I was cleaning the kitchen this afternoon, listening to one of my favourite CD's - (do listen to that song, it will make you feel alive, even if you are doing the dishes), when Finny came in and asked me if I would put it on in the living room so he could dance. I told him that Gracie was watching her show in there, so he could come and dance in the kitchen. He told me that would not be as fun. So I scooped him up and showed him differently. We danced cheek to cheek, he rested his head on my shoulder, then we rocked out as I flung him around, tossed him in the air and hung him upside down his hair sweeping the less then pristine floor. He laughed until he could not breathe and was begging for mercy. Then we caught our collective breath and started over.
It struck me as I whirled and squatted and jumped and jammed that what I was doing right at that moment had an expiration date. When Gracie came in the room wanting a similar ride I had to tell her that alas, she was too big, should wait for daddy to get home, and we settled for holding hands in a circle kicking our legs in some sort of Russian/Greek/Jewish/Can-Can hybrid and twirling under each others arms (more challenging for me then for them).
In a year, maybe two, I will no longer have the thrill of literally rocking one of my children's world. I won't be able to lift my youngest above my head or squat and jump with him in my arms, carried away with his giddy giggles, feeling young and invincible. We might not all fit in the narrow space between the kitchen table and the stove to kick our legs and twirl each other, giggling madly. Worse still, they may not want to.
We dance a lot (we're all blithely convinced that we've got moves) but why have we not done this every day? While we can..could? What if I had decided that the dishes took priority today? Who knows when next we'd have danced. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe longer? Would Finny have put on a few lbs by then? Would that particularly thrilling fling and swing that had him gurgle with mirth, "now THAT was SO. FUN! Do it again mommy" after he finally recovered his breath, would that have been beyond my capabilities?
I comfort myself that there will be, God willing, grandchildren. But it is possible/probable that I will have to give my back and knees a little more consideration by then.
So here is my advice to you. If you have a child small enough to swing around and hang upside down or just one who is still young enough to think your moves are cool, leave the dishes (they will not run away I promise), crank this song up (the slower bits give you a moment to catch your breath) and grab the moment. It has an expiration date.
Finite
Couple of Finny-isms...lest I forget
1.Association of ideas again: Daddy got an Air-shot today. (Flu shot)-Flew...through the..Air..get it?)
2.Upon hearing the mention of tofu: Toe food? Toe food!?
3. Upon observing me weeping as I watched the emotionally manipulative tear jerker which is Extreme Home Makeover he asked me why I was crying. I sniffled that it was because these people were being kind or sweet or something to that effect. He pondered this thoughtfully.
Later on he came to me and said, "Mommy, I will love you forever and I will always let you do my work!" When I laughed he looked crushed and asked, "why aren't you crying!?". I explained that it was funny that he thought it was nice for me to always do his work. He looked horrified and said, "I meant I will always do your work for YOU." Pause.."Now will you cry?"
Of course, I pulled out my best crocodile tears just for him.
Doing my civic duty....
Last night I wandered around the student ghetto for my boy, Obama. It was frankly, rather horrible. My friend Carolyn and I were wrestling 2 clipboards, multiple envelopes of pamphlets, a tired baby in an umbrella stroller and a three year old who seemed to be on a suicide mission and it was getting dark in the ghetto.
All this would have been OK but we did not feel it was all that worth it since most of the peeps on our list had moved on probably about 5 years ago or so. There was also a lady who it seemed had crouched at her front window all day waiting for someone to pause on her sidewalk long enough so that she could rush to the door, rip it open and yell, "YOU ARE DISTURBING MY DINNER".
Since I was a married, Mormon student for the most part, it was truly educational for me to see how much booze is apparently needed to get the average student through a week. It's sort of ironic that most people do the most drinking during the time that their brain is supposed to be at it's sharpest. Imagine if there was no booze? I bet someone would have invented my hover-car by now.
Anyway it was all made more then worth it when Obama sent me this last night:
Non-disgusting/germ free toothbrush storage
For a long and trying time now, I have been grossed out by the issue of toothbrush storage. Oh the terrible trials of my life! We were all using the battery operated toothbrushes which do not fit in those cute and nifty little toothbrush holders which seem to be made for the vintage, more petite toothbrush.
So I got a cup for each person because I think it's disgusting when toothbrushes all nestle together in one cup, it's like a hot-tub party for germs. And think about it, would you ever do that with your fork? Use one fork over and over and over and over again without washing it properly between uses, and each time you shove it in a cup with everyone else's cursorily rinsed fork? No! Ick! Can you tell I have given this some thought?
The only problem was now the toothbrushes were out in the open in their little cups since I don't have enough cabinet space in my hateful downstairs bathroom (where the kids brush their teeth) to keep the cups all out of sight and also protected from the germs that get all whooshed up every time the toilet flushes. Eeeeeeeuw. Say it with me. So I had the toothbrushes in their cups on a shelf in the little alcove outside of my bathroom where they were in full view of the dining room. Lovely.
So when a friend offered to give me this wonderful device-for free, all my Christmases came at once. (Yes, clearly it does not take much to thrill me, I make no secret of this.)
We switched from the big bulky non-recyclable, one-use-only-battery-operated toothbrushes and invested in a couple of these (which also brush teeth a heck of a lot better) and a couple of packages of brush-heads so everyone could have their own. I think they were about $20 each. Well worth it.
The Philips sterilizer has a little attachment to make it usable for the cheaper Oral B brush-heads. I can sterilize two brush heads at a time and store the other two in the bottom of the unit while that is happening. Then switch and hey presto-clean, germ-free toothbrushes all compact, hygienically and neatly hidden from view. No more tossing out a brand new big bulky battery operated toothbrush every time someone gets strep. You can toss out one little head, but even that is probably unnecessary. Since you have the power of magical blue light at your disposal.
Magical blue light I say! It's what works for me!
Things I don't entirely suck at....
Since feeling lame and useless doesn't really help anyone, least of all me, and my hormones are no longer in the "I hate everything especially me" phase of the month, I have been trying to compile a list of gifts that I have been given and may take for granted. Which would be ungrateful. And ingratitude really irritates me.
SO without further ado...
Some things I do feel capable at.
I am not afraid to speak in public
Teaching
Empathizing/relating
Creating ambience
Making conversation
Showing affection
Thanks to my mother, I know how to clean. This doesn't mean I always choose to do so, don't judge my mom for that.
Finding amazing deals and treasures at thrift stores and garage sales.
I type very quickly (hence my epic posts and emails-sorry 'bout that)
I read very quickly
Expressing gratitude.
Finding things funny
Knowing wrong from right
Voting for the right person ;)
Great judge of character (just check out my friend list)
And...shockingly enough...
I make pretty darn good cookies when I bother to.
Some things Aaron thinks I am good at. Aaron is often deluded. But sweet.
Writing
Drawing (er..no dear)
Taking care of our kids
Blogging
Crafting (lololololol)
Homemaking
Interior decorating
Looking hot in your thrift store clothes (you know it)
Consulting/being a therapist
Motivating people
Seeing the bigger picture (ummmm.....o...k..)
Making people feel comfortable and good about themselves
Being an awesome and cool wife
Aww..Thanks Pooh! I appreciate you agreeing with all the things I suggested to you.
Things Finny thinks I am good at
Exercising
Cuddling
Dinner-ing
Bathing me
"Aaaand....I got nuthin"
Return of the unProdigal son...
Here's our boy! He was a tie dyed zombie. With a manly head wound.
The joyful reunion
Finny could not wait to show him his latest Goodwill acquisition. "Cool, Finny!"
The phone rang-Daddy could not wait to talk to him.
Mommy could not wait to interrogate him:
"So Beejy-B are you tired?" "yeah". "Are you hungry?" "Yeah" Did you have a good time? "yeah" "An awesome time?" "yeah". "An absolutely freaking amazing time?" "yeah" Were you homesick? "Nope." "That's good" . :) 
It's amazing what a little Panera will do for the blood sugar. After lunch he was wasted no time in teaching his awe-struck and eager sibs some campfire songs (with actions)
Welcome home Beej! We are so glad you are back! Yeah!
Engagement photo
For those who wanted more details re: Seth's impending nuptials. This is what the big moment may have looked like. A friend of ours took this picture of Seth talking to her later that same day. Christina currently lives in Mesa but will be moving to South Africa after the wedding.
I don't know about you but when my party....
starts trying to sway people from the opposing candidate because of his name I'm going to wonder why they are so desperate. And desperation, it's one thing, understandable even. Neither party is innocent of defamatory claims and smears. Politics in this country, is frankly gross. But when it makes you this ugly, to me, it shows a lack of character.
Particularly when you have started off your campaign vehemently claiming that you will not let it get personal and then you make no protest when you hear your supporters yell things like "kill him!" Niiiiiice.
I am nauseated, literally. (Which may be a good thing since there is a pumpkin spice cake in my kitchen which I have made it my mission to eat by the end of the day).
Honestly, this type of stuff undermines everything this country supposedly stands for. And I don't care which party you vote for, I don't think you can argue with that.
Hey wait! Could it be possible that McCain is actually a drug lord...I mean..McCaine...COcaine. Code?!!! See? It's ridiculous, repulsive and sinking that low is a very easy game to play.
I sincerely hope and hereby earnestly request that my candidate of choice continues to choose not to. It serves no-one.
Cheap and cheery, birthday party gift! Did I mention cheap?
Let me preface this post by saying 3 things:
1. I really do think this is a nice gift even though it happens to be easy on the budget, so if I know you outside of the blogosphere please do not get offended if your child gets this gift. It is made with great love.
2. If I know you outside of the blogosphere and there is any possibility that our children are going to be at the same party you may not use this idea. Dibs.
3. The idea of giving baking supplies as a birthday gift is not mine originally. I can't remember where I first saw it. I am thinking probably here or here. They both have lots of good ideas. So whoever you are, thanks for the idea!
I combined the baking supply concept with a way to recycle all the oatmeal canisters which I go through at such a dizzy rate being completely obsessed with oatmeal.
I thought it would be a really cute way to package the whole thing and make it truly personalized. Kids dig stuff with their name on it. They can't get enough of seeing their name on their stuff.
OK so here is what you need to make a super duper awesome personalized cupcake making kit:
- Cake mix
- Cupcake cups
- Frosting
- Sprinkles
- Plain apron
- Iron on letters
- Scrapbook paper
- Embellishments
- Glue
- Whatever you like
I stocked up on these cake mixes and icing (with the sprinkles included!) when they were on sale for less then a dollar. The cupcake liners were about the same price. They are generic Kroger but they have princesses or something on them. I get the aprons for $2.99 at Hobby Lobby (and If you use your 50% off coupon it would be...well let's see..hmmm..ack Maths... 1/2 that?). I get the iron on letters there too. They are about between 1.99 and 2.99 a package. Again, you could use that 50% off coupon!
Decorate your canister however you see fit. Your kid can do this with your help. Mine loooooves this part.
You have to take the cake mix out of its box to fit into the oatmeal canister so be sure to cut off the instruction panel to put in there too.
It all fits very nicely. Frosting in the bottom, cake mix on top of that apron on top with the name showing.
The name shows through the lid so you could just leave it like that, but we had sparkly white paper so we could not resist making a cupcake lid.
Voila! Gracie made them cards with a cupcake theme too. She is so my matchy-matching daughter. Faith and Hope are dear little twins she is friends with. We weren't actually trying to be spiritual here.
So there you have it: inexpensive (so much nicer a word then cheap but cheap worked for the alliteration up there and I can never resist me some alliteration), fun to make with your kid, fun for the kid to make with their parent, recycles an oatmeal canister, involves cupcakes. Could it get any better? Well, yes probably. But it works for me!
We're CELEBRITIES
CELEBRITIES I say!
As we arrived. I actually didn't see any other children there. Here they are, waving to their public. So proud of my politically aware chillens. Benj is going to be devastated to have missed it. Finny was thrilled every time he saw an Obama sign. I just now realised that he can't read, so hey, nice work on the product recognition Obama- sign- maker- guys!!
Me! MEEEE!!! Charlie!!! Over here! I have words to say!
Officer, what is that disturbing woman doing? Are we quite safe? Oh good heavens now she is coming our way. Does she look manic to you? Is that a sheepdog she is wearing?
?
Close enough to touch.And to see many layers of television make-up. It actually makes them look almost plastic.
We could hear him speaking to y'all even if we couldn't see him so well. He is that speck between the light screens. Were you proud of how quiet we all were? You could hear a pin drop. Apart from me saying how amazing it was how quiet everyone was keeping. And telling the kids that they were on national TV right now! Kinda sorta. And also discussing with the student next to me how awesome it would be if one of the very active squirrels fell out of the tree on Charlie's head. Oh c'mon. Like that would not be awesome. And you know, it was very possible. Squirrels are always falling out of trees. But alas, these were well co-ordinated squirrels.
I went over and told these guys they need to raise these signs and represent since some kook managed to get into the shot with a McCain/Palin sign (illegally I may add-they were forcibly removed). Here was our (very legal and dignified) representation. Later I saw them and their 2 signs on the news. But not me standing next to them. But that is ok. Only because I was wearing my blanket/sheepdog sweater with bad hair and no lipstick. If I had looked hot it would have been completely unacceptable.
Ok here is exhibit 1009848 why Aaron is the worst photographer in the history of time. (It's ok, he knows this about himself). In this shot I was hoping to get the word VOTE as I held up my twin peace signs. It would have been powerful man. Powerful. But he screwed it up.
HEY EVERYONE!! GO VOTE!!! Do it for us!!!!!
I'm going to be on the national news tonight!
Ok well, my town will be. But I live here so practically the same thing. And who is to say they don't pan over to my face just as I am hissing at a child to stop whining whilst giving The Look. (The Look is feared by children all over the world and envied by their mothers. I have known several mothers who have tried to adopt my patented Look but it is universally understood that they will never be as intimidating as I am, no matter how hard they may try and practice. Some faces are just made to be scarier then others. I'm sorry. Nobody said life was fair.)
Our little town will be featured live on ABC World News Tonight as part of Charles Gibson's 50 states in 50 days tour. My understanding is that he will be interviewing sundry townsfolk here regarding political issues (although isn't everything a political issue?) He will then be interviewing people (I think students on campus) after the Presidential debate has aired. I have my speeches all prepared. Just in case. So be sure to watch! I will be the one standing on a ladder waving and saying, "Me! Meeeeeeeee!!!!"
Hitching happenings!
I am so excited and happy for him! YAY Samusani!!! Yay future wife of Samusani!
Loosening the apron strings...
He was calm and poised and confident and super so excited. I have been so busy packing and labeling everything within an inch of its life (confession: I love me some labeling of stuff. Give me a sharpie and a bottle of shampoo to write BEN on, and I am a happy girl. It's a good thing I have 4 kids and in schools with the policy of marking every crayon, marker AND their lids...woot!)
Anyway I was so distracted with this busy work that I did not have much time to ponder how very odd it would be to have him gone.
This morning as I dropped him off in the parking lot filled to the brim with anxious looking parents, distracted looking kids and piles of garbage bags filled with sleeping bags, I was suddenly overcome with a wave of verklemptness. I turned to my very controlled friend who has been through this before with an older child, with my eyes full of tears and a Rudolphy nose and said, "Oh no! I did not expect this to happen! He can't see me do this! Hide me!" She shielded me from view until I could get it together enough to hide behind my giant camera. Ah the trusty camera-so many uses. Another friend came over dry eyed and matter of fact asked me if I was having "trouble". I nodded soggily. She told me airily she had "been hysterical" when her first went, but now it was like, "haven't you left yet?". I can't imagine that being the case when it comes to my Gabey baby, or my Princess or heaven literally forbid it..my Finny, but I can hope. I am so pathetic, I'm sure it will only get worse.
What surprised me even more was how somber Finny was. He did not look up or say a word the entire time we were there. He became more and more solemn and bereft looking as the time to say our final goodbyes came closer. Benj tried to comfort and cheer him. But he would have none of that.
As I drove Gabe to piano lessons this evening I asked him if he missed Benj. He answered with an emphatic, "YES!" I expected him to still be taken with the novelty of not having to wait his turn for the lap-top. But Webkinz cannot compete with having your best friend in the house.
I keep waiting for Benj to come through the front door sweaty and full of soccer practice reports. It seems so very incomplete. It is so very incomplete.It's weird, because he sleeps over at friends' houses often enough..maybe it's because it is a school night? It is just plain weird, in a I- feel-like- crying kind of way. Do we still have Family Home Evening? It seems a bit....disloyal.
Last night as I somberly told Aaron to hug his first-born son extra tight since this was the longest either one of us will have ever been away from him, he looked at me scathingly and said, "apart from the time you went partying in South Africa for 2 weeks...and all those times I went on business trips". Yes well fine Mr. Flintheart. BUT this is the longest time he is away.from.home. Without either of us. It is totally different. Totally. Sob.
I have been busy enough today to keep the verklemptness under control, but tonight as I imagine my little man going to sleep without a goodnight kiss, or lying awake in the dark, last person to go to sleep..(can you tell I had insomnia/homesickness issues as a kid?) I am going to be an absolute freaking wreck.
He is, I'm sure, having the time of his life. However, I will be sure to keep worrying and obsessing so that he won't have to.
I'm pretty sure he is not going on a mission unless Aaron is called as Mission President of his area. And it's definitely a good thing we live in a college town. I hope his future wife doesn't mind living in our basement. I won't interfere. Much.
BWAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Gulp
Sniff
Still recovering...
from the horror of Sarah Palin last night. Can't talk. Brain numbed with apoplectic rage and disbelief. Can she really be happening?
I am waiting to wake up and tell you all about the most bizarre disturbing dream I had where this woman who did not speak so good the English was grinning (or should I say grinnin') like a very patronizing Cheshire cat and winking like she had a twitch and churning out the 4 canned responses she had learned so well in the last week, over and over again regardless of whether they were in any way relevant to the question asked or not. And worst of all, apparently believing that Americans are stupid enough to buy the fact that she is in any way qualified to even dream about being the VP to the leader of the free world, just because she can tell them, "hey ya I am just like y'all. You betcha. Bless your heart. Kitchen table! Main street! Maverick!" Grin. Wink.
Yeah it was the strangest dream, I'm all chilled and sweaty thinking about it...and you were there, and you were there and you were....
*In case you missed it. Here is a flow-chart that pretty much sums it up. Exactly
(PG 13 Language)
An old flame.....
Man alive but my house smells good right now! Imagine if you will the combination of bread baking, curry making, apple cinnamon scented candle burning, herbal tea brewing, clean warm laundry folding and you have the olfactory delight that I am currently experiencing.
This is the reward of a day of domesticity. It smells good. I am greatly motivated by smell. If I am promised that something will make my house smell good I will endure even my kitchen to make it happen. If something smells bad, I will hysterically root out the cause and not rest until it has been eliminated. With the combination of these two claims one would think that my house would be spotless at all times....hmmmm.....
It is a dark, windy, chilly, spooky Autumn day and it is perfect for nesting. My house was made for this time of year and I revel in it.
For now I forget that it is too small, too outdated (kitchen? guest loo anyone?), too dilapidated and I embrace the poor old thing for it's warmth, it's charm and character.
I'm romancing it by cleaning it out, shining it up, adorning in its Fall finery and getting it smelling delicious. This season is my sweet little home's time to shine. We bought this house in the Autumn and we were infatuated with it. Everything about it's warm wood and cozy spaces made us feel safe and cosseted after the huge, high ceilinged airy new and soul-less place we had been living. Not a day went by in that first year or two that I did not say, "Oh how I LOVE my little house!" I'm not sure when I started getting dissatisfied with it. Maybe it was when my kids really started needing a bigger backyard to kick a ball, maybe it was when I thought I would go insane if I was cooped up in this shoe-box one more day of icky icky winter, maybe it was trying to cram both my shoes and Aaron's into a one foot square space one too many times, or all of our clothes into 2 sq ft or less, or maybe it was just that infernal, heinous guest bathroom that finally did it, but tragically, we grew apart.
I still loved it sure, we had made commitments to one another, and there were the children to think about. But the passion was gone. I was not in love with it any more. On the outside sure, we put on a happy face, but inside, I just was not feeling it. And neither, apparently, was the House. But! Now it is the unanimously adored season of Fall, the memories and warm feelings we once had for each other are rushing back, and I feel as if the romance is being kindled again. Hopefully this will be productive time, a time for us to work on and strengthen our relationship sufficiently to get us through the winter. I think we are off to a great start.
Now if you'll excuse me, mommy and the wood floors need some time alone together.
I feel
What was it you may ask? It was the above handmade beautiful card with a sweet note from my dearly beloved Julie together with a gift card. Just cos it is Wednesday.
I am blessed to have such a friend.
Because if I don't worry I am being irresponsible dontcha know
Aaron: So I saw a cartoon in the newspaper I was going to clip for you
Me: Oh really? What was it about?
Aaron: Well there's this husband and he is sitting up in bed saying "I can't sleep! I'm so worried that we won't be able to sell our home in this market!" And the wife says, "But honey, we don't want to sell our home". And he says, "yes but what if we wanted to??! I'm so worried! What should I do?" And then the wife replies, "I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to go to sleep and be happy that I am not you!"
Me: And that scenario was familiar to you?
Aaron: Little bit...yes. Just..flipped.
This morning, at 2am I informed Aaron that the financial sky was falling!The stock market!!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STOCK MARKET TODAY? They were saying we were in the worst economic shape we had been in since the 1930's! The Great Depression! We were all going to starve! The bread lines! Aaron! The BREAD LINES!!!
He said, "hmmm.....no I don't think so. Things will probably get better tomorrow" Today when he called from work I asked him what the stock market was doing today. He said "hmm....let me check., "hmmm...yes our stocks are up".
I want you to know that the day Aaron worries, I am going to post to this website. And that is the day that you really should take it upon yourself to panic. But until then, don't worry. I will take care of that for all of us.
Confession of a confused mother...
In my recent Works for me Wednesday post, I captioned the slumbering child in the photo as boomerang baby #4 ie Finny. But after posting I looked more closely at the picture. Something looked odd. I clicked on it to see it larger and what to my aged eyes did appear but FRECKLES.
Finny doesn't have freckles. But Gabe does. That is a picture of Gabe. And I can still only tell because of the freckles. It is a bit tragic isn't it? Since that is not a picture of him as a baby, but him NOW as a child 3 years older then the child I mistook him for.
Oh dear.
