The Last Day

No, not the last day ever of me blogging. But the last day of my writing challenge for the month of March. Yes, I did it! I missed only 3 days, I think, which I'm pretty excited about. When I took the challenge, I wasn't sure about it. I thought about my writing and how I had been blogging prior to this month. I tried to make it perfect with the perfect words and picture to go with them. Through this month, though, I've learned to appreciate the little moments. I've learned to write down the small moments in life. Funny...that's what I teach my kids to do! I should learn from my own modeling, right? Right.

I think this month has changed me for the better. Both as a writer and as a mom and as a ___ (fill in the blank with whatever other title I have in my life). As a result, I hope I can continue to have the same attitude. Perhaps I'll write 5 of 7 days or maybe more. I'm not sure yet. What I do know is that I will write whatever I can whenever I can. And I'll hope that someone is reading and that (hopefully) they like it, care about it or laugh at what I've written. That's all a writer can hope for, right?

FLOWERS!

Upon filling out a Secret Valentine information sheet at school, I came across the question about favorite hobbies. Hmmm...hobbies? I'm not sure I have hobbies other than shopping and eating, outside of being with my family, of course. My friend, Stacy, was sitting with me and she said, "Gardening!" So yes, one of my passions is gardening, and along with gardening comes FLOWERS! That's what we saw Monday.

We went to the Macy's Flower Show downtown and saw towers of flowers...literally! The towers of flowers were enough to help C make some connections: "Mommy, that one looks like Rapunzel's tower!" Yes, towers like that were all around us in various shapes and forms.

We got off the "excalator" and could smell the flowers already. Hyacinth were the first ones I smelled-one of my favorites. We walked past the first displays of flowers, going down a darkened hallway filled with pictures of butterflies, bees and other bugs, leading us to the sweet smelling 8th floor auditorium. A chill came over me as we entered, and I immediately regretted leaving my coat in the car, but soon forgot about that as I looked at and smelled the FLOWERS! Yes!

The tulips were some of my favorites-A's favorites too. But my very favorites were the wild lavender freesia. Mmmm. They remind me of our wedding day because that's what the guys had for their boutonnieres.

C's favorites were some exotic red flower that would never grow here, but I think I've seen before as a house plant. We all "touched with our noses" instead of our hands.

I cannot wait for spring to come, for the snow to melt away, and for planting season to be here. Realistically, I probably have a good 7 weeks before I can start thinking about planting. Until then, things like this flower show, the home and garden show and walking through our local flower shops will have to do! Ideas, ideas and more ideas!

Will you watch my show?

"Mommy? Will you watch my show?"

"Sure!"

Hmmm...what kind of show will I be watching? I can hear her rustling around in her room. She appears.

"Can you tape this around Buster?"
"Sure. What is Buster going to be?"

"The Big Bad Wolf."
"Ok."
She walks back to her room while C and I wait for her on the couch.
"Can you tape this around Duffy?"
"What's Duffy going to be?"
"Little Red Riding Hood."
Soon, here she comes out of her room with about 6 or 7 of her stuffed animals...the stars of her show! Shear really into mixed-up fairy tales, because that's what they have been studying in school. So her show went on with stories of Cinderella,

a witch,

Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. She was really quite cute while performing for C and me. This is the first time she's ever performed like that before. Makes me wonder what other shows we have yet to see!

Games

If you were at our house earlier this morning you may have been asked this question:

"Will you play ______ with me?" Fill in the blank. You know, with any kids game you can imagine. We started with Chutes and Ladders

and then moved on to Candyland.

After a break for some breakfast it was on to Guess Who.

Finally we ended our game-playing morning with Uno.

Oh! I almost forgot...we tried to play Buckaroo, one of my purchases at the sale yesterday, but it didn't work like it was supposed to.

What I love about this is that you may have found just 2 of us playing a game together while the other 2 were playing a different game or you could have found all 4 of us playing the same one altogether. The kids do fairly well playing just the 2 of them too! C loves games the most out of all of us and tries, at any given moment, to get anyone to play with him. Often times J and I are trying to get a meal ready or are cleaning/picking up and he will ask so many times that all you can say is yes!

I think about the kids as they get older and how this could change. I think about how the video games will probably sneak into the rotation of games. I also think about how we, as parents, can continue this love of game playing with our kids. Games like Monopoly, Life, Clue or Sorry are perfect as the kids get older-obviously some earlier than others. Right now we have Friday night movie night, but we might have to change that to Friday night movie and game night. Just to keep this love of games going. I know there will be a time when the kids would rather be doing other things than playing a game with mom or dad. So right now I just have to say yes to playing a game with A or C as many times as I can!

Spring Break is finally here

Where we live it sure doesn't feel like spring. There is ice on our sidewalk. There is snow on our roof and on the ground. Even our indoor flowers we planted 3 months ago have yet to bloom. Spring is being stubborn to say the least.

But Spring Break is here! It's that time of year that everyone (teachers and students) wait for. The term spring fever was definitely in play this week. This year we aren't going anywhere, but rather we're going to stick around and find fun things to do here. You know, like go to the Children's Museum, the Macy's Flower Show (I can already smell the flowers!), a movie or perhaps stay overnight at a hotel so we can go swimming with the kids. Yup. Those are the things we have planned around here for this week where spring is supposed to (maybe) be here...but is being stubborn.

Sparkles

We're all about sparkles in our house. That's because there's a 4 year old girl living here. Tonight the sparkles of choice have gone to her nails. Getting her nails painted is one of her favorite things. She's just about in tears whenever I come home with my nails done and hers aren't done.  

There are other sparkles around our house with A around. Things like stickers, skirts, magic wands, feather boas...just to name a few. I know I'll miss the day when sparkles are no more, but for now I love each and every one. Including her!

Linus

 Square

blue and brown

dots on one side

satin on the other

carried everywhere he goes.

Linus loves his blankie.

Blankie

moving hands

along the satin side

fingers over thumb

all the way across

as he falls asleep.

Sleep

he does so easily

brown eyes dozing

while on his belly

back rises and falls

as his hand moves along

the satin of his blankie...square.

That's my Linus

A Note for Mommy

It's become a regular thing. C ALWAYS makes something for J at school. I'm not even exaggerating. Every single day he comes home and pulls out his note, artwork or coloring sheet for J. It's become such a joke that C even knows how I'm going to react. He'll give me that sly smile and run into his bedroom to get whatever creation he made for Daddy that day.

Until one day when I walked through the door and he said, "Mommy!! I made you something! Here!"

Yes, that's a picture of it. Melted my heart to say the least. I love that he has love in a few different places along with a picture of himself. That wasn't all though. Then there were these...

I've realized I can't keep everything the kids give me, even though I'd like to. Pictures have become a good way to know what's what without ending up with a mound of pictures. These though...they're going to school with me and will be right next to my desk.

Are you going to sale that?

See all of that stuff? Well, chances are some it was probably mine.

Right now I'm sorting through a bunch of stuff. Not my stuff but the kids' stuff. Twice a year I participate in a Moms of Multiples sale where we (as members) are able to sell our gently used clothes, toys and anything else related to children. It's a great thing, but a ton of work. Sorting through everything, entering descriptions and prices, labeling with tags/pins and taping parts together is a lot of work! But this sale is two-fold.

See, I get to purge our house of all of our kids' stuff, but others are able to benefit from low prices on (mostly) quality things! The money that moms of multiples, as well as others (the sale opens to the public after multiples members are able to shop) save is incredible! Strollers, cribs, swings, high chairs-all things that sell for WELL below cost are available! It is really a great sale.

Inevitably the kids come downstairs and notice what I'm doing.

"Mommy? Are you going to sale that? (yes, it is "sale that" until I correct them)"

"Yes, I'm selling that."

"Oh, but I was still playing with it!"

"Really? You didn't even know it was down here, honey."

"Well, I guess. You can sale it. Then maybe a 2 or 3 or 4 year old could play with it just like I did."

"Right."

At least they get it a bit. And they certainly WON'T miss some of their stuff.

So here I sit, with my (ahem) bottom asleep, entering my items, hoping that they sell on Saturday. So buy, people! Buy! Buy! Buy!

Hair-done

C: Mommy, I'm afraid to lay down (during rest time).

Me: Why?

C: Because. I'm afraid I might mess up my hair-done.

Me: (internally thinking, 'Hair-done?' then realizing what he means) Hair-done? Do you mean hair-do?

C: Yeah, hair-do.

Me: Ohhh...it will be ok, Buddy! Don't worry about it. Just lay down to take a little rest.

C: Ok, Mommy!

Have you had a new hair-done lately?

...carnival post to follow-will explain the face paint!

Read, Pray, Sing

Bedtime routines are just that, aren't they? Routine. There isn't anything out of the ordinary with them. It's the same thing most nights. It's funny when you get out of the routine for one or two nights-I feel a bit out of sorts. Like tonight because we were watching basketball we didn't have time for any of our routine, but that's just the way it is. Here's what our routine is:

First, jammies. Easy step. But then there's the bathroom stop that has to go along with that-not always so easy.

Next, brush teeth. A & C do pretty well with this on their own, but still need help with those back teeth, just to make sure.

After that we read stories. Usually they get to pick out 1 or 2 stories each, depending on how late it is. We used to read these together in their room on their green chair, but then when they got their own rooms we started alternating rooms and reading on the floor-not so comfortable. So now we've shifted to the couch, which is a good place because we all fit!

After stories we pray. We pray about good things that happened during the day. We pray about things we might be able to work on tomorrow. We also pray about people that need uplifting prayers. The prayer always ends the same..."God bless Mommy & Daddy, all the Mammas and Papas and all of our friends. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."

Then we sing. The first song we sing is a song J and I made up when the kids were babies. I can't even remember when we first started singing it (that's because I can't remember much from when they were under 6 months!). It is a goodnight song with A & C's names in it and we sing about how much we love them and that it's time to go to sleep. Then we sing "Jesus Loves Me." We've been singing those two songs every night since they were babies!

That's what our bedtime routine is like with the kids. I'm wondering how long it will continue to be like this. Will they want it to be like this as they get older? Maybe. I remember as a kid the exchange I had with my dad every single night:

Dad: Goodnight, K.
Me: Goodnight, Dad.
Dad: Love you!
Me: Love you, too!
Dad: Sleep tight!
Me: K
Dad: See you in the morning!
Me: K

That was it. It was our routine every night, after I had been told a made-up story that always involved me being in it in some way. I know the stories stopped at some point, but I can't remember when. The back and forth happened every night I was at home, up until I was married, I think!

The bedtime routine can be looked at as "just routine," but it is one of my favorite times of the day.

On My Heart

Today I thought I would write about what's on my heart. That doesn't happen a lot because it seems like I try to find the perfect thing to write about sometimes. I think to myself, "What would be the most interesting thing? What photo could I put with this post? What do I want to remember?" Well, sometimes those things pale in comparison to what's on my heart-especially tonight.

See, we have some friends who lost their baby last Friday. Born too early...in heaven now, which is a good place to be, but obviously hard because we would rather him be here. Then there's another tragedy that happened in our area with a 2 year old who lost his life in a drowning accident. The memorial for that little one happens tomorrow. I don't know the family at all, but there are little connections all around, giving me that tugging-at-my-heart feeling like I want to do something for them. But I don't know what. Pray I suppose. And...then there's a family we've come to know through our kids who are coming up on the anniversary of their daughter's death. How do they all make it through the day? The week? The moments? What's on my heart tonight is those families.

It puts things in perspective.

It brings these two and puts them right smack-dab in the middle of my heart.

(A & C 2 months)

And this guy too.

And these two again.

And I realize just how lucky we are. How the little things like when the kids won't pick up or when I can't find something I think I need pale in comparison to what life could be like. How I should thank God for what we have and what we're able to do. How everyone else should be as lucky as we are to have this lady around

for (what now I can look back on and realize is) a second chance at life. How the little things like kid-drawn pictures and hugs from C that bowl me over mean the world to me. Why does it take a week like this for me to see things through this kind of lens?

These are the things that are on my heart tonight.

Fish

Not the kind in the lake, but rather our children. Yes. They are fish. I was inspired by them to write a little poem:

Fish swim
Kids swim
Come up for some air
Wet face
Wet hair
Water rolls right off
Goggles on
Smiles on
Heads bob up and down
Kick on their backs
Kick on their fronts
Floating across the water
Big splashes
Monkey cheeks
Fish kids swimming along!

I love that A & C love the water. Being at the cabin and swimming all summer-it's a good thing.

3 Wishes

I'm not even sure how this all started, but those make for the best stories, right? That's because in 10 years  next week I'll look at this and wonder, "What were we talking about?!" Which, I'm already doing because I cannot remember the conversation except for the fact that I have a sticky note with what the kids said to me.

We were eating dinner around Valentine's Day and someone rubbed their belly.
Me: "Oh! It's like you're a genie!"
C: "What's a genie?"
A: "Like on Aladdin?"
C: "Oh, the blue guy who grants wishes."
A: "Right."
Me: "A genie comes out of a magic lamp after you rub it three times. Then he grants you 3 wishes. What would you wish for if we had a genie?"
A: "Are genies real?"
Me: "Well, no, but if they were, what would you wish for?"
C: "I would wish to be a race car driver. I would want 100 cakes. My last wish would be to have a big valentine heart and put it in my heart with God."
disclaimer: I seriously did not say anything to prompt that last wish. REALLY!! I didn't. That's what I love about 4 year olds...you never know what they are going to say, when they're going to say it or how they're going to say it.
A: "I would wish to marry a prince. I want to be an artist. I also want to love everybody. But wait, can't I have 4 wishes?"
Me: "No, you only get 3. That's how a genie works. No more than that."
A: "Ok, well...but Mommy, you love me, don't you?"
Me: "Yes, A, I love you so much. But you still can't have another wish."
A: "Well, who's the genie?"

And that's about how the discussion ended. I jotted down their wishes that night because I knew I would want to write about it someday. I just didn't know when that would be. These conversations-as "day in and day out" as they seem, and the little slices I hold on to. I love my kids so much, and love that I can look back and these moments and know what happened that night. It was a regular dinner, but such a fun conversation. What would you wish for if you had 3 wishes? Hmmm??

I Covet Comments

As I participate in writing these slices every day, I find myself so looking forward to my comments section. I know there are (some) people reading my blog. I know people were reading it before I started in this challenge (thanks friends and family!), but not many people commented. Comments are "like gold." I feel like I have to quote that because I read it somewhere. Not sure where, but I'm sure they aren't my original words. Anyway, I started thinking about commenting after reading this and thinking about how I comment. That particular blog is one I have now gone back to and read through again because I like the flow of it, I like the ease of reading it and it seems like that writer and I have a similar voice. Is that why people might read my blog? I'm not sure.

No matter your reasons for reading, my reasons for reading, or writing for that matter, I have realized how much I covet comments. Is that a bad thing-to covet comments? I suppose there could be worse things to covet...like shoes. I do covet my friend, Lisa's shoes. But that's another slice!

Double Playdate

Friday night is movie night at our house. I've written about that before, but this Friday was a bit different. A & C both had a friend over. The thing about 4 year olds is that parents are the ones that usually arrange the playdates, sometimes without the kids even knowing! That's what happened Friday-our kids didn't even know until the day before!

So each of the kids had one of their friends from their first preschool. Both great kids. They played, had pizza and watched A Bugs Life. All in all a great night!

I think back to my earliest friends and can't remember any from preschool, but I do remember a kindergarten friend-Rachel, and a longtime friend from elementary school-Courtney. It's interesting to think that these friends that were over today could be around for a long time. I wonder if the kids will remember back to now-when they were 4? As a mom I already worry about their friendships-how do they treat their friends? Will they have friends? Do the kids like them? Hopefully these are all normal things to think and wonder as a parent. I'm sure they are.

No matter with my wondering or not, the kids had a great time-the girls did their girl thing and the boys did their boy thing.

Can't wait for the next playdate to come!

(And as a side note-when did they start being called playdates? When we were little it was just, "Do you want to come over?" or "Can you play?" Anyway...)

Nesting

No, not me. A. Yes, she nests every single night before bed. You should see it! We have had to limit each of the kids to sleeping with 5 "friends." Those friends would be their stuffed animals. So in her bed each night she has 5 stuffed animals, a blankie on each side of her, covers and her quilt to make her nesting spot. Everything has to be just so, otherwise she can't lie down.

And, there is no use in rushing her because it only makes us frustrated that everything can't be just so. Just a little nesting; that's all she does. It's all hers!