Dinnertime Fun

We don't get to have dinner together as a family every night, like most families do.  Unfortunately, Andy's work schedule means he gets home right before or right after the girls go to bed, so dinner is long since over.  Therefore on the weekends, we try to sit down and have as many meals as possible together  as a family.  The dinners have become more pleasant as the girls have gotten older and less of a pain to feed.  They have also become more entertaining because Andy likes to joke around a lot, and they love it.  We end up having a pretty good time most meals.  It makes me sad that we don't get to do it all the time, but I guess I'll be grateful for what we do have.  


This past weekend, on Saturday night, we were sitting around the dinner table, toward the end of our meal. Andy was joking with the girls and we were all laughing.  He got up to refill his drink, and Georgia decided to continue the antics.  She turned around in her seat, her back facing me.  Then I heard her say,


"I can't bweath!"


I got nervous for a minute thinking she was having a hard time breathing for some reason.  I thought maybe it was the way she was turned and perhaps she was pushed up too close to the table.  


"Georgia, baby, turn around and relax for a minute."  Then I pushed her back from the table a bit to help her get her breath back.  When she turned around toward me I saw the reason she could't breath and she said to me again,


"I can't bweath!" She said  as she was holding her nose closed with her fingers.  


Huh. Perhaps we don't need a college savings account for that one.  

Preparing To Be Scared

Yesterday I had to take all three girls to the dermatologist for various different reasons.  Nothing serious, but they just all had some kind of skin rash here or itchy scalp there.  Our pediatrician had given me a referral to a dermatologist to get a more specified opinion on what was going on with their skin. 


When we got to the office,  I was given paperwork to fill out on ALL THREE girls.  We were new to this particular office so they needed all the information you usually fill out when you go to a doctor for the first time.  Times three.  Yeah, that took a while.  


The girls were actually behaving fairly well, thankfully. Then I noticed why. I looked up to see a TV mounted on the wall and playing on it was Pirates of the Caribbean.  Don't ask me which one, because I think I've only seen the first two, and those only once.  Not to mention the part of the movie they were watching there was nothing but fighting going on.  Wait-isn't that pretty much the whole movie?  Whatever. 


 The girls had their eyes glued to the screen.  Having watched not much more than Mickey Mouse and Sesame Street at this point in their lives, they were intrigued.  They have seen Star Wars, but even that is not as shoot 'em up as Pirates.  I looked over at Georgia and she was obviously a little uncomfortable.  I asked if she was scared and she told me yes.  I asked Lana if she was scared and she said she was fine.  I reminded them all that this was pretend and these were just actors telling a story.  Nobody was really getting shot or dying.  Then I looked at Sonya who was going back and forth between trying to concentrate on her coloring and being captured by what was going on in the movie.  She is the one who was afraid of watching movies for so long.  She is the one who will probably never watch a scary movie in her life, at least not on purpose.  So I said to her,


"Sonya, you okay?  Are you scared?"


She looked over at me and said, "No, I'm fine."


 Then after a pause she said very matter of fact, "I'll just have nightmares tonight."


Oh, well as long as you're not scared NOW.  

To Do List

Last Wednesday turned out to be a very busy day for the girls and me.   After I picked Sonya up from school, we had to go home so she could get her homework done right away, as well as some of her chores.  The reason was because by 5pm we had to be at T-ball practice.  Only we couldn't stay at T-ball the whole time because I had to get Lana to something she had to do by 6:30.  I told Sonya all this when we got home, and before she started her homework she made this list:

I was okay with everything up until "be draged out early." So this is what she thinks of me.  That I "drag" her away from things.  Oh well, just something else she can work out in therapy when she's 25.  

Getting To Know Mommy

 One of the fun things about the preschool Lana goes to is the Mother's Day Tea they have every year.  A couple years ago when Sonya attended the school, I went to it for the first time and found myself fighting back tears, because it was so cute. They have a place set up for the moms with iced tea and strawberry shortcake.  Then we each get a gift that our child made during school.  The kids come in and sing us songs they have learned about how much they love their mothers.  Then we also receive a folder decorated by our child.  Inside there is a picture they drew of their mom and questions they answered about "my mom".  This is by far my favorite part.  

Before we get to the questions Lana answered, I give you her portrait of me:

How cute am I?!  I would like you to note that she drew my dimples.  What attention to detail!

  

Next is the list of questions.  Go ahead and take a minute to read it, then I will address each one:

Okay-first of all the funniest I do is smile at her?  I'm not sure what to make of this one.  Does this mean I don't do or say anything funny ever?  The only thing she finds funny is when I smile?  Maybe she thinks I'm boring or mean all the time, but when I smile she thinks "Ah there it is!  She IS kinda funny!" Or perhaps she thinks I have a goofy looking smile.  Again not sure, but I think I better start asking Andy for some material on how to be more funny with the girls.  The problem with that is it might get in the way of all the yelling.  Oh well, I'll figure it out.  

Then there is my age.  When Sonya did this two years ago, she said I was 25.  This pleased me to no end, because who doesn't want people to think they are 25?  Five, however, may be a little young.  I mean according to Lana I wasn't even born yet when Sonya arrived into this world.  That would be a little tricky.  I guess she just figured I was older than her and since she is four, older than her is five, so I must be five.  It does sorta make sense.  

The next one is about how we have fun together.  Okay, see this one, this one makes sense to me.  First of all, she's saying we have fun when we go to the mall, and for girls that is a no brainer.  Of course we all have fun at the mall!  It's the MALL!!  Just ask my friend Melissa.  The reason this is fun for her right now is not the shopping, however.  It's because when I take them to the mall to do something I need to do, I let them have fun afterward.  They ride the little train that is there and maybe one of those stupid little rides that used to cost a quarter when I was a kid, but they are now FOUR quarters.  Afterward we usually all share a Wetzels Pretzel and then I let them play at the mall playground for a bit.  So yeah, they have a good time there.  Sometimes we do the little photo booth together.  We've gotten some fun pictures out of that!

As far as my favorite TV show being commercials, well, she obviously had no idea how to answer this one.  Especially since, thanks to the invention of the DVR, I haven't watched a commercial in about nine years.  I suppose I like to catch the ones on during the Super Bowl, but that's about it.  I don't know if SHE knows what a commercial is considering she watches nothing but PBS and Disney shows.  They don't really have commercials on those channels.  So this one also confuses me.  I'm thinking maybe it's all she could think of because she never really sees me watching TV, since I wait until they go to bed to watch anything.

What I look like is pretty straight forward, short hair and blue eyes.  I don't think I'd consider my hair short, but I guess in comparison to her sister's, it is.  She is right about my eye color which is pretty good. I don't even know if my husband would be able to answer that question correctly.  

Then there is this one-my favorite food.  I think this is the best answer of them all.  Salad.  Here's the thing-I do eat salad quite often, but not because I love them.  I suppose I don't mind them, or perhaps I've just gotten used to eating them, but favorite-um no. I eat salads because I have to.  It's a good way to get your veggies in for the day, and to keep me from eating too much of my REAL favorite foods.  If I had to choose three things to eat for the rest of my life, salad would be pretty far down on the list.  It would be something more like, cheeseburgers, pizza and chocolate.  Well as long as I get an option of wine as a beverage.  Otherwise I might have to replace one of those foods with wine.  However...I am pretty proud of the fact that she THINKS salad is my favorite food.  At least I'm sending out a good message about healthy things to eat to my kids.  That's the part I like about this answer.  Well, plus it is funny thinking salad is my favorite food.  Salad.  Ha!

Friends.   Perhaps I would choose a different color NOW, but nine years ago, Andy and I liked it.  Anyway, yeah purple is my favorite color, so she nailed that one.

These are the kind of keepsakes I will have forever.  The kind of things I will pull out in about 20 Mother's Days from now and reminisce about how cute and little my girls used to be.  Afterward I will think about how big and grown up they are and probably cry.  Then, as long as none of my favorite commercials are on TV, I will call each of them and see if they want to go to the mall and share a pretzel with me.  Or perhaps a salad. 

Taking a Break

This past weekend I got an early Mother's Day present.  Saturday afternoon, I drove down to my friend BethAnnDoddKoehn's house.  Turns out she lives about ten minutes from quite a few wineries and about 20 minutes from a fantastic hot springs/spa.  That together with a discounted Marriott (thanks Dad!) in the same area, and we had ourselves a girls weekend!


We took our time going to a couple of the wineries and tasting  a few good wines.  Then in the late afternoon, we decided to drive down memory lane.  We were only about 25 minutes away from where Beth and I met and went to high school.  We drove to the beach that we used to hang out at during the summers and on weekend nights.  It was our hang out place in high school since we were to young to frequent bars or clubs.   A place we had dubbed "the singing spot", because we used to park down there and sing songs.  Loudly.  Mostly from the movie Grease.  Yes, we are dorks.  


We grabbed a bite to eat and then drove around some more, going past our old high school, the house I lived in for two years and the house Beth lived in for longer.  We passed the spot where I got my first speeding ticket--good times!  It was fun reminiscing about our younger years when all we worried about was how our hair looked, and if the boy we liked was going to like us. Much simpler than worrying about money or how much we  are screwing up as parents. 


 I know some of you may drive by your old high school every day, but I don't see the places where I grew up to often, because of moving around my whole life.  When I do go to places from my childhood, it's always a sentimental experience for me.  It reminds me of how fast life is and how much I appreciate what I have now.  


That night we stayed at a Marriott near the spa we were going to the next day.  We stayed up way to late talking about everything and nothing.  The spa was awesome.  We got massages and sat in the sun as a mud mask dried on our bodies.  It was incredibly relaxing.  Too soon it was time for me to get back in my car for the hour and a half drive back to reality.  Funny enough, the drive was one of my favorite parts.  It was nice to sit in the car alone, listening to what I wanted to,  and just letting my mind wander.  


When I got home I found the girls and Andy in the backyard playing.  They were excited to see me, and the relaxing weekend helped me to recharge and be just as excited to see them, even if the house needed a little tending to.  Andy did a great job taking care of the girls and keeping them happy.  There weren't any tears about me being gone, which is kind of sad for me, but I suppose it is a good thing.  


These little trips I take from time to time help me to be a better mom and wife.  I recommend it to any moms out there who feel frazzled and worn out.  Even if it's just one night away to a hotel with friends and a bottle of wine.  Go relax, enjoy and keep in mind how fast life goes by and how much you love your family.  Sometimes in the craziness of our daily routines we forget to appreciate everything around us. 


 I feel incredibly fortunate that I have a husband, who not only allows me to dump the girls on him alone for over 24 hours, but encourages it.  I feel blessed that I have three great girls who understand that sometimes mommy needs time away, but they still know how much I love them.  I also feel lucky that I have friends like BethAnnDoddKoehn, who I can take a relaxing trip down memory lane with and have an incredible time.  Thanks for suggesting it friend!  


To all you moms out there, treat yourself this upcoming weekend!  No cooking, no cleaning.  You deserve it!

Thriller

Yesterday afternoon I was hiding out in my bedroom, while the girls were running around, screaming and playing in their own rooms.  Sonya came back to find me and said,


"Mom, I have a question I need to ask you."


This always means something interesting is coming next.


"Okay," I said.  "What is it?"


"Well, Aaron at school said that when Michael Jackson died he turned into a zombie."


Wow! Where did THAT come from??  I mean Michael Jackson died like what, almost 2 years ago?  Not to mention the fact that this kid is taking a music video from the 80's and combining with a more recent event.  Although, I guess I could see how that could get confusing at six.  


"No, honey Michael Jackson did not turn into a zombie," I assured her.  "There was a music video when Mommy was little where he PRETENDED to be a zombie, but he is not one for real now."


"But he died?" She asked.


"Yes he did."


"Aaron said he took a WHOLE bag of medicine and that's how he died," she told me.


To which I replied, "Ummmmm, well, more or less I suppose that's what happened." 


"But he's not a zombie?" She asked me again skeptically.


"No. What, you don't believe me?" I asked.


She stared at me for a minute, then I said, 


"Who are you going to believe Aaron at school or your mom?"


"Weeelllll..." she hesitated.


REALLY?  Come on now!


"Sonya, he is six and there is no such thing as zombies.  You need to trust me on this one," I said.


"Ooookkaayy..." she replied and ran back to the rest of the screaming clan down the hallway.  


I can't believe she wasn't sure who to trust.  Although, I will admit I have a big fear of zombies myself and there might have been a tiny part of me that is afraid that I will be proven wrong, and the six year old is right.  Maybe she sensed I wasn't totally committed to what I was telling her. I mean who knows, Michael Jackson may just be lurking in the thriller night. 

Tricks of the Trade

Lately, I've been trying to find a better way to discipline my children and get them to do things, like pick up their toys.  A way that doesn't involve me yelling, crying and opening a bottle of wine at four in the afternoon.  Something that makes me less of a "mean mommy".  Yesterday, I thought I had found a that way.  I think it may have been something I tried before, but the problem with all these "tricks" is they only last for so long.  Some last a shorter time than others.


After the girls had dinner last night, I decided we were going to take a shower.  When we walked into my bedroom, I remembered the mess the girls had made in there earlier that day when I tripped over a baby stroller.  Instead of my usual, "GIRLS!  Clean up your toys right now!" rant I went for a more sunshiny positive approach.


"Oh look at all the baby strollers back here," I started.  "I sure am happy that Sonya is putting her stroller away right now.  Oh and Lana is doing such a good job getting her baby crib back to her room!  What good girls I have."


Now keep in mind, while I'm saying this they are running around my room screaming.   Sonya is the first to realize what I'm saying and immediately runs over to her baby stroller and starts to push it back to her room.  The other two, see her doing this, hear what I'm saying and go over to their own toys and start to carry them back to their bedroom.  I continue to compliment all of them on a what a great job they are doing, until every last toy is carried out of my bedroom. 


 It worked!  I couldn't believe it f'ing worked!  Then I used it again to get them into and out of the shower.  Saying what a great job they were doing, even if they weren't doing it yet.  Once they heard me, they would do whatever it was I was praising them for.  


I was feeling pretty proud of myself for abandoning my threatening, frustrated ways, and finding something more positive and fun that the girls responded to.  I WAS feeling proud.


There were just a few more things to clean up in their rooms, so I decided to try it again.  The three of them were on the floor of Sonya's room,  playing with some plastic Easter Eggs.  I'm pretty sure Sonya was trying to hustle the other two with the shell game.  


"Oh girls!  I love the way you are cleaning up your rooms and putting away your toys right now!  Great job."


Nothing.


Maybe they didn't hear me.  "Wow you guys are doing such a nice job cleaning tonight.  It makes me so happy. Thank you!"


They were still playing the game, and ignoring me.  Then Sonya said, without looking up, in a matching condescending tone to mine, 


"Oh Mommy, you are soooo welcome!"


Huh.


Well, I guess THAT trick isn't going to work anymore.