My Name is Mommy

Seriously.  This blogger sucks!  She never writes anything!!

Oh wait.  That’s me.  Heh.

Okay, so I’m enjoying a bit of my Summer Break.  Yeah, as a homeschooling mom, I was excited as my daughter to count down to the end of the school year.  I know, some homeschooling families continue throughout the entire year, learning and teaching and making themselves better members of society.  That’s fantastic for them.  Me?  I need a break to look forward to.  (For which to look forward, I know.).  And summer break came just in time!!!  Not that we can’t continue to learn over the summer.  But we?  We don’t have to.  We can be ignorant and let our brains turn completely to mush over the next few months.  It’s our right.  We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of boogers for brains.  I read it somewhere.

Actually, summer break for me has been an opportunity to read like mad for myself.  No one else.  To learn nothing in particular.  Just to read to my heart’s desire.  And I am.  And I love it.

And the kids?  Booger brains.  Fed by stuff like Chowder and Sponge Bob.  And they love it, too.

I’ll be back to writing something worth reading soon.  Until then, send me your favorite authors.  Nothing sci-fi or fantasy, though.  And that’s a strict rule.  Otherwise you will experience pain.  Lots and lots of pain.  (Name it, anyone?)

My friend and I took our kids out strawberry picking this morning. I’ve heard of people doing it for years around here, but never had my act together early enough to get to the fields on time. (For most farms around here, this is one of the last few days to pick, or else they’re already done with it.)

Truth be told, I didn’t have my act together this year either. My friend did. She planned the date. I did the research. We made it in time. We’re a good team. Apart from each other, just bumps on a log. Not really. At least not for her. For me? True.

Anyway, the kids had fun. Luke’s favorite part was running up and down the rows in the fields and every 15 minutes or so yelling out, “I found one!”

Yeah. Extremely helpful. But he had lots of fun. And I still owe him for the whole birthday incident.

Here are some photos from the day. You enjoy while I go look up a recipe for strawberry jam….

Well, today is the last day that I’ll have a two year old. My baby turns three tomorrow. It’s crazy how quickly time flies. And if you’re looking for me tomorrow, I’ll be the one dancing up and down the street singing, “Hallelujah!”.

As you may remember, two hasn’t always been easy in our house. And I’m not really sad to see it go. And really not for any other reason than it means we’re moving forward with our little family.

Two is quite amazing, actually. The changes that occur in that year are unbelievably phenomenal. From speech, to mobility, to they way they play, to the way they think, it’s just unimaginable. It seems that it would take an adult an entire lifetime to accomplish the changes that a child makes in just that year. And it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of.

But I don’t think I’ll miss it. I’ve had the joy (and struggle!) of being with all of my kids, day in and out, through all of their twos. And I think I’ve had my fill.
Now to get one more through the threes. Because, as well all know, three is much harder than two. All those fancy words that you thought it would be fun to teach your two year old? All of the attitude he’s been observing in his older sibs? All of the knock-knock jokes that he’s committed to memory? They all come to haunt you in the threes. And I’ll feel completely joyed at getting to experience the threes for one last time. (Remind me of this in a coupla months, will ya? )

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And Happy Birthday to Jackie!!!!!!! (I was gonna put a nice photo of her up here, but I think she’ll kill me no matter what photo I use. She should stop yawning when I go to take her picture so I have some options. )

Yep, I finally did it.

No, I wasn’t drunk. Yes, I knew it would be permanent. Yes, it hurt.

So, the why, since that’s usually the next question. I’ve wanted a tattoo for about 10 years. Yes, I really have. I just needed to come up with something that mattered enough to me to have it put on my body. I contemplated one to mark my Dad’s life and death, and I even have an idea in my head, but I’ve never stumbled upon an image that comes close to what’s in my head, yet.

So, Jack and I took a trip to South Carolina earlier this month (I’ll share more about that soon), and I decided then that I wanted a tattoo for Mother’s Day. I know many go for the mother’s ring, with the birthstones of their children in the ring. I don’t actually like the kids’ stones together, so I decided I’d go a different route.

I decided that I’d just get the kids’ initials tattooed on. I love it, it matters to me, and when I go, it goes. No ring to fight over. And if they’re fighting over the tattoo itself, it’s means I’ve seriously damaged the psyches of my kids more than I could ever imagine.
Sidenote: Did you know that it’s been illegal to get a tattoo in South Carolina until the last year or two? Something like that. Anyway, it was crazy because Jack and I couldn’t find a place in SC to get our tattoos! We ended up getting them on the way home (yes, she got one, too) at Beelistic in Cincinnati. Rich did our tattoos. I told him that anyone who permanently changed my skin had to get in a photo with me. Here he is:

Here’s Jackie enjoying the gentle tickling of the tattoo.

Day: Mother’s Day Morning

Samantha: “Where’s Mommy?”
Bald Man: “In the bathroom.”
Samantha: “What’s she doing in there?”
Jake: “She’s clipping her eyebrows off.“
Samantha: “Nuh uh.”
Jake: “Uh huh.”

Here’s hoping you had a Mother’s Day requiring no clipping off of your eyebrows.

Late, I know, but nevertheless….

These were the Valentine’s Day waffles. You may not be able to tell, but the batter was pink (food coloring). I received this heart waffle maker from my Dad one of his last Christmases with us. He and mom both new that I wanted a waffle maker. He actually went out on his own and picked this one for me. Of course, mom got me the one I really wanted. But, I knew that I should keep the one that he got especially for me, and mom told me to as well.

Now I love it. Everytime I use it, it’s like a hug from my dad. And I get to tell the kids that we get these fun heart waffles because of Papa. And they think that’s pretty cool.

A conversation today between Jake, his best buddy from down the street (both age 4), and me (not 4):

Jake: “It’s true, in real life, for real!!!”
His little friend, A, to me: “Why does he always say that?”
Me to her (A): “I don’t know. You should ask him.”
A to Jake: “Why do you always say that?”
Jake to A: “I don’t always. Only when I’m not lying.”

I’m an Illini fan. Everyone who knows me knows this (I think). And let me say, for many years, it’s not been an extremely rewarding experience to be one, at least not during football season. Especially in the land of the Buckeyes.

Yet, still, I wear my Illini gear every game day, and every day after the game. Often to a chorus of, “Well, at least basketball season is almost here.” Or, “yeah, your team sucks.” But I don’t care! I am faithful to my team and proud to be.

And today, TODAY, it feels SOOOOO good to be an Illini fan, especially in the land of the Bucks.

And, as always, I proudly wear the Illini gear.

Go team.

This is one of my very favoritest Sesame Street clips EVER. R.E.M. hanging and singing Furry Happy Monsters with the Muppet gang. Does life get better than this? I have to stop and watch it every time it comes on TV. And dance with it, too. Enjoy.

What a difference a year makes. I remember writing this post and just feeling at my absolute end with Jake. I honestly didn’t know what to do, and then the threes came!!! (I have told you that the threes are worse than the twos, yeah?)

Jake turned 4 today, and I’m amazed at how much has changed in the past year. He’s still full of energy and…um….loudness. But he’s also developed the most loving spirit. The day started with everyone telling him Happy Birthday, and he immediately decided that he was, “sharing my birthday with everyone in my family and in the whole world. And everyone gets to be 4.” When I told him that an elderly neighbor had called to wish him Happy Birthday, he said, “Aww. That was sweet.”

He really is a true joy in my life. Yes, he still aggravates his sister. Yes, he still teases his brother. Yes, he is still a bit dramatic over every little bump and ouchie. But he is also so fun. He loves to tell jokes. He has a mischievous bent to his personality (gotta watch that!). He loves to make people laugh. He’s a great helper (really! He loves cleaning up with the Dust Buster!). He has an abundance of hugs and kisses to share. And he is constantly telling the people in his life that he loves us. I do love being his mom.

Happy Birthday, Jake.