Memories

This is my favorite ornament from when I was younger. I don't think it had any special significance the year I got it. It's a Hallmark ornament. I got one each year while I lived at home, not always a Hallmark, but an ornament of some kind. I can't explain why this one is my favorite of those I received, but it is. Many years SuperSister and I got the same ornament. Sometimes Babybrother got the same one as well. I like knowing that we have a few similar ornaments on our Christmas trees even though we no longer live in the same house.

Tacky but Lovable

I have a snowman collection that no one but me loves. There are some snowmen that I have received as gifts and some that I have purchased on my own. Some are expensive and some are quite cheesy. Grouped together they look like a mess, apart they look lost, so I just leave them all together. The two featured snowmen were created by my girls. Miss 11 made the one on the left in Kindergarten, he's since lost an arm and his popsicle stick skis have faded. He has smudgy fingerprints where she glued on his eyes and earmuffs. The one on the right was made by Miss 16 in second grade. He's also adorable with a glove tip hat and sequin buttons. His face is hand painted and his scarf is tied and twisted all around his pipe cleaner arms. By far this is the most tacky of my decorating scheme, but it's also the place I stop daily and remember who gave or made me which one.

Decorate

I've been debating a plan for the blog this month. I am considering posting pictures, hopefully daily from now on, of random decorating we do around the house each Christmas season. Why? I have no idea other than I think I am boring people with all the talk of the swimming, the whining, and blathering.

We'll start with this one. Several years back I found some gorgeous snowflake ornaments. This is one of them. And then, my Mom found the same ornaments and bought me several for Christmas. This might be one of them, we bought the same ones. I put them in windows all around the house. They are a little sparkle in what ends up being long dreary days here. I love the way they look massed together, and this year I tried a few individually in windows, they look great as well. When the sun shines just right, for about 2 minutes, we have rainbows sparkling all over our kitchen. When Miss 11 was younger she used to chase them around, laughing until she fell down.

Day Late Dollar Short

Even though technically he became Mr 20 yesterday, I still intend to tout his virtues today. Why? Because yesterday my Internet decided to take a pre Thanksgiving vacation leaving me to actually have to work on things besides the computer.

Dear Son,
20 years ago today (yesterday) as I lay in a hospital bed, after waiting for 36 hours and missing Thanksgiving dinner, you were born. As with most things in your life you chose to make it difficult. You weren't coming out, period. You decided that it was warm and toasty where you were, and the contractions coming 5 minutes apart for the past 36 hours could not convince you otherwise. Finally though, the pitocin drip had just the right effect on you. But the pitocin drip made me want to scream and rip someones head off. The (male) Doc decided it was time. And we commenced pushing, and pushing and pushing, and you must have grabbed hold of my lower rib and held on for all you were worth because you were NOT coming out. We should have guessed then exactly how terribly stubborn you were going to be. The (male) Doc then decided to try forceps, but oh no, not one set of forceps, he went through 3 different types of forceps. In the end, I told him to knock it off, and you were finally born. Sometimes I do win arguments between you and I, and I won this one!

Hubby and I were exhausted and thrilled and at 21 and 23 had no idea of the path that was ahead of us. You were a cry-er, and not a sleeper, and the exhaustion over having a newborn seemed overwhelming. So what did we do? 3 weeks after you were born we packed up our small household and moved 120 or so miles away from our closest family. No one ever said 20 something year old parents were geniuses.

We spent 6 months in a lack of sleep induced stupor before finally giving up and moving closer to help. (And a college we could afford for me to attend!)

Son, you are stubborn, over the years we have had innumerable clashes of opinion. Our opinions weren't the same regarding curfews, privileges, homework, grades, girls, friends, chores, TV viewing habits... The list would be long. We fought, we fight. You have learned lessons from me, (I hope) and I have learned lessons from you, my oldest child. You taught me to be a better parent. You taught me patience. You taught me the value of a well written note instead of a yelling, screaming face off. You taught me that at times, if I just shut up, you'll talk, eventually. I've learned that things I never imagined you listened to me about have actually helped you in the long run and you have repeated them to others.

I've learned to text, and text well, because that is the only way you speak to me during those long, long months you are away at college. I have learned that when my phone rings, and you actually call me, it's because you forgot to do something, you have lost something or you need me to mail you something.

Even though we don't always see eye to eye, I have learned things about you from others. I have learned what an amazing friend you are, and how people rely on you. I have learned you are the first one to volunteer to help someone who needs you: whether it's to jump start a car, give a ride to someone who shouldn't be driving (even when you've been in bed asleep for 2 hours already), shovel out a stuck car, drive someone when they have no other way to get there, talk on the phone at all hours of the night to someone who just needs your ear, ask me questions that they are too scared to ask their own parents when they need advice, speak out for someone who is too afraid to use their own voice, etc. The list goes on and on. You have become an amazing young man, and I am very, very proud of you!

I am convinced that as life goes on we will still disagree, and I am ok with that. I hope you are too, because I've learned so much from you and even when we don't agree, I think you learn from me too. Mr 20, I miss you with all my heart and soul when you are away at college, but I know that moving forward with your life is your new path. But even then, I wish I could bring you home, curl you up in your aqua blanket and your Elmo and snuggle with you while we read "Where The Wild Things Are." Happy Birthday to my first born and only son. Enjoy your 20's!

Growing Up

When they were little I stepped all over Lego's that littered the floor.
Now, I trip over dirty towels on his bedroom floor and random socks littering wherever he drops them.

When they were little I picked up little pieces of Polly Pockets that covered each bedroom. (otherwise the cat eats them and hacks them up!)
Now, I pick up headbands and pony tail holders left wherever they are taken from their hair.

When they were little I poured them bubble baths and dumped in a mountain of toys.
Now, I'm barely allowed in the bathroom when they are showering unless they need a razor, a new bottle of shampoo or a bar of soap.

When they were little I got hugs and kisses before bed, along with begging for one more story.
Now, I'm lucky if I get a "Good night, Mom" from the older two, so I cherish the hugs, kisses and random rambling that I get from Miss 11.

When they were little I scrubbed stains out of underwear, grass stains out of knees and spaghetti sauce stains out of tshirts.
Now, all of their bathroom towels are have bleached handstains where they've neglected to wash their acne medication from their fingers before touching them.

When they were little playing a game with Hubby and I was fun on a Friday night.
Now, I beg for 15 minutes of their time before they head out with their friends.

When they were little a kiss from Mom cured all their woes.
Now, a kiss from them, might cure mine.

Motivate

Here is the weather we've been having of late. It's not just a one day thing, or a one week thing, it is what our skies have looked like for about 2+ weeks. It's not really all that motivating, but it is really cold!

It's been in the teens at night already, and we've had highs that are barely 30 degrees. I don't do well with cold temps, but I do even worse with cloudy weather. The clouds make me tired, lethargic, crabby, any of those unhappy words you can think of, I've been there in the last few weeks.

It doesn't mean that I'm not busy, and I'm not getting everything done that I typically do, it just means that I'm not feeling it. I'm not too excited about anything, I don't feel the joy that I usually do when I hear Miss 11 giggling, or when she throws her arms around me and gives me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Mostly I feel like one of those clouds have moved into my head and put a damper on me.

It must be bad when even Hubby starts to complain about the clouds. Miss 16 on the other hand, loves cloudy weather. So I don't hear her complaining too much about the clouds.

Mostly what I hear her complaining about right now is nearly everything else. She's tired out, physically and emotionally, from the huge job that is school and a swim season. These early morning practices and thousands of yards of swimming are doing her in. (Plus, I think, the new medication she is on for her heart makes her really crabby... shhhhhhh... don't tell her I said that!)

Meanwhile we have a few busy days ahead and I'm hoping that it will pull all of us out of this bit of cloudy weather, even if it's only in our minds. We have 2 swim meets at our home pool coming up along with 2 performances of a play where we have Miss 11 as some sort of "octet" character. Although the clouds may be outside I hope the excitement of a good swim meet and the joy of kindergarten through grade 6 performing on stage is enough to put a bit of sun in our lives.

An Ending

Miss 11 ran her final cross country race yesterday. She swears that next year she is swimming and next year she'll be in 7th grade and she will have to chose. Her favorite quote the day of a CC race that she doesn't feel like running is, "I'm a swimmer, not a runner!" Her coaches would beg to differ with her opinion as they often comment on her smooth stride and legs that carry her forever. There are days where she has a rough time with the race. Last week after a particularly windy and cold race she was in tears over how much her ears hurt. Also the fact that she chose to eat nearly 2 slices of french bread pizza about 40 minutes before the race and those pieces were threatening a return appearance. Yesterday she crossed the finish line, stopped short and ran to me laughing because her nose was dripping like crazy and she needed a tissue there was no whining and no complaining. Cross country is so far from a glamorous sport. The finish line is typically a mish mash of runny noses and other bodily functions that we'll leave to your imagination.

But I know, in spite of all her protestations that Miss 11 will really miss this sport. She knows she's good at it, she loves to run, and she has the endurance. But because the seasons overlap she has to choose. I've enjoyed watching her run. I'm proud that she can do something that I can't. She's got a faster mile time then I think I ever had in my entire life. Hopefully the skills and ability she learned here will stay with her, and she won't be scared to run for exercise or pleasure as she ages. Our goal with involving our children in these sports isn't for top billing at a state tournament and it's not for scholarships to college. Our goal is to give them the ability to exercise for their health and not hate or dread it.

Miss 11 took 2nd in this race with her fastest mile time yet. But most importantly, she had fun and we are proud of her!