Friendship and Love

When I moved to Georgia 5 years ago, I didn't know anyone. Once I quit work and became a stay at home mom I was desperately looking for something to do with Josh to keep our days filled. Josh was 2 at the time. It was winter and while winters in GA are nice, it is sometimes difficult to get to the playground! I started going to story time at the local Borders after I had been a SAHM for about 6 months. There I met Mary, the story teller.

I felt a connection at once. I knew we'd be friends; we have the same sense of humor. At the time, her son was 3 and my son was 2. Her son Cade was Josh's first friend and she was my first friend in Georgia.

Not long after I found out I was pregnant with Sam. I had a few issues with the pregnancy but the worst part was I broke my foot when I was 7 months pregnant. Rich was at work and couldn't get home quickly. I called Mary and she rushed right over to help me. She drove me to doctors appointments, she organized friends of hers to cook dinners for my family. Those friends were becoming my friends, but the "broken foot" incident forced the friendship to a level that normally takes much longer to establish. And, she had just found out she was pregnant with her youngest son.

The friendship I have with Mary is one of my most precious gifts. She is a wonderful person. You can see it in everything she does. Mary's father passed away today after an almost 2 year struggle with Lung Cancer. Jim's fight with Lung Cancer and the struggles are her story. She can explain so much better than I the pain and suffering from this disease. This post isn't about Jim or Cancer. It's about being a good friend to Mary.

She has been such a good friend of mine and I want to repay her. I feel so helpless right now. She's taking care of her mother, organizing the funeral, has more siblings than I can count (half, step & whole), and I'm sure she'll be organizing them all.

I want to help. I just don't know what I can do. I know Mary would say just by being here helps her. I know it does, but I feel so helpless. She was such a great help to me when I needed it and I just want her to know I'm there for her and all she has to do is call. I want her to know I'll do Story Time for her next week if she needs it. I want her to know the kids can come play here if she needs it.

I want her to know she's one of my best friends and I do love her!

How to Make Mom Feel Good...

Sam: Mommy, what that on you face?

Me: What? Do I have something on my face?

Josh: I think he means those brown spots.

Me: My freckles?

Josh: They look like mud.

Sam starts laughing.

"Me Walking!"

The Elephant in the Room

This morning when I went to get Sam out of bed, the following conversation took place.


Me: Good morning Sam! Are you ready to get up?

Sam: Yes... Mommy, there's an elephant on my bed.

Me: There's an elephant on your bed?

Sam: Yes. There's an elephant on my bed.

Me: There's no elephant on your bed Sam.

Sam: Yes, there's an elephant on my bed. He's scared of the bear.

I decided to just leave it at that!

Toys, Toys, Toys....

Since Josh's birthday is next week I've been thinking a lot about toys. What are "good" toys and what are "one-minute wonder" toys.

Today the "free" portion of the Atlanta Journal Constitution came and in it was a big article titled, "Toys that Rock." I thought to myself, "cool... that should give me some ideas for his birthday..." Well, no. The article is sub-titled: "Playing with Interactive Music" and was all about all the high-tech toys that you can plug your iPod or other MP3 players into.

I see these at the store... the i-Fish, the i-Dog, i-Cat, whatever... Honestly, I never got the point of these "toys." What do they do? You plug your MP3 player in and the "toy" dances and lights up. What's in it for the kid? Do these "toys" encourage kids to listen to more music? Does the "novelty" of these toys wear off?

I don't know the answers to these questions. I'm sure some kids enjoy these toys. I just don't know how they would stand the test of time.

Today, Sam was upstairs in the play room listening to his songs on an old CD player we have. He was singing AND playing with his trains AND dancing (well, as best he can with a cast on his leg). If I had the i-Pod plugged into any of these devices for him to listen to his songs, would he have stopped playing?

I love that my kids love music. I love watching them dance and sing. They make up songs, pretend to play instruments, bang on the key board. Josh even does a little air jamming on both "air guitars" and "air violins." We make up songs every day.

My in-laws always say that the toys that last the longest are the ones that the kids can be creative with and use their imagination. I'm sure the "i-Toys" are are cute and can be a fun for a time, and I can guarantee we'll have some around our house in the future.

But for now, Lego's, blocks, balls, crayons, stickers, cars and trains. These are the toys that have stood the test of time in our house. Classics that I grew up with and will be around for a long time. I think we'll (try) to stick with them for a while longer!

Aquarium Visit

We went to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga today. We didn't know it, but it was Pete & Delmar's second birthday. There was birthday cake for the otters, TV crews, and general merriment! The otters had "fish cake" -- fish in frozen bocks of ice. The were really cute and playful. They were certainly putting on a performance for the crowd! We decided to not stay for cake (the real birthday cake, not the fish cakes!), but to try and "get ahead" of the crowds and see the big fish.

Sam was a bit scared and would not let go of Baby or Skipper-dog the whole time. He also didn't want to get too close to the tanks, so there aren't many pictures of him.

Josh was trying to smile pretty and take a nice picture here. Quite posy!

If I Were President, by Josh

With Presidents' Day right around the corner, Josh has been learning about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Presidents in general.

Yesterday he came home with a book he made called, "If I Were President." On the inside has sentences and Josh had to fill in the blanks. I was very impressed with his answers so I thought I'd share them.

I cleaned up his spelling; his answers are bold italics...

If I were President, the first thing I would do is sit in the big chair.

If I were President, I would eat bacon and eggs.

If I were President, I would travel around the world.

If I were President, I would have a pet dog named Alex.

If I were President, I would pass a law that no one would fight.

And, my favorite:

If I were President, I would help direct traffic.

Love Thursday pictures

Here are a few pictures I took yesterday. Sam and I are having fun at home! Next week we're going to drop by his school for a little while so he can see his friends.

Playing with his blocks.

Pretending to sleep.

Reading a book

Sam wanted to get in the box and stayed there for about 1/2 an hour!

What's not to love?

My PC Son

Josh is going to be the Star Student in his class in 2 weeks time. What this entails, I don't really know but I got a "questionnaire" home today that we had to answer for his poster, and a list of things to send in...

One of the questions was: My Wish.... The following conversation took place:

Me: Josh, what is your wish?

Josh: I wish that I was a Magician!

Me -- starting to write

Josh: NO! Stop! I wish that people who do good for the world wouldn't get shot.

Me, puzzled, yet impressesd: Okay... do you mean Martin Luther King?
(They had just done a bit about him at school on MLK day and he kept talking about how he was shot for standing up for his beliefs and trying to make the world better.)

Josh: Yes, like Martin Luther King and our 16th President!

Me: Who was our 16th President Josh?

Josh: Hmmm... I forget his name.

So it's harder to remember Abraham Lincoln, than the fact that he was our 16th President?

Later I repeat the story to Rich.

Josh laughs and says: It's Abraham Lincoln!

Rich: And do you remember who shot Abraham Lincoln?

Josh: Yes, John Honest Abe!

Peace

It's been a hard couple of days.

Yesterday Sam was so tired and in so much pain. It was awful for me to see him like that. I felt so helpless. Please, let me take the ouchie away!

It was hard for Josh too. Sam recently got some glasses so he's had a bit of attention, now, he's got this cast and he's getting some attention. Josh is such a good big brother and he seems so grown up it's hard to remember he is only 5. I've been trying to show Josh some extra love too. Both the boys got new Monster Trucks yesterday. I spent some time playing with him on the PlayStation. And even let him stay up 15 minutes later than usual.

By the end of the day I was emotionally spent. Most of the day I felt as if I were on the verge of tears. After Sam went to bed, Rich got me all sorted out with a glass of wine, my book and then he cooked me dinner. I was so tired by bed time I just fell into bed and slept like a rock.

Today things are looking up. Rich went to the office today.

Sam is still getting used to his cast, but his mood is much brighter today. Still, it's an adjustment for us both. He wants to play, but it's difficult for him to get around. I want to "mother" him to death, and he keeps pushing me way...."leave me alone, Mommy!"

We even managed to get some sticker books at Costco. He wanted some pizza so we split a slice of Costco Pizza (yum).

Now he's sleeping.

I'm sitting in the living room. It's just started to rain. The only noise is the occasional cough from the baby monitor and the sound of rain drops on the back deck.

I can tell, things are getting better.

My New Blue Cast

Here's Sam, sporting his hip new blue cast!

The poor kid had quite a day. On top of the whole broken leg thing, he's got a cold that just won't go away.

As we were getting ready to leave for the orthopedists this afternoon Sam was so upset, tired and probably in pain. I put him on my bed so I could brush my teeth and make some effort to not be smelly for the appointment. Well, things don't always go as planned.

The poor kid starting throwing up all over my bed, then me, then the towel I had picked up to catch the vomit, then the rug in the bathroom. Just 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave. All I can say is, thank the good Lord for Rich! He came up and cleaned up the vomit, I rinsed off in the tub, tried to get Sam de-puked and re-dressed before we had to go.

He was so tired he fell asleep before we were at the end of the driveway!

The Orthopedic PA was really nice. He said Sam would need the cast for about 4 weeks -- our next appointment is on March 14th. If it's not healed by then it will be a couple more weeks. He seemed very confident.

Also, he opted for an above the knee cast simply because two year olds are very adept at wriggling out of a 1/2 cast. So, it's not as bad as it looks.

The technician that wrapped his cast was named Telly Savalas. Cool, huh?

He'll be out of school while he's got the cast on. So, we'll just have some Sammy-Mommy time for a while. He does seem a bit happier with the cast on. I think his leg is not being knocked about anymore and the cast keeps it in place.

The Good Craic and and Bad Crack

The Good Craic:
Friday we went to the Sock Hop at Josh's school. It was a fundraiser for the Media Center. We had a great time. There was pizza, the kids played, we danced. It was great! I didn't get any pictures because all I heard about was how crowded it was. Since Rich and I already had to try and keep track of 2 kids, I thought a camera might put me over the edge.

There were lots of kids and parents dressed in their 50's get up! Lots of poodle skirts and cuffed blue jeans and rolled t-shirts! We had lots of fun and the kids were sufficiently worn out. Both slept past 6:30 on Saturday!!

Saturday we just spent around the house and doing a bit of shopping -- Josh was making his birthday list. The kids must have still been worn out from Friday because Sunday, they slept until 7:00! That is a true miracle!

The Bad Crack:
The weather was really nice on Sunday afternoon, so we took the boys to our neighborhood playground. Sam went down the tornado slide and caught his leg some how. He would not put any weight on it. Rich carried him home. After he had his supper and bath, it still was not better so I brought him to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Sure enough, they took an x-ray and he has a small crack in his right leg, right above the ankle.
We are getting a cast put on this afternoon.

I have to say, of my many trips to CHOA, they are so helpful and nice. There was a 2 1/2 hour wait time, but once we were checked in at the "insurance" desk, we only had to wait 10 minutes. The triage nurse took us back straight away. We were still there for a while since Sam needed x-rays, but we were still out of there in less than 2 hours.

So, anyway, it should be an interesting next few weeks!

Birthday Story and Preppy Names

As you recall, yesterday was Rich's birthday. The boys were "helping" him open his cards and presents -- read this as... tearing everything out of his hands saying either, "I can do it Dad," or "No, me do it."

Sam had picked out a "Mickey Mouse" birthday card for Daddy. When Daddy opened the card Sammy picked out for him Sam grabbed it and said, "I read it Daddy." He opens the card and says very clearly... "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is coming up next. There you go Daddy." and gives the card back to Rich.

Rich had a great birthday. And the boys LOVED opening his 2 presents (nothing facy, just two bars of Galaxy chocolate and a puzzle.)

-------

Now, something completely unrelated, but funny. My friend Tanya posted on her website the link to find out your preppy name.

Here's mine:

Your Preppy Name Is...

North Waverley Elverton the Fifth But most people know you as Mimi

What's" Your Preppy Name?

Coincidence? (I used my given name for the test, not Mimi)

Happy Birthday Rich!

I've already told you some of the wonderful things my husband does!

Today's his birthday! Happy Birthday!!!!!

We love you very much!

Meem, Josh & Sam!

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!

My Jedi Knights

Not the best pictures, but they were so cute! So why is it that my kids never let me take their picture? Or I can't coordinate them to both look at me at the same time with a smile?

And I can't figure out how to get the glare off Sam's glasses. I need to figure something out! You just can't tell how cute he is with that GLARE!

Making up for Bad Press

Okay. So I've been getting some heat about the "bad press" my husband has gotten on this site.
He also said this is like reading my diary.

Totally not what I intended!

Anyway, I have to tell you, I have the most wonderful, brilliant husband in the world.

He can fix all my computer problems, and those of my family and believe me there have been MANY! My sister rarely calls unless they have problems with their computer. Since she got a new one, she hardly calls... (or that could be she's got 3 kids and #4 on the way so she has other things on her mind...) He never complains about it either. Just laughs.

He fixes me dinner when I'm tired. He plays with the kids so I can do meaningless things like play on the computer. He never gets upset when the house is messy -- of course that's all the time, so he'd be pretty grumpy if that bothered him! He bought me the laptop for Christmas so I could do the blogging and playing and whatever....

It's no wonder the boys adore him. He's a great Dad. He plays with them WAY more than I do. He gets down on the floor and lets them climb all over him. He plays games with them that I would never be able to think up. He's a FUN Dad! And, he's much more patient than I am with the kids.

He has a great sense of humor and always makes me laugh. Every card I've ever received from him in 10 years has had a poem in it that he wrote for me. He's the smartest person I know -- he can even do Math!

He is supportive of everything I want to do. He keeps me sane when I get stressed out about little things. He likes my cooking! He treats me like a princess!

If he has been misrepresented on this blog, then I am truly sorry because he is by far the best husband ever!

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!