Things They've Said

Bedtime at our house involves some of our favorite family rituals, and sometimes it holds some of our least favorite troubles as well.  The kids are tired, and so, like all children, they don't always make the right choices.  In the midst of Ava being scolded for the umpteenth(this is a real word in my world) time by her Daddy, I looked at her in a typical mommy stance with my hands on my hips and said, "You are being a naughty girl tonight, aren't you?"  She looked at me in utter seriousness and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well, I am rather tired."  I turned away from her and walked down the stairs because the way she said it made me smile from ear to ear, and I, of course, did not want her to see me smiling at her little indiscretions.  Sometimes, the things kids say help to put everything in perspective, don't they?

After that incident, we were praying with the kids before bed as we do every night.  I have had friends tell me that their kids do everything they can to stretch out bedtime by blessing every person they know during their prayers(you know, like the clerk at the grocery store they saw two weeks ago), but my kids have never done so.  Tonight, however, Lukas ended his prayer the way he has been doing so more and more often.  "And God, thank you for my Mom and Dad and Ava cuz I love them so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sooo, soooo, SOOOOOO MUCH. Amen."  I was about 2 more so's from telling him to say amen. 

We also have notes on the refrigerator right now which Lukas wrote to us last week.  I am loving these notes.  As the mommy who spends my days with my kids and rarely has a moment without them, I completely understand when they argue over daddy time.  Who gets to sit by Daddy, who gets to pick a game to play with Daddy, and on and on it goes.  When Lukas wrote these notes to us last week, I had to laugh out loud, but not in front of him, of course.  It kind of put it all into perspective for me and made me feel good.

My note says:

Dear Mom,

I love you.  You're the best.

Love,
Lukas.

Eric's note says:

Dear Dad,

I love you as much as I love Mom.

Love,
Lukas

That was good stuff for me.  I don't even know why I thought it was so hilarious.  I just enjoyed it very much and wanted to share it.  Mostly, I just want to remember it.  Of course, those notes will be going in a scrapbook or memory file somewhere to keep forever.  Things like that are priceless.  I'm sure I'll read them again years from now and smile even more than I am now.  My kids are great.  They warm my heart every single day.  I don't know what I'd do without them.

Play by Play

This is an account of what it is like to attempt to play a sport with a frilly dress wearing, hair-bow adorning, My Little Pony loving, dancing princess, also known as Ava.

Friday evening after dinner, we headed out back to play basketball.  Five minutes into the game, Ava decided that she needed to change the clothes on her Webkinz, which were sitting on the patio table.  This, of course, left me without a teammate, and I was getting rather beaten up by her Daddy, who shall remain nameless (HA!).

So...I convinced Ava to put down the Webkinz and head into the yard to play soccer with Mommy.  After running all over the backyard for, oh, say, another five minutes, Ava headed for the patio, once again, because her Webkinz also wanted to play soccer.  After being told that Webkinz cannot play soccer because they will get dirty, she decided that we should play "catch ball" instead.  And so, Ava and I played catch with her rainbow ball for another five minutes.

At that point, Daddy and Lukas decided they were missing us and decided they could play something with us instead of basketball (because, really, Ava and basketball are just not a very good mix yet).  We were going to play a family game of soccer but decided to teach the kids to play kickball instead.  Of course, there are only four of us, so we had to make up some of our own rules.  It was us against Daddy first.  When it was Ava's turn, she kicked the ball and ran to first base.  Then she wandered into the garden to look at the strawberry plants that have taken over the entire plot(and they are blooming already...strawberries here we come!).  We reminded her to go back to her base.  When the next person kicked the ball, she ran...to the swingset because her feet hurt(this is her currant favorite excuse) and she wanted to rest until it was time for her to run again. 

After this, we switched roles and it was everyone against Lukas who really wanted to throw the ball and get us out.  While Ava was waiting her turn to kick again, she picked some pretty purple violets that were growing in the grass and gave them to me.  Then, she kicked the ball, ran to first base and decided that she wanted to be the one to roll the ball.  After giving Lukas two more throws, it was Ava's turn.  I think she rolled the ball three times before deciding that she needed to, once again, tend to those needy little Webkinz (she got two new ones this week, a Yorkie and a pink cat).

Eric (oops, he was supposed to remain nameless), Lukas, and I did work up a sweat and get some exercise in the midst of all this.  Ava, of course, did not, but we had a great evening and made some wonderful family memories.  While basketball, soccer, and kickball are not Ava's thing at this point, she is so graceful on the dance floor (well, she's only 4, but she's pretty graceful for 4).  We are so looking forward to her first recital at the end of May.  I'm sure that you will have the opportunity to come back to my blog and read all about it, and there will be pictures.  Of course!  Aren't there ALWAYS pictures? 

Go spend some time with your cherished ones and make some great memories of your own.  They'll never forget it.  You'll be making an investment that will last forever.

Tagged

The rules:
1. Link to the tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some weird, some random.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Lastly, let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

 

I've been tagged to do this by my friend, Stacy.  I think I've done something similar before, but I love these things, so here I go again!  I'll see if I can come up with 7 people to tag who haven't already been tagged this time!

 

1.  In Mr. Vipperman's 7th grade literature class, I once fell asleep while holding a very sharp pencil pointed towards my head.  I still have a tiny speck of pencil lead that I can point out to you on my face.  What a rude awakening!

 

2.  I worked at the Columbus Zoo one summer during college and a goose flew overhead and pooped down my back.  I had to try to scrub out my shirt in a public bathroom while not getting it too wet to wear all day.  YUCK!

 

3. When I turned 6, my grandparents bought me a parakeet that my dad convinced me to name Sassy.  I loved him and hope to purchase a bird for my kids to enjoy as well.

 

4. I dream of writing and publishing a great novel someday.  Sigh.

 

5. I fancy myself to be a famous nature photographer and taker of great portraits while knowing that I barely qualify as a novice point-and-shoot snap-shot taker.

 

6. My senior year of high school, I got in trouble with Mrs. Gable for skipping studyhall(I know, it was JUST studyhall).  Wow, was she mad!  Good thing she didn't know that Christy and I drove to Christy's house one day during studyhall just to get her French horn!

 

7.  10 years ago I thought I would be teaching music in a school somewhere at this point in my life.  15 years ago, I KNEW I would be a big-time high school marching band director(YUCK!).  Now, the reality is that I wouldn't trade being home with my kids for the world, and I hope that I never have to teach in a public school again!

 

Okay, your turn!  If you aren't on the list, but you still want to do this, just leave a comment so that I know to check out your blog!

Cassie

Tanya

Brooke

Kristin

Eric

Michelle

Amy M.