February 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
Truthful Tuesday
Today, I don’t answer any questions.
Today, I just share with you something that I saw online a few weeks ago and inscribed itself in my brain.
On my heart.
Why?
Because I do take on too much, work too hard, expect too much of myself, and am my own worst critic.
And while I keep my head up high and hold it together and put on a good front, there are many, many days when this is how I feel:
And that’s the truth.
February 27, 2012
The View
This is pretty much the view that I have every minute that I am at home.
If I’m not at work, I’m watching this baby tush crawling away from me.
The stairs are usually his destination, and once there, he will go as far up as he can, before he wants to turn around and chat, at which point, I catch him before he plummets to the ground.
This kid, more than the others and probably because of the others, thinks he’s 5.
He pulls himself up and starts to take a step before he remembers he doesn’t know how to walk.
He screams when we give him food in little pieces, because he’s convinced he should be allowed to hold a whole sandwich in his hands and be trusted not to shove the whole thing in his mouth.
And he crawls.
Like lightning.
Everywhere.
Just a baby, and already the kid is always leaving me.
But he always turns around, calls for “Mama!” and comes crawling right back.
Helena, his babysitter (and the other love of his life), quite accurately says he’s like a bulldog, because as he crawls around, he’s dripping drool.
I imagine catching it on film one day and then playing a slow-motion montage of him shaking his head, much like a bulldog, and watching the drool fly everywhere.
That would be the post that would go viral.
I just know it.
Anyway, I can think of a lot of worse ways to spend my time at home than chasing Tiny around the house, with a dishtowel so no one else slips and falls in the drool.
As his tiny tush says in the picture above, Life is Good.
February 26, 2012
Just One More
Okay, so the monkeys are not the only February birthdays we have in this family.
We also sneak in my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and my mother.
That makes 7 February birthdays in an extended family of 27.
Just about 1/4 of the birthdays for the year in one month.
This year, my Mom turned 70.
And this year, I took a gamble, and decided to surprise her with the surprise party she has always said she would kill us if we threw her.
Because, the lady dosh protest too much, methinks.
Or, in English, (or, at least, the English most normal people, who don’t go about quoting Hamlet, use), I think she was lying.
So, I played sneaky squirrel, enlisted my Dad’s help with the guest list and addresses and went to work.
I’m not embarrassed to pat myself on the back about this whole shindig.
It is not easy keeping a secret like this from the woman who spends a good part of each day in my house.
She even gets our mail, and I thought our cover was blown when one of the guests RSVP’d by mail instead of by phone.
However, I played it cool and let my inner Meryl Streep shine and fudged my way out of that one.
I have to say, I think it was a success.
Here’s the progression of surprise as she walked in the door.
And, although it will take you seconds to look at this, believe me when I tell you, she made this face and didn’t speak for a good three minutes.
I kinda thought she might be having a stroke or something, at one point.
However, she eventually smiled and enjoyed herself.
And, later, when I asked if she was mad, she answered “Only a little bit.”
So, the final birthday of February was a success, and now…
I rest.
February 25, 2012
Birthday Season Wrap Up
As so, as we come to the end of February, all of my babies are now one year older.
Thought I’d share some of the birthday fun with you, through photos.
Enjoy!
February 24, 2012
Five Question Friday
1. What’s your favorite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)?
Alone, I like to read or write.
With Real Man, I like to hang out and talk, because we rarely have time alone to sit and chat with each other without getting interrupted.
2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can’t have it?
To some extent, I think everyone is.
I want it, I can’t have it, so I’m upset that I can’t have it which makes it seem like I want it more, whether I do or not.
So, while my gut says “No…I’m not that kind of person,” my guess is that we all are.
3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
This question is harder than you know.
I am phenomenal at spending money on other people.
Especially money that is meant for me.
If I get money for a birthday or for Christmas, whether it is cash or a gift card, you can bet I’ll spend at least half of it on Real Man or the monkeys.
It’s like a sickness.
Probably because I don’t like to shop.
Also, I’ve got pretty much everything I want, so there’s nothing I really need or want.
I guess I’d go to Old Navy and get some clothes, go buy myself some shoes, maybe get an iPhone4, buy a bunch of books, get an iPad3 (assuming this was in the future and not today) and then give the kids my iPad (see, I can work them in somehow), go to a few movies with the monkeys, go to a few movies with Real Man, and for both of those trips, eat all the popcorn we want without worrying that it costs $43 for snacks…
Okay, perhaps I’ve spent more than $1000 here, and perhaps it wouldn’t be as hard as I thought to spend $1000 on myself.
4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself?
I haven’t, and it makes me very sad to see other people eating out by themselves, but, to be honest, I think I would do it.
I ate by myself once.
I went to the mall, about 2 years ago, and got hungry while I was there.
So, I went to the bookstore, bought a book, then went to the Popeye’s at the food court, got some fried chicken fingers, mashed potatoes and a biscuit, found a table and ate and read alone.
It was kind of nice.
Because, (and my friends might argue this point, but it is the absolute truth), I don’t like to talk very much.
5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?
Well, I am currently doing blog reviews for Hip Mountain Mama and enjoying it immensely.
However, if it meant I could get a discount on the products, (or get them for free), I’d love to do blog reviews for Apple.
With regards to clothing, I’d like to do blog reviews for Old Navy.
If you were talking food, I’d love to do blog reviews for Hershey or Coca-Cola.
Ah, who am I kidding? I’d pretty much review anything.
I love to write and I like stuff.
February 23, 2012
Eleven
Monkey Girl is 11 today.
I strongly urge you to go back and read my post about her from two years ago (found here) because I think I said it well.
And the pictures of her are adorable.
The truth is, I can’t say enough about her.
From the moment the doctor said “Oh my God! She’s huge!” instead of “It’s a girl!” I’ve been in love with her.
She is an amazing human being.
I love her so much, she makes my heart ache.
Happy Birthday to my precious eleven year old today.
Mama loves you.
February 22, 2012
February 21, 2012
Truthful Tuesday
Today’s question comes from Heather (are we sensing a trend yet?)
Heather writes:
This one may be tougher since you have four kids at multiple stages but is there a stage that you’ve passed through that was really a good thing, but you secretly miss it. Ex: I SO miss the damn pacifier some days. It’s not that I’m a fan ( or ever was) of toting those silly things around and losing them Etc but sometimes, some days, at some moments, I miss the ease of providing instant comfort to a screaming, fussing child. You know, those moments when even the hugs and snuggles don’t seem to even take the edge off of whatever is causing the wails. So, there…I said it….I miss the darn “Pa Pa” somedays. Any secret reveals Amy?
There are definitely stages that I miss.
For example, right now, I’m at the end of a stage that I know I’m going to miss as soon as it’s over.
I’ve been weaning Tiny off of nursing for a few months.
In September, he stopped nursing during the day, and was only nursing first thing in the morning, when I got home from school, and then at bedtime.
Then, a few months ago, we cut out the afternoon feeding, then a few weeks ago, we cut out the morning feeding.
And soon, in a few weeks, we’ll cut out the bedtime feeding.
And that will be hard for a variety of reasons.
1. I am a Mom who did not have difficulty with breastfeeding and have enjoyed it very much.
Tiny is my last baby, and so the last time will be the absolute last time.
I love our snuggle time at night, and while we can still snuggle without it, let’s face it, the kid is mobile…snuggling isn’t something he does much of these days.
2. He falls asleep while he’s nursing at night, and if he’s not nursing, we are going to have to switch up his bedtime routine.
We’ve always been lucky that our kids go to bed without any issues.
However, it’s going to be a change, and for awhile, he’s going to cry and be furious with us that it’s time for bed, despite the routine of books, songs, bed, and it’s going to be SO tempting to just scoop him up and feed him to sleep.
I’m not going to cave, and I know he will learn to fall asleep quickly, but it’s going to be tough. (for me)
3. It somehow signifies the end of “babyhood” to me.
And that makes me sad.
On another note, while I am thrilled for him that he is now so mobile and that his world has opened up and that he is learning independence, it would be nice if I could still put him down in the middle of the kitchen floor with some Tupperware and a spoon and know he isn’t going anywhere while I cook dinner.
Now, I put him down, fill a pot with water, run to catch him at the bottom of the stairs.
I bring him back to the kitchen, put the pot on the stove, run to catch him before he eats a stray small toy.
I bring him back to the kitchen, turn the stove on, run to catch him before he pulls the blinds off the wall from the sliding glass door.
You can imagine the rest of the story.
So, I’m missing the stage where he could sit up, but couldn’t crawl.
Because, let’s be honest, that is the easiest stage of babyhood.
With the bigger kids, I miss when Monkey Girl was little and I could dress her in little girl clothes.
I got to pick them out and dress her however I wanted.
Cute little stockings, pink jumpers, adorable MaryJanes.
This is NOT the case anymore.
A – My choices are generally met with a roll of the eyes and a “I really don’t like that,” and
B – No one looks at tween clothes and says “Aw! How cute!”
With the boys, I don’t think there is anything that I really miss that they’ve outgrown, but I know that soon, there will be.
Like, when they are teenagers and I’m missing the days when my grocery bill didn’t require me to take out a third job.
But, then there will be things I can look forward to, also.
Like, being able to say, “Do your OWN laundry!”
So, I guess it will all balance out. 🙂
February 20, 2012
One Year Old
I find it impossible to believe, but today, my baby is 1.
The baby that entered our lives unexpectedly and changed our world in ways we could have never imagined.
The child that consistently brings out the best in his siblings.
The baby that keeps us young.
The ham that gives a big cheesy smile whenever a camera is pulled out.
The kid that moves and crawls and pulls himself up and leaves me shaking my head saying, “But he was just born yesterday!”
Today my baby is one, and I am so very, very grateful to have this smush of a lovebug in my life.
(You can check out my first posts about this boy here and here.)
