The Mothership

You have not lived the life of a first world parent until you have many stories of some kind of bodily fluid cleanup happenstance story. So many that you feel like no one else could have this many stories - but infact I can tell you that Susan down the street, as much as she is trying to hide it, ALSO has these stories under her belt. Let’s play a game of “Never have I ever...” where I name something and you lower your head in defeat if you have. READY?!?? NEVER HAVE I EVER...  Caught throw up in my hands...voluntarily  I’m gonna let that one sink in for a bit Never have I ever put my smiling baby up high in the air with their beautiful face looking down at you only to be directly vommited on with accuracy of a nuclear bomb.   Been changing a baby’s diaper and caught their poo in your hands mid change.  Awoken by the cry of someone breathing putrid smelling breath over you saying, “I fink I got sick mommy...” In the car on an awesome family vacation...

I've been a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM) for the better part of 8 years. For the sole reason to take care of my babies. To create in them a firm foundation. To be a constant for them.  To be able to serve other mommies while having my own babies. And man have I loved it.  I am a people person and yet a homebody.  I have thoroughly enjoyed having little ones in the house. My wonderful husband has worked so hard to provide for us so that I can stay home. God has provided so abundantly, and for that I am so thankful. When I was growing up I always imagined my dream job being a SAHM, but when I imagined it, the kids were always little babies! They were never older than 4 - in my dreams. And guess what...they grow up! And so do I. My youngest turns 4 in a few weeks. I have decided to go back to work. It is not full-time - in fact it’s super convenient for me - but yet it’s still time. This community is one such that I am blessed to be a part. I am truly excited to begin. But ...

My kids eat pretty well at home - I mean if the stars align, there is a possibility that everyone will remain in their chairs and that gravity won't work against them, finding their bottoms on the floor once again. Or the reminders to "Take another bite" will be minuscule...but all in all, they eat and they sit at the table and they come back to do this about 5 times a day. So naturally I think "I just don't feel like cleaning up another mess today," or "I'm tired of packing 4 lunches...let's go out" But eating out with these fine humans is a whole other ballgame...a game I enter with prayers that THIS time we enter into this restaurant will end differently than the time before... and ALMOST every single time I am reminded that I was wrong. I am fully reminded of why we don't take our three out to eat unless the whole dining experience can take less than 45 minutes from sitting to standing. It's like dipping your toe in i...

What person, in their right mind would buy a child, under the age of 6 SILLY PUTTY?!!?!?! My mother, that's who...oh wait she's a grandma, and does just about anything for me and my kids, so I guess she gets a pass (I really do love you mom).  BUT, if you are a mother of young ones..proceed with caution! If you have the time to sit and supervise the playing with silly putty, then by all means, buy it.  But, if you expect them to be able to keep track of it...nuh-uh...just don't. People...I lost all sense of being a human being the other day over silly putty...I went from nice, friendly Mommy: to crazy person that may or may not be an alien: You know why? Because, the havoc it ensues upon my house, I have endured before.  I remember...not fondly...trying everything to get silly putty out of the shorts pocket that my child "saved" it in....which somehow cannot be removed by any means possible BUT I assure you, can metastasize to any other piece of c...

Good night sweet heart, well it's time to go... Good night sweet heart, well it's time to go... I hate to leave you, I really must say, Oh, good night sweetheart, goodnight. Sad emoji face... Such sweet words... I sang this to all my sweet babies after they would fall asleep from a nightly feeding.  Oh how I enjoyed those feedings.  Maybe not the waking up part.  But most definitely the snuggling, and inhaling the sweet smell of that baby. I believe that this time has come to an end... I have been blessed with three beautiful babes and am so thankful for all their different characters and personalities.  But, I always, obviously not realistically, envisioned myself as a Mother of young children. so this is hard, people... We recently switched the nursery, that I so carefully planned, into my 4 yr old daughter's bedroom.  No more nursery.  I always knew that the end of my baby making years would be rough, but I did not expect to be...

I was supposed to have surgery today... but God had bigger plans for me.  Bigger plans than I could have ever dreamed. They always say healing happens, and when it happens it is usually not just for physical healing but for some kind of transformation...well, He's been working on more than my wrist. About a year ago I tore cartilage in my wrist...opening salsa...I know, true story.  Who does that ?  Anyway, it became so painful that I went to a doctor and after a few tests decided that surgery was the next step.  The doctor left it up to me as to when I should have surgery...having an 18 month old and surgery don't really mix.  So I waited...talked to God a bit...waited... and the pain increased. I could no longer do a push-up, open a can of beans, garden, clean the house, shake an inhaler for my son, lift my toddler into his car seat, crab-walk across a gym, pretend to be a horse for my kids to ride, sleep through the night without waking in pain...on a...

It's happened.  One more of a great generation has died.  My Julio. So precious to me.  So many people can affectionately call him "My Julio."  That's how awesome he was.  I feel especially sad because such a huge part of my youth is forever gone.  No more memories to be made with him.  But how fortunate I am to have as many memories as I do!  He was the true "American Dream."  And such a wonderful man for so many reasons that he left a legacy. Everything he did, he did with intensity and correctness. Julio was awesome because... he came from another country and became very successful...against all odds. found THE BEST wife God could have ever made for him. he would help just about anybody. he put 22 people through college. he kept me every weekend. he did the best "run under the swing". every time I saw him he told me how beautiful I was. he knew how to feed the geese and even call to them. he could summon a whole neighborh...

So, it's been a while, and I never updated about my goal of not yelling. I'm happy to say that I made it 10 days! But then of course, there were too many days of asking repeatedly the same things, not enough Daddy time and,yada, yada, yada, I was right back in my old ways. Luckily one of my children likes to snap me out of it. I think this 10 days of no yelling was something like a reset for the kids and when I exploded, they were caught off guard...and yet they were so forgiving. I can't even remember the reason why I yelled.  I just remember Luke saying, "it's okay, Mommy. I forgive you too." And this time instead of yelling at him for being disrespectful, I took it in the back of my throat and swallowed hard. I hugged him and just said, "Thank you." Since that moment when I broke my streak, there have been longer  "streaks" and shorter moments of explosion.  The Lord is providing me with better words and understanding.  I'm not p...

Will they know... how my heart yearns for them after they have been away for only a night? that while they were sick I held them and still kissed them even though they smelled rancid? who tucked them in and kissed them goodnight while they slept? how much my heart hurts when they are hurting? how often I pray for them to have a heart for the Lord? how often I pray for patience to show them unconditional love? how much I want them to be caring and have a thankful heart? the planning that went into each of the crafts and lessons I toiled over? the arguments that I dropped because I knew it wasn't worth fighting over? the times we made cookies because it left them joyful and me full? how I held them while they were angry or sad? how many nights/days I spent holding them so their precious body didn't have to touch the floor, by choice? how protective I am of them? that I tried to create independence in them? how much control I had to let go of so that they could bec...

I don't know how, but some people are born with this ability to completely quote movies.  Word for word, no faltering, they can remember exactly how it was said in the movie.  I am not one of these people.  Even the girly movies that I have seen a bazillion times, I can never seem to quote from them when appropriate.  And when I go out on a limb to try and sound funny, I stumble all over myself and it ends up coming out as word barf!  My son, however is able to quote movies, and even applies the quote to a situation that relates.  Here is how a conversation at breakfast went this morning: After asking Luke three separate times (of course while I'm making lunches and emptying the dishwasher all at the same time) what he wanted for breakfast, he finally answers with a growl and pursed lips, "Strawberries and eggs."  So what do I do, I make eggs and a side of blueberries.  That's what he said right? I bring his plate to the table.  He finall...

The fall and into the holidays I feel like we go not stop speed with trying to get everything festive in before the end of the year.  Plus I love to do all the festive things.  I was planning to do a creative post of 25 days of Christmas...but, that never happened.  So I'm just going to give some highlights with maybe a few comments (funny ones if you're lucky) in between. Luke was super into Christmas this year.  He is so enthusiastic about most things, but the morning he woke up to a house full of Christmas decorations he was especially sweet.  "Mommy mommy mommy!!!  I just LOVE my Christmas. I just love it!  It's a special treat for me!,"he says jumping up and down with his eyes tightly shut and mouth moving faster than his little brain synapses could connect. I have always loved Christmas, probably because my mom tried to do as many festive things as she could.  I'm glad he's just as excited about it as I am.  I mean someone else ...

Our little pumpkin made it...she made it a whole year! Some things we would like to note about Carolyn: she has THE BEST smile I have ever seen.  It can melt anyone's heart and is the culprit for some of her spoiled behavior. she is very advanced for her age;)  She can throw a tantrum like an 18 month old and has been walking/climbing for over a month now...we are such lucky parents! she LOVES her bottles and expensive formula...no signs of giving them up anytime soon (at least not nicely). loves to play with her brother loves to pinch loves to be outside was 19lbs. 12oz. at the doctor and 29inches long (all in the 50%ile) LOVES the library and books...can't get enough of them can't stop the dancing...she even goes up to the stereo and either tries to push the buttons on with her stubby little fingers or points and whines till we turn on the music is really good at playing hide and seek LOVES bread in any and all forms has 6 teeth sleeps a total of 15+ hours...

****WARNING!  This has potty language.  Not cursing, but literal potty language  So if you are uncomfortable with it, don't read it.***** Luke is pretty well potty trained.  He has accidents every now and then, but they mainly happen because I've forgotten to ask him if he needs to go and we are nowhere near a bathroom, or he is having too much fun to be bothered to stop and pee himself (this is another post;)).  We have a small potty in the bathroom for him to use during the day just for his pee breaks.  He will run in and use it without me even knowing, with the exception of his white naked butt making an appearance.  I have been thinking that maybe we don't need this potty anymore in the bathroom since he is doing so well, but it makes things very convenient.  Plus Carolyn is becoming ever more curious and follows Luke everywhere.  However, the potty still sits in its spot in the bathroom. The other day they were being especially swee...

With Luke's new vocabulary questions have come.  He doesn't even stop to listen to the answer I am giving him and he's already asking another.  He also makes the most random comments and remarks out of nowhere.  Here are just some of my favorites: While watching a show about dinosaurs, "Mommy, what dat species?" "No, dat silly mommy.  I'ma sillwe monkey." "dah-hah, me feet stinky!" while running to an air-show, "Me LOVE see aiw-panes fly! Phshuuuuuu on a phone call with Mammie discussing what he saw at the air-show, "Me see jets, aiw-panes, racie cars, super guys, helwecopters, and SPACESHIP!  Phshuuuuuu!" if he seems absent mindedabout anything he snickers a little smile and says, "Ha, me forgot!" like it was such a surprise to him. after a long walk with with G-pa he came back and said, "Mammie, me walk weallwee farrr.  My legs so tired!" and my favorite: whilst playing or being corrected...

Luke has recently really gotten into saying his prayers at night.  I have tried to compile some of our dialog during prayers.  They usually start out this way: Me: You want to say prayers? Luke: MmmHhmmm Me: Let's do it then. Luke: Dear Godt, kay-you for me, kay-you for mommy, Cece, kay-you for Daddy, kay-you made me and my torpedos. Amen and another time... Luke: Dear Godt, kay-you for making trees, and gorillas, and my family...AAAAAANNNNDDD my CARs another... Luke: Godt, kay-you for mommy, daddy, Cece, and kay-you make me, and Dave and Jess, and Dave and Ho-hawk (mo-hawk).  Amen.  Dave do that again? another... Luke: Dear Godt, kay-you for make me, my house, my food, my cool house, and for my toads, yeah toads...they say croak, me see toads morrow? Amen. another one...(this one really gets me right there ya know) Luke: kay-you for my mommy, my daddy, Cece, and...., and..., and...Mommy you so beautiful:) As you can tell, prayers are a compil...

My grandma and I were very close.  In fact we didn't even call her Grandma, we called her "Bobbie."  Every weekend, two of the five of us would spend the night with her.  Somehow I was special...I spent almost EVERY weekend with her.  I LOVED my Bobbie and couldn't do most things without her.  I don't think a day, or maybe two, would go by without talking to her. I remember... ...how she would let me put on makeup and nail polish.  On the way home on Sunday mornings, I would be peeling off the nail polish so my parents wouldn't know.  It was just between us.  ...how she would feed us grapes and soup in the bathtub.  And after the bath, use all her fancy powder brushes to powder our bodies.  Plus the feeling of the nice, warm, night gowns that she would heat up in the dryer for us. ...her taking me to the beauty parlor every Saturday morning to sit and talk with the older ladies while Bobbie "got her hair done." ...watching Touc...