Mommy's Day

It's been a rough weekend - I'm so thankful for that!

Friday night, Thomas slept maybe 2 hours... coughing, coughing, coughing. Judson tried to take him to the doctor's office, but they apparently stopped their Saturday hours in May. He seemed chipper enough, so we thought it could wait until Monday.

So Judson and the kids picked me up from work to take me south for Mother's Day weekend. Judson's body, however, had other plans and he ended up going home. Veronica could not be deterred from seeing her extended family as promised, so I drove them down myself.

Then hit Saturday night... about 10pm, after the kiddos had been sleeping a few hours. Thomas woke with a horrible scream. His ear was hurting. Of course, all he wanted was Daddy because the person who is NOT there surely has the solution. He denied the grandparents and I was a suitable choice. His poor little body was burning up. We tried to snuggle in my bed for a while. He moan and toss and cry... then, he'd stop for a moment, look at me sweetly, and say, "You're the best Mommy in the whole world. I love you, Mommy." He'd go back to moaning, then stop, "You're my snuggly princess." On and on it went until he finally slept (after a 1 am showing of Curious George). He got about 2 hours in. I took him to urgent care, he pretended he was Spiderman and spun webs around me in the where he was a champ diagnosed with a middle ear infection.

Veronica was a big help through it all. She made sure Grandma, Pa, Uncle Danny, and Uncle Thad didn't feel slighted by Thomas only wanting Mommy. She devoted her whole attention to them.

I don't like my children to be sick - especially the painful, mieserable kind. But, it happens. And when it does, it's just another chance to connect, snuggle and be a mommy... Here's to a tiring, but happy Mother's Day, and what being a Mother is all about.

When The Sun Sets on Mother's Day

I have met an amazing friend who shares a slightly different, yet parallel start to Motherhood... I want to repost her blog today. She touches on the grief of infertility and loss of children - two things that are often ignored around Mother's Day.

As overwhelming it continues to be to live without holding ALL my children, it has also connected me to some other AMAZING mothers who live with the same full, wonderful, but bittersweet days of raising half your brood. And, it has drawn me to other mothers who have had to work so hard to just bring their children into the world and keep them healthy.

As I have watched other friends suffer with infertility, I know that they are already parents - their hearts are so full of love and yearning for children that they overflow with the grief for the child they cannot hold and the hopeless uncertainty that they may never hold.

I ask you to listen to what Flesworthy is saying in Mothers Day: Still Kinda Sucky and watch the video attached to it. Give your babies an extra hug, don't take them for granted, pray for those who struggle with parenthood, and don't ever ask a person, "So when are you going to get pregnant?" - you just don't know how sharp that knife is. They may have been with a sad outcome, they may want to be more than anything.

Chicago, Days 1 & 2

We made our third annual "Spring Break" trip to Chicago. This time I braved the trip as the only adult in the car as our companion, Erin, was enjoying her first year as a principal near St. Louis.

The kids arrived with plenty of energy and were received by the same.

The first full day, we woke to our first experience at coloring Easter Eggs.

And, we truly loved our beautiful eggs!

We spent a lot of time playing "hotch cotch".

...and enjoying the many neighborhood parks.

The Nature Museum was a hit - especially the butterfly garden.

We didn't even slow down at bedtime.

My neighbor from childhood (who moved when I was probably in 8th grade), was rediscovered thanks to Facebook. The fabulous Liesl came and performed some of her original songs for us. She even made up some for the kids! (You can listen to some of her stuff here.)

The "big kid", or the 4 year old, was allowed to stay up a little later than the 3- 3 year olds. Rehema and her mommy played some duets.

Wordful Wednesday

Veronica:

• She noticed the surprise lilies that are coming up again in our back yard. "Mommy, I got these for you... at the store."
• "Watch me do this! Are you watching?" Then she'll do something amazing... like cock her head to the side.
• I was unashamedly bribing her to not wait until her diaper's on for naptime/bedtime to have a BM. Her response, "Mommy, you go poop in the potty all the time, so I can give you a prize too!"
• I was listening to Judson singing the kids to sleep... Mary Had a Little Lamb, Baa Baa Black Sheep.... His finale was the Theme to Mission Impossible, a tribute Peter Graves... Veronica thought the name "Missi Impoplal" was hilarious!
• "I'm sad because my Daddy's not here."
• She's constant with the snuggles.
• "Mommy, are you happy?" She's always checkin' in on me.
• As quiet and shy as she can be, she made sure the teacher told everyone in her tumbling class that the light bulb in her bedroom was burned out.

Thomas

• "Okie Dokie Arachoey!" (okie-dokie artichokey!)
• "We don't throw poop. It's not a ball."
• He was just sitting in the back seat, talking to himself, "Now. I know you're asking yourself..."
• "Sissy, you're going to turn into a boy soon, and I'll be a girl." They both seem certain that they will grow into everything they see, Mommies, Daddies, babies, boys, girls...
• "Hey guys, what's up?"
• Constantly, "I love you Mommy." "I like you Mommy." "Mommy, I love my Daddy."
• "I love you, Sissy."

Both

They like to look out for each other.

T: "I'll save you, Sissy."

V: "It's OK, Thomas, I can hold you."

Balancing Baboons

Oh, how I wish I had my camera at the zoo today. It was a totally spontaneous visit... decided to go while we were in the car, returning home from a fabulous playdate.

Thomas asked to see the tiger first. Most things we went to see were out. The giraffes were in our faces! And, we got to see one pee, which they thought was VERY interesting. Veronica was roaring at the two lionesses that were only 15 feet from us.

There were TWO baby baboons there today. The kids thought it was hysterical. Seriously, they had the giggles watching them. Veronica wanted to know why their diapers were red. Thomas asked if there was a kitchen behind little cave they all went into at the end of our visit. There was a little fight that didn't scare the kids. In fact, the whole walk out of the zoo (which took about 20 minutes) they were screeching like the baboons, hanging on me and walking like them. Veronica even beat her chest.

It was a glorious day with my little baboons.

Wordful Wednesday

Veronica

• She's always telling me who I am in our relationship, as she's always playing like someone is a baby. I was Grandma. "Mommy! You're not being Grandma." I replied that I was, I was just talking to her. "No, Mommy. Grandmas talk like this..." (gestures with her hands)
• When I ask her if I can do something, she usually gives a chipper, "Sure you can!"
• Last night we went to the Steer-In. She pushed her baby in her stroller all the way to and fro. She pushed the stroller right up to our seat. Each time she had to go to the bathroom, she would ask someone to hold Amy for her. Such a good little Mommy.

Thomas

• While watching the slide show screen saver on Thad's computer, he was making comments about the pictures, "aw... that's a cute puppy. There's Paula. Oh, she's nice." He saw a picture of himself "I love being Thomas."
• The last few days he's been telling me he doesn't want me to be a girl. He wants me to be a boy. During that slide show, he leaned in closer to me and hugged me. "Do you like being a girl? I like being a boy."
• He smiled at himself in the mirror the other day. "I'm perfect."
• He's like a commercial for Mike's Car Wash. They both love, "Elmo's house" - there's always some picture of Elmo or a stuffed animal of him in the window. When we pass one now, Thomas's script goes like this... "Mommy, you're car is so dirty! What can we do? I know, we can go to Elmo's house! Elmo's will wash it nice and clean. That would be perfect."

Some serious discussions I've heard between the two of them...

• They went back and forth over whether Mommy starts with 'M' or 'M' starts with Mommy.
• During nap time at the top of their lungs...

T: I'M A BOY!

V: I'M A GIRL!

T: I'M A BOY!
V: I'M A GIRL!

T: I'M A BOY!
V: I'M A GIRL!

T: I'M A GIRL

Giggles erupt on both sides. V gives T a little lesson and they start over. It happens again. Finally at one point after T says it correctly...

V: Great job Thomas. You did it right. That was a very good job.

Wordful Wednesday

Veronica:

• "I'm going to put my ring here because when I grow up I'm going to marry Daddy!"
• Veronica in our bedroom: "When we grow up, Thomas and I will get married and we will have this room and sleep in this bed."
• Reads and reads to her babies. She even makes up authors to the books, "by Cutie Smoosh"

Thomas:

• I was coming around the corner with Veronica. Thomas was seated with Deanna, with his back to us. "My Mommy's coming. I can smell her... she smells like chocolate!"
• "I like spinach. Especially CHOCOLATE spinach.
• "Mommy, guess what? When I close my eyes, Daddy looks like SUPERMAN!" Yes, I think he does too.
• "Hangburger" = Hamburger

Both

Judson was singing the kids to sleep the other night...

• Thomas: "No, Daddy! Don't sing a silly song!"
• Veronica: "Grandpa sings silly songs. But that’s OK because grandpas have to sing silly songs.”