Building Character...One Day at a Time

I'm feeling a little listy lately. (OK, so listy is probably not a real word. But who cares? Besides, I've discovered a real freedom in creating your own vocabulary. P.S. George W. - I get you.)

Like any parent, I try to protect my children from the un-niceties (ooooh, there's another good one) of life. However, lately I've come to realize the small disappointments they experience now may help them later on in life. It was still sad-the first time their sweet little faces frowned when they learned:

1. Mail order and/or Happy Meal toys are junk.
2. Banks /ATMs only give you YOUR OWN money.
3. The food at some restaurants never tastes as good as the pictures look.

But because I've tried to go the "extra mile", I now relieve my conscience of any of the following "character builders" I've bestowed upon my children:

1. Just because mommy works at a hospital doesn’t mean she’s a doctor. I never told you that, but I didn't correct you either.
2. No, the cashier at the store (with the candy aisle) doesn't really know that you didn't eat your supper.
3. Mommy's special kisses on your eyelids probably don't make you fall asleep faster.
4. There aren't really video cameras hidden in the house - BUT I STILL KNOW when you're lying!
5. Yes, you have actually eaten Bambi before.
6. Mommy and daddy save all the good snacks for after you go to bed.
7. The goldfish you loyally loved was actually reincarnated 6 times.
8. The "medicine" that made your tummy feel better (when I knew you're delaying bedtime) was really watered-down koolaid. But it was so convincing in a medicine cup.
9. Cops don't really take kids to jail for arguing in the car.
10. Mommy really did eat the last brownie.

Whewwww. It does make me feel better that I haven't really been lying, just helping them prepare for the bigger disappointments they will unfortunately experience someday in their life. To start with.... that noisy toy that we've been looking so desperately for .....ummmm.....


P.S. For all of my family members out there, my sister started helping me compile some of our favorite Tom-isms (hilarious - but that unfinished list is for a later post).

Common "Scents"

Why is it that my buried memories are so unwittingly unlocked by common everyday scents? For some, hearing a favorite song on the radio triggers a memory of an old boyfriend or watching a sunset brings reminds them of a favorite vacation. But for me, it's always a plain-old smell that conjures up the strongest memories. Opening up some moisturizer this morning took me back twenty years (p.s. they should advertise that on the bottle).

Today it was a typical morning: the kids busy eating breakfast and gathering their school items while I half-heartedly tried to put on at least a little makeup in between the interruptions. My skin has been really dry lately so I decided to try the lotion I recently found in the back of the cupboard. Who knew opening the cap would fill the air with the faint but unmistakable scent of my grandmother's skin? Frantically, like a person gathering the beads they've dropped, I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed until the light-headedness got the best of me. It was a losing battle to savor the memory before it faded away.

But for a precious moment, I was teenage version of myself watching her delicately put the moisturizer on her face before bed. It was intriguing how she religiously and meticulously took care of her skin. As a stupid, self-absorbed teenager, I must admit sometimes I wondered why it mattered (because you should stop caring after thirty, right?) Now, I admire her hope and marvel at how remarkably beautiful her skin remained throughout her seventies.

If she were still alive today, I might be receiving a lecture about taking better care of myself. In an ironic twist, I will now never use that moisturizer on my skin. Without a doubt, I know Grandma would have appreciated the humor in that. Instead, the magic lotion will be saved for anytime I need another way to remember her. If only I could tell her about how she is now like a genie in a bottle, I know I could hear her laugh one more time. If only there were a scent to help me remember that...

Dear St. Anthony... Can you help me find my sanity?

As I read the title of my last blog, "Living La Vida Loca," I seriously laugh out loud. Did I really think life was crazy then? Apparently now, I have hit a whole new level of "nuts" that I didn't know I had in me. Guess being ridiculously naive is a blessing sometimes!


Updates
Since my last post, we've had the girls' birthday, vacation to Charleston (18 hour drive :-) , at least 3 more lost teeth, First Communion, piano recital, school spring concert, and my 35th birthday. Somewhere in there, I miraculously found time for laundry. Well, most of it anyway.


The house is coming along nicely and we should be ready to move by the end of July. All in all, it has been a trying time with mixed emotions. We love the house we are leaving but are excited about our new adventure. B has been doing most of the work on the house (with lots of help from his family!!) We have saved money this way, but paid a high price in time, stress, and dangerous flirtations with insanity. With busy schedules at work and at home, the lack of "down-time" really affects your brain!


Random Thoughts
Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the sheer number of tasks on my "to do" list that I just start laughing....out loud (see "dangerous flirtations with insanity" above.) And of course, being Catholic, I feel compelled to add a little guilt to the mix.


In my darker moments, I remind myself that I haven't written in the kids' scrapbooks for well over a year. Not so bad for Yogi or Bella, but I should be recording more stuff for Little Red. I also haven't had their pictures taken for quite a long time and Little Red has changed so much! And of course, I haven't blogged in two months either.


But I have to remember the promise I made to myself that blogging would be for fun and not another "to do." So, right now, I'm going to save "catching up" on all of the events I've haven't posted for a different day. I want to write down a few quieter, less celebrated memories that have happended during all of this time of chaos.


The other day was the first time that Yogi has ever acted embarrassed about kissing me good-bye when I dropped him off at the bus stop. His friend was in the van, so I didn't push the issue. I knew this day was coming, right? I let them out of the van and they played outside for a while waiting for the bus to arrive. Then, I saw the flashing lights of the bus coming over the hill and noticed I didn't see Yogi out playing. I looked down to my left and there was Yogi who was coming back to the van to give me a quick discreet kiss before getting on the bus. I won't ever forget that.


Bella has recently reaching out more and wanting to "visit" with me. In the past, she's always been quieter. But lately, I've enjoyed the chatterbox she's become. Filling me in on all of her friend drama at school and telling me what she wants to be when she grows up. I love that Bella loves to share the small details of her day. She has been making me the most wonderful pictures and drawings. With all of the love she is pouring into these works of art, I can hardly feel badly about myself. She clearly loves her mother. Bella is always the first one to offer to help and is always so considerate. I love the time we are spending together.


And Little Red. Apparently she learned to talk (and sass) overnight. She now speaks in complete sentences and thoughts and remembers things well. No more hoping she'll forget about the candy stashed in my purse. She loves knowing where everyone works and goes to school. She'll often cry and whine to get her way, but will surprisingly "snap out of it" if reminded that "big girls don't whine." She says "OK mommy." She loves to sing new songs and read new books. And funny that today, I was feeling bummed about something stupid I'd done and out of the blue (in the sweetest childish voice) Little Red says, "I yuv my big brudder and I yuv my big sitter and my mommy and daddy. I yuv ebrybuddy. And Ebrybuddy yuvs me." That really put some perspective on things. That's what Little Red does for me every single day. She's a special little girl.

So tomorrow will be another busy day. But instead of feeling sorry for myself, I'll try to remember that each day is also another day filled with opportunites. Hidden in the least expected moments, in the best and darkest of times, cherished memories are just waiting to be made.

Livin' la Vida Loca!

I'm afraid to ask the question, "Can life get any crazier?" Just when I think we've had enough, fate throws a curveball or two. Nothing serious, but just enough to make us deeply question our sanity!!

Logically, this leads me into the numerous excuses for not blogging for over a month. I'll spare you, but here's a recap of some exciting events since my last post:

-Yogi's 2nd grade and Bella's Kindergarten Valentine's parties

-A very fun visit from my sister and her family from Chicago

-A much needed trip to Las Vegas (and a quite un-fun plane experience!)

-Two weeks of pure chaos at work for B and I trying to catch up from that vacation

-Bella got about 5-6 inches cut off her hair - looks adorable:)

-Yogi lost tooth (and the toothfairy has been overworked too! She forgot him twice!)

-Bella lost a tooth (DRAMA!!!)

-Yogi lost another tooth

-Our new house has been shingled and the garage floor has been poured (Yippee!)

Which leads me up to today - B's 35th birthday! It's on crazy days like this that I wish I could give him a birthday from his childhood. Where all he had to worry about was what kind of cake he wanted and hope he got the present he asked for. Instead, I barely had time to get him a card (since Little Red threw a horrible pre-terrible twos fit during the only two hours I had to shop this week- ugh!), I didn't get him anything for a present, and he got frosted brownies instead of cake.

We did manage to sing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday Daddy" while serving him his brownie. It would have been even better had I had time to purchase matches to actually light the candle stuck in his brownie. Oh well - at least he didn't get wax on the frosting (LOL)!?! How pathetic!

He deserves so much more for being such a wonderful husband, father, and friend. Even though life is crazy - I remember to count my blessings every single day and he's at the top of the list!

Yogi turns 8!

It's been almost two weeks since my last post. A bout of nice weather and a brief Facebook addiction were the culprits keeping me from blogging this time. In the two weeks that have passed, Yogi celebrated his 8th birthday.

It's so cliche, but it seems like yesterday he was just a baby. Now he's 8. Yikes!

Bella has started piano with a new teacher and we love her! She's also proud of the three loose teeth in her mouth. I keep teasing her that if they all fall out, we might have to feed her with a straw! She's so excited about Valentine's Day. I guess it starts with girls at an early age!

And Little Red has forgotten about binky (I think). She's also learned some more useful words and phrases too, such as: "shut up," "whatever," and "Nana nana boo boo." Couldn't be prouder. Hopefully she will un-learn them soon or she might be suffering from a sore bottom. On the bright side, she also now says, "OK mommy," "Lub you," "I help you mommy." Overall, she's our sweet little Strawberry Shortcake.

The new house is coming along with most of the interior walls up. It's starting to be time for all those pesky little decisions: brick color, trim, wall color, etc. Hopefully we'll be able to choose many of the same styles we have in our current house. We really still like what we picked when we built 7 years ago. Or maybe we're just lazy :)

I love going out to the new house; it's so peaceful and quiet there. Sometimes it already feels like home. I hope the kids get used to being in the country fairly quickly after we move. It's nice to look around and see the huge yard and pond they'll be able to play in. But when B and I look around, we also can't help but think about all the work there is to be done. And... all the work it will take to keep the lawn mowed, weeds pulled, etc. One day at a time I guess.

Grown-Up Clothes

Every year for the past three or four years, I've taken the kids' pictures in "grown-up" clothes. The idea was to measure their growth from year to year by comparing how much better the clothes fit each year. To make a good comparison, I used the same article of clothing. For the girls, I chose my wedding gown. For Yogi, I chose a pair of B's jeans and a t-shirt.

We've had so much fun each year when it's time to get the grown-up clothes out. Unfortunately this year, I'm about six months behind. So next August, it probably won't seem like they've grown that much. Of course, that's if I can still find the clothes after we move. Ughhh!

Yogi can't keep a straight face whenever he puts these huge jeans on. It must seem like a daunting task to grow into clothes that fit his 6'4" dad! He always pretends that's he's Jerod in the Subway commercial, modeling his fat clothes. Even though his dad is not even close to being fat, Yogi swims in these clothes.

Princess Bella probably enjoys this activity the most. Although I can tell she's growing up because each year she is more self-conscious about the gaps in the front of the dress (since it would fall off her shoulders if it weren't pinned.)

As a side note, I did not think this whole activity through enough. I am not sure what I'm going to do when she no longer fits in the dress. She will definitely (and maybe Little Red) be taller than me. I guess we'll cross that bridge later...

And Little Red probably enjoys this activity the least. I have yet to get her to actually try the dress on. It is pretty heavy and probably looks intimidating to her (I wonder if this is a sign of her future - ha ha!) Tonight we coaxed her into putting on the "princess crown" and holding the dress. We'll have to wait to see what she does next time.

Just for fun, I got out the last picture we took of her in my wedding dress. Ahhhhhhh....... I took this in May of 2007. I had planned to take pictures again in August of 2008, but now we're into January of 2009. So being six months behind in taking this year's pics makes a big difference in a really small child. Just goes to show how quickly they grow!

Thank goodness for a sweet babysitter who was not busy last night!

B and I got to see the movie Gran Torino. Loved it! Clint Eastwood was his usual stellar self and the storyline was great.

After the busy week we had, it was great to relax a little. Sometimes movies (and books) make me feel better. Seeing other people's problems helps put a little perspective on my own crazy issues. Another plus is that it's something B and I enjoy together. I think it takes us back to those high school dating days. We got to see a lot of movies then. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember those days of freedom (LOL!)

Also got to post a bit on Facebook (after the kids went to bed and at the expense of sleep, of course) But it turns out a lot of high school and college classmates are playing there and it's been great to catch up.

I sure hope this week isn't as busy as last, but time will tell.

Busy Week for All

Little Red has been doing well without "BeeKee." She has completely surprised me by trying to grow up all in one week. She started to use the big girl potty and started sleeping in a big girl bed with Bella. I wasn't ready for all this! She won't be two for another few months.

I've decided to let her use the potty sometimes but not start the full-fledged training yet. And as sad as I am to see her leave her sweet little crib, I must admit that her and Bella's room will have more space without it. When she started sleeping with Bella this week, she slept the best she has in weeks. So, there she goes again, growing up without me!

Yogi had an eventful weekend as he got to go hunting with his uncle on Sat and Sunday! Although I missed having him around, it was nice for him to be outside and separated from the Wii!

Bella's biggest news is that her two front teeth are more wiggly every day. Pretty soon the tooth fairy will be visiting us again. We have her on speed dial this year!

We got to go out to the house and take a few more pictures yesterday. It wasn't very nice to wake up this a.m. to an inch of snow on the ground!! I guess I wasn't really expecting that. As you can see, the roof is half on. Therefore, we had a bit of snow in the house again today. The kids thought it was funny that if you drop anything on the floor and make a vibration, snow falls drifts down from the rafters and it looks like it's snowing. Although B and I didn't find as much amusement in the spectacle, it was nice the kids were there to make light of the issue!

First Communion Meeting

I can't believe it's almost time for the oldest, Yogi, to make his First Communion. We had another parents meeting tonight to help the children be prepared for their big day in April. B had to watch the girls, so Yogi and I went by ourselves.

It seems like just yesterday that I made my First Communion. I was dressed up in my pretty white dress and veil; so excited to see what that piece of hardened bread tasted like. I did feel pretty special after my First Communion. Although that happy feeling only lasted about 20 minutes. The mass was so long and I had to go the bathroom sooooo bad. There's nothing like parading around the church hoping none of your classmates will see the small puddle you just left on the floor. Didn't feel very special after that.

But I know Yogi won't have any problems of the sort that day. Even though he's complaining a bit about wearing a tie, I think he knows he looks nice when he's in dress clothes. And I'm impressed with his attitude and excitement over the whole ordeal. Tonight, on the car ride home, he told me that he has lots of questions about God, religion, and communion. I braced myself. But they were good questions and we had a nice discussion.

However, he informed me that he has lots more questions for when Fr Apo visits our house next month. Oh boy! If you know Yogi and the types of questions he's famous for, you'll understand why his dad and I have reason to be nervous.

Bye Bye "BeeKee"

January 18th - D Day. It was marked as the day that Little Red was to give up Bee Kee. Bee Kee was was also affectionately referred to as Binky, B, and Boo One ("Blue One" was her favorite binky).

We had talked about her giving BeeKee to a new little baby, since she was becoming a "big girl." She agreed, but it was still tough.

Sunday night, she cried for 30 minutes. I finally went to her room and rocked her a bit until she fell asleep in my arms.

I can hardly blame her for crying - BeeKee was a beloved friend. And not just for her. Mommy enjoyed the convenience of "the silencer." It was like magic! So when she cried on Sunday night, I must admit that I shed a few tears too.

But it was for the best. BeeKee was holding her back. It sometimes kept her from joining in with the other kids and it was getting difficult to understand her growing vocabulary when BeeKee was lodged in her mouth.

The good news is that she gets to keep her blanky for as long as she wants.

But still, giving up the BeeKee means mommy's little baby is growing up. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that. But I know she'll grow up regardless of how ready I am. And I cannot hold her back.

Look out world - here she comes!

Taking Time To Eat The Snow

Even though I was really busy tonight after school, I felt like I should take the time to go outside and play with the kids in the snow.

The older two can go out on their own, but Little Red needs someone to help her. So sadly, she usually ends up staying inside with me to help cook supper.

But not tonight. I went outside and played with all of them. It was so much fun! They made tiny snowballs, tiny snow angels, and ate tons of snow.

Another plus was that I remembered to bring the camera!


Little Red


Snowball fight - Yogi and Bella (with Little Red as the referee)


My three snow angels


Time to go inside!

Through the Eyes of Children

I found some pictures the other day that I had never seen. Earlier this summer I let the kids experiment with an old digital camera. They took over 700 pictures in two weeks before getting tired of it. It was really fun to watch them experiment with different objects and angles and light. They learned several things:

• You can't take a picture in dark lighting unless you can hold the camera REALLY still
• It's hard to get babies to sit
• Riding a bike with one hand and trying to hold the camera in the other DOESN'T work
• Pictures from the inside of a car rarely turn out
• If you forget to recharge the camera, it's not ready when you need it

Overall, these proved to be valuable lessons that could only be taught by doing. Of the hundreds of pictures they took, very few (percentage-wise) turned out to be really good. Most were really bad, unflattering shots of me, self-portraits, pictures of their favorite toys, very dark pictures, or very blurry. But they got better toward the end of the two weeks. Here are some of my favorites:

Baby Elmo: finally a baby that will sit still!


Self Portrait of Yogi


Bella


Yogi and Little Red and Special Baby (the doll's actual name :)


A bug (Yes - they brought it in the house!!!)


Bella


Grandma's Roses

Little Red sleeping (Ahhhhh!)

Little Red (as a binky toting Tigger Pirate??)

It will be pretty funny for them to see these in a few years. It was definitely worth all the time I spent loading their creations on to the computer. If for nothing else, they now have a better appreciation for what it's like to be behind the lens!

Saturday Visitors and New House Pics

This morning, Cousins Missy M and D came over to play. Even though sometimes it can be hectic at times, I absolutely love having the house full of kids. I have some really great memories of visiting with them about different topics just to see what they'll say.

I have eight nieces and nephews from 1 month to 7 1/2 years. Even an innocent question such as "What does your daddy do at work?" can prove hysterical. On one occasion, several of them were visiting about what it would be like to go hunting with grandpa. They created the song "Old McGrampa Had a Gun" sung to Old McDonald Had a Farm. I really wish I would have had the video camera running because the lyrics were very very funny (and actually made sense!)

Today Cousin D, who is 2, was trying to get his coat on to leave. Little Red nicely went to retrieve his coat, but accidentally unsnapped the hood from the coat. Little D protested to his mom, "She ripped my head off!" Kids say the funniest things!

Before they went home, we decided to take a quick trip out to the house to see how the guys were doing. It's pretty cold and windy for them to be working outside. The dusting of snow we received last night wasn't making the rough terrain any easier to walk on.

My curiosity got the best of me. I heard that many of the first floor walls were up so Aunt P and I couldn't resist taking the kids out to see.

I'm finally getting a little bit better about keeping the camera handy.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

This is the first year that I recall discussing New Year's resolutions with my children. The oldest two, at ages 7 and 5, were particularly interested in the tradition. After some discussion, I thought it would be good to remind them that goals should be specific. Surprisingly, they both came up with ideas immediately.

Yogi - "Be able to hit a frog in the head with a rock by the end of the summer" (I must explain that he is throwing rocks into the pond and aiming for the frogs - not holding them and beating them over the head. I'm not sure the explanation helped him sound less cruel. As his mother, I have had to resign myself to the fact that he comes from a long line of hunters on both sides of the family. Poor frogs!!! Thank goodness it will be a while before he gets that BB gun.)

Bella -"Try to be nice....for the whole month of January" (maybe she can add a month each year until she's 16!?!?)

WOW - You can see B and I have our work cut out for us. On a positive note, at least they were specific...

P.S. We set Little Red's goal for her: Learn to use the big girl potty!

New Year, New Things

Just a week ago I was soooo happy to see the snow disappear. Now, I'm not so sure that was a good thing. Snow has been replaced by MUD and lots of it!! I think I hate mud more than snow. After working out at the house, B's jeans are so full of mud that they get the washing machine all by themselves.
But, enough complaining. If it's warm enough to be muddy, then it's warm enough to keep working on the new house. And that's a very good thing. The garage footings have been poured and the walls formed. I would have never guessed we would be doing this in January!
Time for the kids go back to school tomorrow. Yogi lost a tooth during the break, and he'll have a story to tell his class. It fell out in the orange he was eating.

I'm sure he'll also be suffering withdrawal from hours and hours of video games, Bella will be suffering withdrawal from Webkinz, and Little Red will be missing them both while they are at school.
As a side note, Little Red has been having so much fun with them home. Sometimes I cannot believe how big she's getting. The other day, I think she told her first joke. Now, she's also learned how to repeat just about any 3 or 4 syllable word. And since she repeats everything, we'll really have to watch what we say. Today I heard her say "idiot" a few times. I'm not sure if Yogi or Bella is to blame for that?? Maybe I should yell at them both and cover all the bases :) On the bright side, she was able to tell me that her "ear huwt" and she needed "tynol." It was pathetic and funny all at once.
Since the holidays are over, it's time to get back into a routine again. So, in celebration of the last day of winter break, we tried to do some fun stuff today. Bella had been begging to open her Bratz hair coloring studio. I had been putting that off, but today conceded. It was actually pretty fun (and not too messy). After we colored the Bratz hair, I let the girls put a little color in their own hair. It washes out with plain water. Then they wanted their picture taken.

Later we'll have another Wii Mario Cart tournament, then call it a day.
Happy New Year!