My Real Life

June 13, 2011

My Mother’s Hands

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 12:41 pm
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The other day, my Mom and I were sitting on the couch and she was showing me her hands.

“I got a manicure,” she said as she held out her hands and showed me her shortly filed nails that had been painted with a clear polish.

“They look nice,” I said.  “But then, I’ve always loved your hands.”

“You have?” she asked, with surprise.

“Yep…I always wished I had inherited your hands.”

“Huh!  I never knew that,” she responded.

And it’s true.

As long as I can remember, I have wished I had inherited my mother’s hands.

She has long tapered fingers and beautifully, perfectly shaped nails.

I used to sit on the piano bench with her and watch her fingers glide, effortlessly over the keys as she played hymn after hymn and try to emulate her finger movements when I sat down, myself, to practice.

I loved watching her write…her pen shaping pretty letters with her practiced penmanship, which I was always sure looked so nice because her hands were so pretty.

Even watching her make meatloaf, covering those hands in ground beef and seasoning made me wish I had those hands.

I don’t have her hands.

Not at all.

My hands are small.

My fingers are short and not tapered.

My nails aren’t perfectly shaped.

There’s nothing wrong with my hands…they do the work they need to do and are caring and gentle and comforting hands…but aren’t beautiful hands, as my Mom’s once were.

However, the conversation got me thinking.

What is it that my children will remember about me?

What piece of me, that I take completely for granted, will be the thing my children always remember?

What is it, that when we sit on their couches when they are grown, will cause them to say, “I always wish I had that of yours, Mom.  I always remember that about you.”

Who knows…maybe it will be my hands, after all, because often, what we find to be most imperfect about ourselves is the one thing that someone else could not live without.

“To the world, you are one person, but perhaps, to one person, you are the whole world.”

June 12, 2011

20 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Each Sunday

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 7:36 am

Alyssa Milano tweeted a link to this article this morning (yes, I follow her on Twitter, we’ve been through this already, deal with it) and I thought it was a really great, reflective way to start out on an early Sunday morning.

Hope you enjoy it and that it helps you make a path toward a better week!

Sunday Sighs

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 7:27 am
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Funny.

All I need to see to remind myself that, despite how it feels, Tiny Monkey is still…well, quite tiny, is a picture of his Daddy holding him…hand spanning his belly.

That’s one little big boy.

June 11, 2011

Mystery Solved

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 1:42 pm

Baby Monkey made a bird feeder a few weeks ago.

He’s been distraught that no birds ever seem to eat the seed.

However, the seed continues to disappear.

Mystery solved.

Today

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:57 am
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I believe this sums up the way I’m feeling today quite nicely.

Pardon the video…it’s the only way I could get the song here.

June 10, 2011

Friday Funnies

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 8:00 am
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Check this out.

I LOVE the humor of these people willing to correct their “friends.”

June 9, 2011

Mama Tears

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 8:50 am
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I spent a lot of time, yesterday, thinking about Baby Monkey heading to kindergarten in the fall.

I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time with this particular transition.

I’ve already blogged about how difficult it was for me when I simply registered him for Kindergarten.

Now, he’s really going to be going soon.

Monkey Girl went to Kindergarten and I survived.

Monkey in the Middle took his turn, as well, and all was fine.

Yet, the idea of Baby Monkey going to actual “school” seriously does a number on my heart.

There is a certain maturation that occurs in Kindergarten, and while I know that it is developmentally appropriate, it makes me sad to imagine it happening to Baby Monkey.

When kids go to kindergarten, their conversations are different.

Dinner-talk won’t be everyone chatting about their day and Baby Monkey butting in with worldly observations like “Pigs don’t do anything,” or “God takes care of us…and Batman.”

Instead, he’ll talk about school and work, which I’ll be more than happy to listen to, but I know how much I’ll miss the spontaneity and silliness of the nursery school mind.

I know that Baby Monkey will always be a character.

He will always be the silliest of the bunch and will, most likely, wear his “Class Clown” badge proudly at his high school graduation.

But he’ll never be “baby silly” again, and for that, I cry.

June 8, 2011

Packing

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:03 am
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This is what we’re doing, these days, when we aren’t at work/school.

Right now, I’m feeling pretty good about it.

I’m a consistent declutterer, so we don’t have a lot of extra “stuff” laying around.

This is a good thing.

Yesterday, we packed up my books and Monkey Girl’s books.

As I said on Facebook, we probably need a whole truck for her books, alone.

I figure I’ll do the boys books today to fill up another truck.

Truly, once the books are packed, there isn’t that much more to go.

Clothes, toys, pots and pans.

Even with the paucity of clutter, however, I’m finding moving to be the best motivator to get rid of the excess.

I keep asking myself, would I really pay someone to move this item from one house to another?

It’s a trick I use often, but now it’s got a little more oomph behind it.

So far, we’ve given away 75 articles of clothing and 50 books (a blend of my books and Monkey Girl’s books).

Of course, I’m pretty much a “if it ain’t nailed down, let’s get rid of it” type of girl to begin with, so it’s not a tricky process.

And as we pack, life goes on…school plays and concerts, graduations and picnics, birthday parties and the pool.

Transition is good and life goes on and we all survive and become stronger because of it.

So, wish us luck in the process that we don’t come down to the night before the move in a mad dash of “toss it in a freaking bag!  I don’t care anymore!”

It’s been known to happen. 🙂

 

June 6, 2011

Hate to Break it To You…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 9:12 am
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…but the best part of waking up ain’t Folgers in your cup.

It’s this:

June 4, 2011

My Little Gonk

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 5:53 pm
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All of my babies have reminded me of Gonk.

In fact, Real Man and I talk about Gonk every time we have a baby (which, apparently is more often than most).

The way they can’t reach the top of their heads with their short, little arms.

Seriously, one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.

I love little baby arms.

Oh, and in case you don’t remember Gonk, let me refresh your memory.

Those of you who are my age will probably remember.

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