2, 9, 11

Lately, I've been noticing more and more my attempts to address the needs of my kids at the different stages they are in their lives. There's just something tricky about trying to change a poopie diaper while helping a third grader with spelling words, and listening to an 11-year old complain about not being able to talk to boys on the phone.

Can I just have one stage at a time please? I think I'd been spoiled with this. Anna and Emma are only 2 years apart and they were on the same wavelength for years. I'd take them to the zoo, they were happy. To the park, happy. To Burger King, great. Shopping, even better.
Not so much now. I find myself trying to make all three happy, or at least not miserable and sometimes failing big time. I try to get some one-on-one time with all of them, but John M. is way ahead on that game. He needs my attention most often, so he's the one that gets it.

I wonder sometimes if my girls feel slighted and I hate to admit myself that they chances are, they do. They've actually voiced them a few times but most often, don't mention it. That fact, in itself, makes me love them all the more and feel guilty all the more too. I suppose I have to look at it in the way that the 1-on-1 attention that they receive is directly proportionate to what they require. You get me? I'm not sure I do either. But what I'm thinking is that, for the most part, they seem to be content to be playing with friends, or on the computer or watching Hannah Montana on Disney for the umpteenth time, and if that's the case, so be it. Now and again, they do request my involvement in something specific, a game or homework or a project and I do my best to give them 100% when I can. I hope that's good enough. That I'm not doing any harm.

My absolute favorite times are when things just seem to fall into place by themselves. Like when they all end up in the kitchen doing cheers that they've taught John, that involve Anna (or Emma) yelling 'Big Sis!' and him coming back with 'Little Bro!' and then lots of laughing.
Those are the best. I hope there's loads more of those to come.

Daniel Powter baby

John M. spent the day with my mom yesterday. I called to check on him a couple of times and she said that he was really behaving well. He ate all of his breakfast, took his medicine without a problem and ate an entire Lean Cuisine spaghetti dinner for lunch. He, then, even asked when he was going to go to sleep!

He took a nap and they were playing and reading books, and my mom said she was really feeling happy that they had a good day together.

It's at this point John M. decides to bust her bubble. He breaks out into his own version of 'Bad Day'. Just out of the blue. Way to bring her down, boy. She told him, 'John, I thought we were having a good day together'. He comes back with 'I jus' singin', Maw-Maw!'.

Rain, Rain, go away

I'm posting this picture because I'm sick and tired of cold and rain. The weather has been drear-y, with a capital DREAR lately and I really don't like it. So, here's Anna about 4 years ago on the sunny beaches of Florida. Eating her Happy Meal that the seagulls stole soon after, when we abandoned our mat to go pee. Damn gulls.

I've been busy lately, apparently too busy to post regularly. I could kick myself when I do that. The kids say things on a regular basis that I want to capture, but I forget. And those things soon fly out of my head and are gone forever. I've been wracking my brain trying to think of what Emma said last night that me fall out laughing. And I can't, for the life of me, remember. I need a memory chip installed in my brain, that I can take out and plug in to my PC.

So, latest news:

John M. had his first dentist visit yesterday because of his 'dead' blue tooth. Turns out, it's infected so he'll be on an antibiotic for the next 10 days.

Anna and Emma have kicked in full-speed with basketball games.

My house has decided it wants to fall apart and I hope the money fairy drops a load of cash down, so we can fix even a portion of it.

Mark bought a new tractor and I think it may be sexy. Thanks, Kenny.

Peace Out.

61! Wow, that's old.

Wasn't that title funny, Mom? Are you laughing?; you don't look like you are.

My mom turned the big 6-1 on the 6th, which is today, right? Well, no, but I backdated this post. See how techno-savvy I am?

I missed her birthday post by 4 days, so here it is.

What do I say about this woman who sits here with me in goofy 3D glasses, and is thoroughly enjoying it, just like I am? She is my clone, or I guess actually, I am hers. Not appearance-wise, as you can see, but personality-wise, yes!

We are both dingbats, have no sense of direction, love to laugh and be silly, and are generally in a good mood. We always said, growing up, that my sister was a lot like my dad and no question, my mom and I were two peas in a pod.

I sure haven't wondered far from her. I live about 50 feet away. I don't tell her often, but she is everything to me. She is my best friend, the one who I can tell anything to, and she will always listen and let me know that she is genuinely interested. She is my outing partner, she's always up for going most anywhere with me and the kids. She's my 'fixer-of-all'. She alters my family's clothes, and fixes anything broken. I can't count the number of times I say 'We'll just bring it to Maw-Maw's, she can fix anything'. Oh, by the way, she is an incredible 'Maw-Maw' to all seven of her grandchildren. I keep waiting for my kids to outgrow wanting to go visit 'Maw-Maw' but they never do.

I've always thought that we were alike in so many ways, but the one thing I've always felt along with that, was that I could never measure up to the person that she is. She's always there for her family and her friends. She's generous beyond belief and honest and caring. She's my example of what I want to be 'when I grow up'. She's so many things that I strive to be. Maybe one day I'll get there. Until I do, I'll appreciate the fact that she's in my life.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you more than mud. And penguins. And even muddy penguins.




(now there's your birthday post, so you can shut up ;^)

2007 Resolutions

I never really put my resolutions on paper, hell, sometimes I don't even make any. In the past couple of weeks, from time to time, I've thought of things that I want to work on and I figured it would do me good to actually put them in writing.

1.) Spend more one-on-one time with Mark. Have more 'dates' without the kids.

2.) Give more time/money to charitable causes. (I've actually already done some work on this one in 2007!)

3.) Be more generous, in general.

4.) Stop complaining (or at least, cut back).

5.) Lose that 10 lbs I've been talking about for the past 2 years. (This is one I definitely have been working against so far this year, I say, as I burp my Sonic lunch).

6.) Really READ things, books, magazines, blogs, whatever. Don't SKIM, but read. I've always been a skimmer.

7.) Try to teach my children more about faith and morality. Be a more positive example also.

8.) Plan more outings and get-togethers with friends and relatives.

9.) Visit more often with family.

10.) Don't spend too much money on things I don't really need. Beware of the lure of the promotional and free shipping codes! This one is going to be a doozie.

On a side note, 'Who dat talkin' bout beat dem Tigers?!'
Woo-hoo, LSU!!