Ramblings and Such....

It was a bit of a strange day here today. Sam doesn't go to school on Thursdays so we generally go to the playground for a bit to get some fresh air and play. We couldn't today as we got some much needed rain -- though not nearly enough -- but at this point, we take what we can get!

So we were at a loss as to what to do... And for a change, we watched Lady and the Tramp in addition to Shrek or Shrek 2.

So after our umpteenth showing of whatever movie du jour, we did what every family does when it's raining and there is nothing to do... we went to SuperTarget! I had to get a few bits and bobs and there is always something fun at Target for the kids...

Well, we ended up putting EVERY TOY in there on Sam's Birthday and Christmas list... Although we did spend a larger than normal time in front of all the Diego toys....

Then we ended up in the Halloween section -- boy was that fun! We played with all the displays, bought our candy (Sam: Let me hold it... Can I have some? It's Halloween! Yes it is!), and some window clings -- the boys had great fun with those when Josh came home!

We also got Sam his Halloween costume. He wanted to be a skeleton.

This was the best I could do! He was not in the mood to sit still!

Josh is going to be some scary thing he ordered from Lillian Vernon... I don't know what it is, but I'll be sure to get some pictures!

Water Conservation

We're in an "exceptional drought" situation here and we have pretty strict water restrictions.

And it doesn't look like there's any end in sight.

I heard on the news this morning that they are anticipating multi-year drought and no recovery over the winter. So this drought could last a while.


Here at Casa J, we're doing our part to conserve water.

Kids' shared baths this week have been "optional."

I have decided that "every-other-day" showers are okay.

At least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Have you ever noticed....

... when you are in a hurry to get someplace you get stuck behind every school bus and farm vehicle with in a 100 mile radius, hit every red light, the 25mph school zone is in effect no matter what time of day (complete with cops on hand to patrol) and even manage to get caught by a train or two, and the kids are screaming in the back seat that you "forgot" something....

... but when you are early or not in a hurry, there is no traffic, the school is in session and you get every green light... and usually the kids are at school so you are all alone in peace in the car?

Coincidence?

My Moment Wednesday

I see her almost every day. Walking. Pushing her stroller up and down the street. Sometimes, in the evening, her husband is with her. Sometimes I see her several times a day.

Every time I see her it brings me back 5 1/2 - 6 years when Josh was a baby.

I have such clear memories of pushing Josh in his stroller to get him to sleep. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But it got us out of the house and into the fresh air. Well, we were in London so it was usually raining, but it was fresh!

I can remember pushing him along our neighborhood, talking to him, showing him the many houses and flowers and trees. Anything to get him to sleep. Walking and walking.

Now, he's six. I can't push him in a stroller anymore. Sam never needed any help getting to sleep, he still doesn't. I never would have believed if you'd told me I would miss those days.

So when I see her, pushing her little girl around the block I smile and send her a little telepathic message... "Remember these days... They will be over before you know it!"

As Our Worlds Turn

Last night as I was checking on the boys, something my mom used to say popped into my head. I don't know why, it just did.

When we were being particularly demanding, messy, or just selfish, she used to say, "The world does not revolve around you, you know!" Of course we either didn't know or we didn't care!

I don't know why that popped into my head when I was checking on my kids. My first thought was, "well it may not revolve around me anymore, but my life revolves around these kids."

As a mother of young kids, so much of what I do is for them. As they get older, the less they need me, but I'm still their mom. Everything I do affects them. Yes, I am "more than a mom," but being a MOM is so BIG! It's so much responsibility! It's my number one job at the moment.

So, does the world revolve around the kids? Would that make my mom wrong? Surely, that's not right.

I must be missing something because Mom is never wrong!

I then started thinking of Jamie Lee's post When Nice Gets Tough and how this related to the world not revolving around any particular individual. About how if we Pay it forward the world may somehow become a nicer place.

Then, I started thinking about how our lives all intertwine and the affect we have on each other. It's amazing to think that a chance encounter with someone may change their life. A butterfly effect of sorts.

Do we really ever know the affect our lives and interactions have on another person?

There is a man that lives around the corner from me. I don't know his name. I call him "The Nicest Man in the Neighborhood." He has two Lhasa Apso's that he walks around the neighborhood and every time I see him, he smiles and waves. It puts me in a good mood for the longest time when I see him. Just this nice man, out walking his dogs with a wave and smile for everyone he sees.

Or when I run into someone crabby, it puts me in a bad mood. I have to work extra hard to find my "happy place."

It's easy to see the effect we have on our kids' or spouses' lives and the affect they've had on ours. Even close friends. But what about the "chance encounters?" The person at the grocery store who you let go ahead of you in the grocery line? The car you let merge in front of you? Or the smile you gave to the postal worker?

I came to the conclusion that the world, in fact, does NOT revolve around me (phew, Mom was right after all!), but the world is affected by me.

How I choose to interact with the world, affects it. One encounter at a time.

Oh Happy Day, oh happy day!

Well, today has been interesting at the very least.

Last week I went to have my oil changed and tires rotated at Jiffy Lube. Ever since, my car has been making funny noises when I braked. So today, after I dropped Sam off at school I checked my tires to make sure there was no flat -- that's just what it sounded like -- and lo and behold, one of the bolts/lug nuts was missing from my driver's side front tire! Needless to say, before getting on the highway, I stopped at Jiffy Lube so they could "fix it!" Hahahahahaha! When I told them what happened, the guys at Jiffy Lube said (and I quote), "Oh Shit!"

They were very nice and sent me to have the car fixed at their expense to another service station. Apparently, they had overtightened the lug nuts when they rotated the tire. Everyone at both Jiffy Lube and America's Service Station were very nice and helpful!

So disaster averted!


But, we are celebrating at our house for more than one reason.

First, Liverpool FC have made it to the Champions' League final by beating Chelsea in Penalties. The final to be held on May 23rd against either Milan or Manchester United.





Go Red Men!!!!

But, depending on who you talk to, the bigger news is WE HAVE A LOST TOOTH!!!!!

After a very, very long time, Josh's tooth finally fell out! We even had a trip to the dentist yesterday where she told Josh to wiggle his teeth as much as possible!

And Mission Accomplished!!!

We expect more teeth out in the next few weeks!



The Tooth Fairy is on Alert!

Weekend Update and Then Some....

Yes, I know I need a haircut... I have to wait about a week so it's just right for our vacation!

So, it's time for the weekend update! This weekend was the Big Shanty Festival, complete with a parade, bouncy castles, arts & craft stalls and junk food!

When we were talking to Josh about going to the parade on Saturday, his first response was, "No, I don't want to go... (then he thought for a minute)... Will they be throwing Candy? Well, then okay!"

The boys had a great time at the parade. There were bands from the local high school, the local Harley Davidson Club (which Sam liked the most). Some of Josh's friends from school were in the parade representing Jump Rope For Heart, (see #29) and Kennesaw Futbol Club.

Look Mommy!

CANDY!!!!!

YAY!

More Candy!

We visited the festival and the stalls on Sunday afternoon. The boys had a great time, the biggest hit was Jeff Gordon's number 24 Nascar that the Kennesaw Police had on display. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of Sam and the smile on his face when he ran circles around the car. The Kennesaw Police Dept. had it on display to raise money for the Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics.

With a $5 donation, Josh picked out a hat and t-shirt. Here he is sporting it! We think it's big enough for the whole family!

Monkey See, Monkey Do....

Sam's new favorite thing is Curious George. He loves watching the TV show and the Movie! The other day, he yelled over to me, "Mommy! Look what I did!" I went into the bathroom and he had unrolled an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper!

I said, "Sam! What did you do?"

Sam: "Look Mom! Just like Curious George!"

I wish I had a photo!

Later that day, I was running the boys bath and Sam said, "I
want to get in now."

I was putting clothes into the dryer: "Okay Sam, just a minute!"

Sam: "I got in all by myself!"

I went into the bathroom and he'd taken his undies off, but climbed in with his shirt on! Silly boy! (again, no picture! I really need to keep my camera handier!)

Elizabeth Thinks I ROCK!

Lastly, I wanted to just make the wold a little smaller. One of my favorite blogs is written by a lady named Elizabeth. She lives in East Lansing, Michigan and after reading her bio, I realized we had a few more things in common. Turns out, we graduated High School the same year and we both waited a year to start college. She was accepted to the school I ended up attending and went to an equally small school in Michigan. And her husband used to work for EDS. Small World!

You should go check her out. She's got a good sense of humor! This weekend she had a huge project at her house. She was trying to de-clutter her house with 3 kids! She posted photos and updates as she went. Looks like she did a pretty good job! And since I was there cheering her on she sent me an "Elizabeth Thinks I Rock" Award! Which I am proudly displaying on my blog! Elizabeth, I think you rock too!

Additional Pictures

Josh and Sam at an Easter Egg hunt a few weeks ago.

On the way home from the playground.

McCoffee

This is last weeks news, but I thought it was funny. Consumer Reports has named McDonald's as serving the best coffee. In the taste test, McD's beat out Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Burger King.

This was just regular coffee. No cream, no sugar, no fru-fru flavors. But still... You'd think Starbucks would be able to hold it's own against McD's... right? And I'm a coffee purest. I like my coffee to taste like coffee. Not caramel vanilla hazelnut cream with a twist of amaretto and whipped cream on top. That's not coffee, that's a dessert.

I've never been a Starbucks fan so I find this particularly interesting. It just sums up what I've been saying all along -- it's over priced for average coffee. I love it when Consumer Reports backs up what I've thought all along!

I'm not against Starbucks. I do like to go when I'm by myself or when we just need to get out of the house. I much prefer Caribou Coffee, but there isn't one close to me for quick cups of coffee. Starbucks is open on Sunday's and there is one just down the road from where ever you are my house, so it's convenient.

So, I've been thinking, McD's is more kid friendly than Starbucks. There is a play place they can play in and I don't have to fight to get my kids to go there. They are always up for a trip to McD's! At Starbucks, I always get looks from people who have moved their office into the coffee shop and are surprised when actual customers come in and want to talk, play, whatever while they are on an important conference call, or writing an important document. I say -- GO BACK TO THE OFFICE.

There really isn't much trouble my kids can get into at McD's. Sure they can bother other kids and diners, but usually people at McD's are pretty Okay with kids talking to them. At Starbucks, I can't relax. I'm too worried that I'll have to pay $25 for a broken coffee cup because my kids have to touch everything!

But even though McD's coffee is "cheaper" I'd probably end up spending more because the kids would want something, then it just snowballs from there.

I guess I should just learn to make it at home. Or stick to English Breakfast Tea!

Being a Mom

Linda Leigh sent me this post. Wonderful read.

My book club just finished this book about what it's like to be a new mom, we had the discussion last night. Very funny, but so true!

These two incidents got me to thinking about what it's like to be a mom. And I'm going to ramble and just go on a bit here, so forgive me if all my mad ramblings don't gel together. I am a stay at home mom, after all. My brain doesn't get the work out it should!

As women, we put so much pressure on ourselves to live up to other peoples' expectations we miss the fun sometimes. I truly believe we need to loosen up and relax. Part of being a good parent, is letting your kids have a fun childhood.

When we become mother's we have a whole host of baby books, parenting books, media telling us what we should and shouldn't do, advice from sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, mothers-in-law, magazines, doctors, husbands, you name it.

And often this "advice" conflicts with each other. How the baby should sleep, how they should nurse, when to wean, when to add solids, when to potty train, when to have another child, when to send to preschool, if you should home school or send to private school or home school. The list is endless and it doesn't seem to be tapering off as my kids get older!

The difference is, as we get older, hopefully, we'll have learned a thing or two. Trust your instincts, relax and enjoy the ride. The trick is to find the balance that works best for you and your family. Yes, have rules and enforce them, but relax the rules for special occasions. Just because something works for our family, I don't expect it will work for everyone. We all have to find this out for ourselves.

One thing people told me when Josh was born over and over (and the only advice I've ever really followed) is to enjoy him because he will be grown up before you know it.

We've had ups and downs, scrapes, bumps and bruises. As a result, we have our own family stories and history.

I'll never forget the day Josh got off the bus on his first day of Kindergarten! His face was all lit up and he was so excited! Or Sam dancing to the music from The Cars Movie. Or when Josh jumped off Abba Kate & Papa Don's diving board. When he learned to pump his feet on the swings. When Sam finally got off the ground after months of trying to jump and he finally did it. Or the joy the kids get when they play with Daddy no matter what!

Well, maybe I will forget some of them, but I know deep down in my heart those memories, the joy I felt at watching my wonderful kids achieve something, will always be there!

I know my kids are only 5 and 2 and we still have the dreaded puberty years, teen age years, driving, high school, and more to go through. I don't expect it to get easier, just to have different challenges. By then I'll be so old I hope I'll have mellowed out a bit!

I want my kids to grow up and look back and say they had a good childhood. So, if my kids want pancakes for dinner from time to time, I'm going to let them have it. I am going to let them run through Grandmother's sprinkler in their underwear 10 minutes before bedtime. I will bring them to the grocery store in their PJ's from time to time. But they still can't stay up late on a school night!

Who Do You Love?

Last night before the kids went to bed they had their nightly "Energy Release" -- which means they run up and down the upstairs hallway screaming and bumping into each other, getting caught in the "tickle trap" (Daddy) and falling down when ever they feel like it.

Nothing like some nice "quiet time" before going to bed.

As we do every night, after Sam goes to bed, Josh is allowed to stay up for 1/2 and hour and play his PlayStation. Last night I lost track of time was being extra nice and let him play 15 minutes past his bed time.

What a nice Mom I am... Right?

Well, as I'm putting him to bed he tells me that he loves Daddy most, me second and Sammy 3rd.

What? He loves Daddy most? I said "You mean you love us all the same, right?"

Josh: "Oh, yeah. I love you all the same. But I love Daddy just a tinsy tiny bit more."

Me: "Is that because he plays with you and all I do is yell?"

Josh: "No, it's because I don't' see him as much."

Me: "Okay. I know you really love us all the same. Good night" kisses, cuddles.

2:02 AM!!!!

Josh comes into our room complaining that his legs hurt. I tell him to go potty and then we'll go have a cuddle in his room and I'll rub his legs. Next thing I hear is him crying on the potty. His tummy hurts and he needs me to hold his hand.

He Needs Me! I'm thinking at this point maybe he does love me as much as he loves Daddy.

So we go to his room, I get in bed with him and rub his legs until he falls asleep. I go back to my room and get in bed and lay awake for 30 minutes.

He woke me up because he really DOES love Daddy more and he's letting Daddy get the full nights sleep, not Mommy!

(Or maybe Daddy paid him off.)