainLand...AGAIN!  That's right folks, I took another trip to the coast...something I totally recall saying "Never Again" to last year...and the year before that.....

So why did I commit?  ...ah yes....I have KIDS....kids who like to go to the beach!  Kids who don't have to worry about packing, providing, or applying sunscreen in a timely manner because....well...because they have a brooding chick to take care of all that!  So, after a sticky day spent on the beach I immediately jumped into the fresh, clean, clear, refreshing water of the swimming pool...THE best feeling of the day!!  I was FINALLY grit free!!  After a few flips and handstands I noticed a couple sunning themselves on an upper deck.  I loved how the only thing I could see was their shadows through the mesh.  My first thoughts were of Peter Pan and his playful shadow.  Were these two people real? Or had they been reduced to mere shadows of their former selves? 

I enjoyed spending vacation time with family but I am not the world's biggest fan of sand, sweat, and sunburnt skin (see posts: "She's Gone Coastal" 6/30/08 & "The Beach is for the Birds" 7/29/09).  But as I observed the animated shadows in front of me I began to feel lighter myself.  I was rinsed, refreshed, and ready to proceed with the evening now that I had "bathed" myself in the pool (one less chore to deal with later on).  I started to realize that, like Peter Pan, our childhoods should be filled with happy thoughts and fun adventures.  Sure, there are ticking clocks around every corner and even a couple of pirates here and there wanting to steal the things we treasure most.  But if our treasures are our memories...well...no one can take those from us. 

And so, in an effort to gift my children with a summer memory of time spent with grandparents, parents, and each other...memories of body surfing, boogie boarding, and wave jumping...countless hours of dominoes, inside jokes, and giggling until the inevitable happens.....I took a trip to NeverAgainLand....again.

Will You Help Me Do Something By Myself?

Just the other day, right after receiving communion, I snuck out of church for a restroom break. As soon as I opened the door I could hear the voice of a little girl babbling on and on to her mother they way children do when they believe that sitting on the toilet is something that should take hours. In their unrushed way they will swing their little legs and talk and talk and talk…while Mama patiently tries to hurry them along. I heard “Mom” mumble something to which the little girl responded, “I can do it MYSELF!” By the time I came around the corner to wash my hands I noticed the same little girl, in white eyelet ankle socks and an all white summer Sunday dress, washing her hands HERSELF…albeit while standing on a chair her mother had provided for her---so the girl could have her “independence.” This child was simply beaming and the notion that she was not only getting her hands wet, but that she was pumping the soap dispenser like a bona fide pro. She proceeded to explain to me that the faucets had been replaced so now she didn’t have to keep turning them on. Once again “Mom” was patiently standing there waiting for this washing ritual to be finished….but only after her daughter dried her hands HERSELF.


This got me thinking about all of the times children demand that they do something without assistance…it is part of growing up. The problem with it is that while they are adamant about going it alone they truly need our guidance and help. And then, as luck would have it, the little darlings do grow up and are, in fact, independent…they can make their own bed, brush their own teeth, clean their own room, and do their own homework….ironically this is when they scream, “MOM!!! I NEED YOUR HELP!!!”

Why Did the Parent Sit in the Parking Lot? .... To wait for her son!

It may be "that time again" for a lot of you out there...but it's a first for me. I just had my official first experience as the mother of a high school football player. This experience consisted of dropping off my son early this evening, killing time for the next 3 1/2 hours, and then sitting in the stifling heat for another hour waiting for his first practice to end. We got home close to 9:45 and the boy had the nerve to tell me that he was starving..."for a big dinner." Whoa baby...do we have to get a few things straightened out if he wants to live to practice another day!

As far as the chicken picture goes: believe it or not, this is the sight I saw as I pulled into the high school's parking lot this evening. I considered it "a sign" ... though I'm not sure of what exactly.....

Is the Chicken Inside or Outside the Cage???

I'm a grown up...I'm a grown up...I'm a grown up. This is the mantra I like to chant to myself about every hour or so. My kids are finally at the ages where I almost even feel like a grown up...that is until I actually try to do something a grown up would do. While I do not participate in shady activities or questionable endeavors I do like to venture out on my own every now and then. Take yesterday for example: my dad had just picked up my daughter so she could go home with him and spend a couple of days and nights at her grandparents' house. They had not driven more than two miles down the road when I received a picture text of my daughter making a silly face. I thought I'd play along and immediately took a picture of myself with eyes crossed and tongue hanging out---while driving in my car---en route to purchase a bottle of vino. Almost instantaneously my daughter texted me back the following query: "where u headed?" The little stinker knew. I felt like I had been "caught" and that I would have to weasel my way out very carefully. So, I texted her back, "had 2 check mail."

Example number 2 (in less than 24 hours). I had to meet my daughter in town because she and I both had dental appointments previously scheduled before the big "spend the night" deal. After we both received our packets of sugar free gum we went our separate ways...she to her allergist's and me to my parents' house to pick up some 2x4s. After loading and adjusting and securely strapping down the lumber I headed toward home...but I would have to pass the allergist's office to do so. Guess who was pulling out of the allergist's office and onto the very road I was driving down-while talking on my cell phone? Yup. Guess who beeped into my conversation? Yup. Guess what she had to say to me......"Mom...Grandpa told me how you were suppose to load the lumber and you did it wrong...it's all going to slide out...you are suppose to-blah blah blah blah..." Yup. I was being reprimanded after being caught doing such unthinkable things as doing things my way. I just don't know how I'm going to work up the courage to try to convince her to let me stay up late tonight.

Peep Show

Our 2nd generation of Silkies have started to hatch! Our mama hen has been sitting on ten eggs for several weeks--all throughout this drastic heat wave. I have made sure to hose down their outdoor coop several times throughout the day and everytime I do the chickens run out from their covered "home" just the same as kids would do at the first sign of a refreshing sprinkler being turned on in the backyard! But Mama Hen...she would sweat it out...she hesitated to leave her nest. Every now and then she would come out...see what all the fuss was about (she has three older chicks) and then would rush back inside to brood. It is truly a marvel to watch things like this...to note the maternal instincts...the sacrifices...the dedication. In the end it pays off...out pops a cute and fluffy chick! The hard part is certainly not over...there are still more eggs to hatch...and of those that are left not all will survive. Mama Hen is overly alert now as she tries to keep her new and curious charge close by. She has older chicks who still try to wedge their way beneath her even though they are almost as big as she is...but she makes room. Her clucking is different now...it is gravelly and lower-pitched...she means business.

My son has been keeping an interval camera on Mama and chick all day long for the past two days. It has been fun to watch a full day's worth of activity in seven minutes. We've witnessed the fact that Mama and baby are never apart from each other. We've noticed that the older chicks are more adventurous now that Mama is otherwise occupied (and the one we've dubbed "Carrot Top" is a camera hog!). We've also realized that no matter what they are a family...one that has grown and is continuing to grow; a family of chickens who makes room for each other despite the tight quarters. Yes, there is a lot more chicken poop to put up with, but there is also a whole new brood to marvel at.

It's All Coming Back to Me Now

To celebrate the homecoming of my kids after being away on vacation with their grandparents we all went downtown and enjoyed a day of sightseeing and eating...an intact family of four...together again...that is until my daughter and I were separated from dad and brother while trying not to vomit in public. Maybe it was the heat...maybe it was the overwhelming joy at being back home...who knows...either way my daughter got sick right as our dinner was served to us-outdoors-on the Riverwalk. After spending way too long in a public bathroom teetering over the toilet as to avoid actually having to touch anything my daughter and I decided to play it safe and cover the floor and toilet seat with some paper towels. Fortunately the bathroom had decorative Saltillo tile and was somewhat "decent" considering other public options. As I sat on the bathroom floor, beneath the diaper changing station, dabbing the back of my daughter's neck with a wet paper towel, in the "larger-more spacious" stall, I could not help but to think that I was being punished for reveling in and enjoying my "vacation" from parenting. It was as if the kids were retuned to me and then, in less than 24 hours, I was reduced to collecting E-Coli on my knees and bottom while foregoing dining in public. I was instantly reminded that I was a parent NO MATTER WHAT and that my duties still include being there and supporting my children...I just sometimes wish they would work on their timing!

Back in the Nest

My chicks are coming home!!! My brood has been away from home for 11 days-IN A ROW!!! Okay, I'll admit it...it was delightful...the being home ALONE part of it all. But, now that the time has come I am actually starting to get a little bit excited about seeing my kids again. This was the first time they have ever been away from home longer than a couple of days so it was a big deal for all of us. I can't wait to hear their voices and listen to their stories. Us Mamas want our chicks to venture out and scratch and peck on their own...but in the end...it's always good when they come back home to the nest.

Adios to Them...Hello to Me!

My kids are on vacation with their grandparents...this translates as I AM ON VACATION!! I think I am supposed to miss them...but I don't. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they have NEVER been away for any extended period of time in 14 years! IT'S TIME PEOPLE!!! For me, I would much rather "vacation" AT HOME...ALONE!!! Therefore, I must say, this past week has been simply glorious. First of all I can relax in their absence knowing that they are old enough to fend for themselves, they are so darn excited, and they are in good hands. Secondly, not since the birth of my first child have I had so much time on my hands. Since my husband is gone during the daytime I have been free to lounge around and be lazy and I have been able to split town at a moment's notice if for no other reason than just because.

With the use of our amazing technology I have been able to keep up with the kids and their travels. They are enjoying sending texts and pictures electronically...and I am enjoying receiving them. I have still had to balance out my days trying to ensure that I fit in enough of everything and nothing before the clock strikes twelve. Take right now for example...I am sitting in the public library checking my emails and typing away. Earlier this morning I woke up, shuffled to the couch, and then fell back asleep for another two hours. Yesterday I watched an entire movie before 10:00 a.m. and then I went shopping...all by myself! The day before that I went shopping with my best friend and had a great day. Last night I had dinner with my husband. I have painted my toenails three different colors, finished one book and started another, and actually cooked a meal. I am extremely grateful for this sneak peek into the possibilites that lie before me in my not so distant future. I don't want to come across as a selfish person who wants to quit her job as mother...it's just that some times I need to recharge and reconnect with myself...and this week I am doing just that...and it is all good!

In The Good Old Summertime

Oh to be able to be home! The other morning, day 2 of my "freedom from work" time, found me actually cleaning up the kitchen AFTER actually MAKING something other than cereal for breakfast! See people...I CAN keep a clean house...well...a cleanER house than when I am a frenetic mess. Therein lies the eternal domestic conundrum...do I stay home and thus keep a clean home or do I keep working and never clean again? Tough one I know!
During the second week of his summer break my son has been attending a 4-day long football camp. After the very first day he came home happy and pumped. He had a good friend come home with him to spend the night before day 2 of said camp. That evening my son tripped over some errant chicken wire and somehow ended up breaking his big toe. While I was concerned about his toe, truth be told my first thought went to the $75.00 camp fee I had just plunked down. The next morning I stopped at Walgreens to purchase a pair of unisex slides for a child who only wears boots, tennis shoes, and socks. He must have really been hurting because he put those fake plastic shower shoes on without complaint and hobbled out onto the football field where he proceeded to throb and grimmace as his peers ran, caught, and passed around him. Go team!
My son sat out day 3 of camp with the hopes that he'll feel a great deal better by the last day of camp. I feel so bad for him. He is such a dedicated and hard worker who wants to make a good impression on the coaches. At least this was just a fun camp and not the beginning of two-a-days. I suppose it can be viewed as a good lesson on injury prevention and how vital it is to stay in good condition for the upcoming season. It has me feeling such empathy and sympathy for all of the players (and for their parents) who have ever been sidelined by injury ... what utter heartbreak.
On the flip side my daughter will start her very first foray into volleyball next week as she will attend a 4-day camp. I am anxious to see how she fares. I'll have to make sure she has some shorts and a pair of tennis shoes before Monday!
Two mornings ago, as I was venturing outside to let out the chickens I stumbled upon a furry tarantula making his way through the grass and onto our sidewalk (insert heebie jeebies here). Good Morning! He definitely creeped me out more than the mating walking sticks dangling above our front door yesterday morning! This made this morning's discovery of the overly plump and excessively long scorpion struggling to climb up and out of the cat's food dish a less than excitable event than it normally would have been. I didn't even shiver nor hesitate when I grabbed the bowl, dumped the scorpion onto the porch, and squash him beneath my sandal.
Yes, a lot has been happening in a short amount of time...hopefully I'll be able to remember it all to share...that is if I don't choke on an earplug or go into anaphylactic shock anytime soon!