What you don't know

Sometimes what you don't know is what really teaches you a lesson.

Huh? Let me try to explain. I had been seeing Blue Birds in our yard the last couple of days. I did not give it much thought. But then my husband and my mom commented on how unusual they are to have come around. (at least in these parts) Then I talked with another couple of mothers this week and their Mother's Day was worse then mine. At least I knew what I was going to be in for. They were not so lucky. So the thought came about; Wow, I should really be happy, my Mother's Day could of been like theirs. Then when I was looking at the Blue Birds this morning I realized that you really need to be thankful for the things you don't know about. I didn't know that the Blue Bird was so special. Other people would love to have that bird in their yard and here he was. I think what I am getting at is the old, the grass is not always greener on the other side so be thankful for what you have, but just in a bigger sense. The squirrel picture below? Well he is just cute.

Mother's Day Chaos

Oh yes, Mother's Day. Mother's Day is never a relaxing walk in the park. Nope, we prefer a true onslaught of chaos. I think that happens anytime you take a 2 year old and a 6 month old to a brunch and expect that A: you get to eat; B: the 2 year old will stay clean; C: the two year old will not want to start running around 5 minutes after you get there. The saving grace is that CM wanted to sit next to his Grandma and Daddy. That way I did not have to watch the food being colorfully added to his shirt. NC joyfully mouthed a spoon the entire time. Not to bad considering he could of been crying from his teeth coming in. At the end our nephews (12, 10, 8 years old) were sick of sitting so they took CM out to the hallway to explore. I went to check on them and yep, we were that family. The family who lets their two year old boy run up and down the hallway yelling WoHoo and 3 older boys chasing behind him so he doesn't run into anybody. It was after I witnessed that I said to my husband we need to leave before he trips a Grandma with a walker! Sigh, I wish that was the end of the day but it was not. Then we had to visit the other Grandma, so over 5 hours on the road and no naps for CM. Yep, he was sure crabby by the time we got home. On a positive note Daddy was working very hard with CM to have him say Happy Mama's Day. He wouldn't say it but when I went to wake him up I could hear him practicing the phrase. It was adorable. CM at the end of the day gave me a great big hug and said Happy Mama's Day. That makes all the craziness worth it.

Laundry Love

I am sure when I was 16 that I would not think I would fall in love with a washer and dryer. But I have fell in love with my new washer and dryer. After years of apartment laundries, old washer and dryers that ruined clothes and a brand new pair that constantly broke for the full five years that they were in warranty. Well they both broke again in the same week and they are out of warranty. So we took the plunge and brought a new pair. I think the reason I am so enarmored is that it has been such a pain to do laundry all of these years but finally, the laundry is simple and idiot proof. The bonus is that it uses less water, almost 30 gallons per load, then our previous models. Yeah!

Worms Are Wonderful

I can't believe that is has been as long as it has since I posted. It has been awful around here, sick, busy, crabby 2 year old, etc. But this last weekend Grandma graciously agreed to take CM Friday night and then bring him back Sunday afternoon. It really let my husband and I recharge our batteries. NC is such a low key baby and after taking care of two, it was a pleasure to have just the one. I am not sure what Grandma and CM did all weekend, I am sure I do not want to know. One thing I do know is that they went digging for worms. Well, the were planting trees and Grandma couldn't wait to introduce him to worms. CM was all excited until he actually touched one. Then he was not so sure. CM has a habit of being really excited by the idea and then once he gets there he is standoffish. CM did package up some worms to bring home to me. Grandma knows I like worms. As a matter of fact on my to do list is to start a worm farm for food scraps. Our dog is gaining just a little to much weight from all of the leftovers that CM feeds him. Better to feed the worms I say!

Case of the Mondays

When I worked in the commercial world Mondays just sucked. There was no two ways about. Plus there was that Sunday night dread of having to go back to work. Something about working at home and running our family, I no longer hate Mondays. Don't get me wrong I am still groggy and would rather stay in bed. But I now have a bit of peace. I get my husband out the door, CM my oldest off for his daily activities and then it is just me and my little one NC. Oh and the dog.

My craziest days are Friday through Sunday. CM is having issues with communicating when he gets upset, a lot of him yelling No and crying. Sigh. NC has been teething over the last two weekends. The first two teeth are now through the gum so we should have a couple of weeks rest. I have heard other parents say that they know their child was put on this earth to teach them patience. I would swear that is what CM is doing for me.

Mondays for me now mean getting the house back in order, cleaning the floors, getting the toys back, getting the laundry done, etc, etc, etc. For some reason this is not as bad as the dread of having to go back to work on Mondays.

Rain Rain Go Away!

What is it about adults that we normally see the inconvenience in a situation?*
As I look out my window today I see rain, mud and a cloudy depressing day. Which made me think of my oldest, CM, and how happy he is when he sees "water". He has a brand new yellow slicker and whenever he gets the chance he will jump in the puddles. Even if we are just letting the dog out, he wants to get his jacket on and go outside to play in the puddles. I think about wet feet and shoes. How do you get back to that place that puddles are exciting and everyday is an adventure?
*I know I am generalizing

Rhythm of a Household

I went away for a few days and left my husband to handle Bumgardner Inc. I think the 5 month old NC smelled the fear. The 2 year old CM got to spend 2 wonderful days with Grandma. Before I left I made sure that there was plenty of CM's favorite foods. Enough diapers and formula to last for a month. The only thing I was hoping for was a few days away. Just long enough to miss them and remember why I love them so much. My only expectation was that both boys would be in one piece, the dog feed and both cats still in the house. He succeeded on that front. One point for all of the males in the world. But there was that subtle raise of the white flag that occurred the day before my scheduled arrival. "If you wanted to come home early - I wouldn't mind..." So the next morning I got up and came home early. My husband described NC as the baby from The Incredibles when his head was on fire. Sure enough I came home and NC saw me smiled and laughed. I swear he was saying "Ha, I got the old man, he surrendered!" NC was an angel for me the rest of the day. I discovered the next day that his first tooth broke though. So my husband scored more points for not raising that white flag even sooner. CM was the typical 2 year old and was a little stand offish. All was quickly forgotten and we had a great night.

Going away for a couple of days leaves me with a fresh perspective on my life and a renewed excitement to see my boys.