Your Mom...

Somethin' for the Kiddies....

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Determined to Ride...Determined to Hold...

In the world of a determined girl who is newly five years old, Lucy has decided to take off the training wheels of her bike.

She has mastered the balance, and is even now able to get on and off the bike, "starting it up" without one of us holding on to it for her. We have successfully biked to the ice cream shop and a friend's house in the past two days, without issue.

She is so proud of herself, it is great to see her beaming with pride. Just another step further into the world of "all grown up."

Next up? Learning to tie her own shoelaces. She is almost as determined to do this, as she was the whole "no training wheels" thing. Funny how things come along like this and it's just...so...five years old.

Other interesting topics come up as well, such as:

WHEN CAN I GET ME EARS PIERCED (a daily question at our house)?? and
"Mom? I would like some clothes that are fashion."
I think she means "fashionable."

But even still, she sometimes likes me to pick her up to walk her up to bed, when she is tired, etc. To be honest, she is almost too heavy to pick up anymore. This makes me terribly sad. She is 46 lbs. and I really have to work hard to carry her very far at all. This seems crazy to me - I have been carrying this girl for five years. It used to be nothing a split second ago.

How can she almost be too heavy? When will she stop asking me to hold her?

Why is this all going so fast?


_________________________________________


So I run and run and run...because of that marathon thing I am training for in 10 weeks.
:)

And I think about everything going on in my life. This song says it all for me this summer. I am mildly obsessed. I recommend you download it onto your itunes and begin to immediately enjoy and be inspired.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

One of Those Moments....

Do you ever have one of those moments with your child, where you are caught off guard and just stop and watch?

This afternoon, little three year old Tommy was blowing bubbles in the driveway. He was in his own world - totally content and happy. I had a moment where I stopped, watched him and tried to soak it all in. I tried to remember how he looked at that moment. Tried to take in how he acted, his voice, his everything.

It was the greatest - and I really, really hope I remember it all.


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

What Come Naturally....

For a long time, we have had a hunch that Lucy is going to embrace and excel in sports. Matt and I were athletes and loved every minute of it. Our kids are built strong and just look like they have little athlete bodies.

Lucy's first official "sport" began yesterday, with the start of "Soccer Camp." Seeing her geared up in her shin guards and cleats was adorable.

But today, when I went to pick her up, she came waltzing off the field with a sweaty brow and a dirty t-shirt, all while "high-fiving" the counselors. She was bringin' it...and I was so very proud.

Three separate people have come up to me the last 2 mornings, just to tell me how good Lucy did or how well she kicks. I haven't had the time to stay and watch the last two days but it is a priority tomorrow.

I can tell she is confident and having fun. I have to admit that I really want my kids to do whatever THEY decide they want to do in school...but to have two kids playing sports they excel in is right up there with good grades for me. I admit it! Go kiddos!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

PLG Kids...

Things I have recently noticed about kids that are extremely PLG to me:

1. Kids get thrown in cars and taken random places all the time. They have no control over this. They are sometimes confused where they are going but just trust that their PLG mom will just take care of them. We need soap? Oh, we are going to Target now? Nice.

2. Summer camps. This kills me. So your kid is all, "It's summer so now I get to go do something different!" Again, the random dropping off places with sunscreen, backpacks and a water bottle with no clear idea what is exactly going on. Again, trusting the grown up they are supposed to call "Counselor Sam" to take care of them the next 2 hours. PLG central...

3. Kids eating snacks. Just how butt happy they can be about a bag of pretzels or a popsicle. Just sitting there mowing on it, totally oblivious to life around them.

4. Kids waking up from naps after falling asleep in the car. They just wake up and are all sweaty and then are all, "Oh. Where are we? Guess I'll get out now." Totally plg.

5. Kids at restaurants. Here's a crayon and a menu. Do you want this choice or this choice? O.k. here you go. I am so sure...

Thursday, July 09, 2009

A New Life for All...

I have spent the past four months entrenched in what would best be described as "my new life." This "new life" (aka new job), has really taken away from me any "Sarah time" I ever really had up until this point.

Those 2 hours when Lucy would play downstairs and Tommy would nap. That glorious quiet hour when I could warm up a cup of coffee, the laundry was folded, the dishes were done, the to-do list had been checked, and I had peace. Just one moment in the day of peace.

I'd watch a DVR'd show. I'd blog. I'd stir up plans to keep the kids busy for the last 3 hours of the day.

This is why you now read blog posts about weird ladies on street corners, instead of my old, riveting, in-depth analysis of motherhood.

One might be very bothered by this. In fact, I was (and still sometimes am), a bit cranky about my lack of "me time." It took some adjusting in my brain.

However...what has really happened, in a pretty natural way, is that it has become "a new life" for all of us.

For me, it has provided me a renewal of a part of myself I had sort of lost touch with for five years. I didn't need it then, nor did I really miss it at all. However, now that I am up and rolling with this part-time job, it does kind of make me go.."Hmm...I sort of forgot I was good at this." That is COULD be fun and rewarding. Not the same as parenting at all...but that's o.k.

It has forced even greater efficiency on my part. I was already the most time-efficient person I had ever known. But now, it is a skill that I have sharpened. Out with the worthless. In with what matters. Time is precious. Use it wisely. When I am mom, I am ALL MOM. When I am employee, I focus on that. Throw in some running, some cleaning, some friendships, some husband time, and boom...you've got it all chugging away.

What's gone away? Well, let's just say if I get three nicely cooked meals on the table that week, I feel pretty good about it. And this poor blog has been hurtin', bless it's heart. The house doesn't get dusted anymore. Matt gets more calls at 4 p.m. with a request to pick up "just one quick thing at the grocery store on your way home," because I just couldn't make it happen that day.

But it's all just fine. Really.

For Lucy, she has really evolved into quite the wonderful five year old girl. She grew 4 inches this year. She's brave and funny and loving her life.

"Would you like me to sing to you in my fancy way?" she asked her playdate in the car today. The rather shy little girl said yes, so Luce broke out into some alphabet song I had never heard with lots of fancy tongue action and nasally long notes.

She definitely acts like a "big girl" now, and she is much more capable of handling (and excelling) on those longer, fun, exciting summer days. She's learning a ton this summer at all these little camps I have signed her up for. It's been a great break from school but she is ready. The elementary school doors cannot open soon enough.

For Tommy, he is just a silly boy who loves Spiderman, his friends, hanging out with me, and pretty much rolls with life's day to day. He handles new sitters and different schedules like it's no big deal. He's also quite taller and funnier and sweeter than ever.

Matt has done his part and THEN SOME in his flexibility and just general ability to swoop in during a schedule crisis and be the fun Dad he always is. I couldn't do this new thing without him.

So it's new for all of us, but all quite fun. The initial guilt has weaned. It really is a great balance for me and we were all kind of ready for it.

The kids have naturally taken one step further from me in their independence, and I have shifted my focus a little bit on myself again, too.

I wouldn't want to do a second more than I do now. My cup is full.
But it is a really exciting place to be at right now.

Ridiculous...but Great.

While driving through our city's downtown to take Lucy to a birthday party at our local zoo, we came upon a ridiculous looking woman on a street corner.

She was in a bathing suit. And heels. And some sort of "cover up."

By "cover up," I am referring to the small piece of cloth barely covering one quarter of one butt cheek on her body.

Suddenly, from the back seat, I hear this one:

"That Ladies Look is Not her Best Choice."


Straight up AWESOME.

Monday, July 06, 2009

Another Vacation for the Record Books...

We are back from another successful week of vacation on Lake Huron.

The weather was cold and dreary for 4 of our 7 days, but that didn't stop us from having a great time!

The kids were awesome. Tommy tried week 2 of officially "ending the naps," which led to a lot of PLG behavior like sleeping in the car, on the beach in my lap, on the couch with the action swirling around him.

Highlights included:

A glorious "first night" out on the beach - with the sun shining and everyone excitedly putting their feet in the lake!

Tommy's first movie, "Up!" - eating his popcorn, sitting in Boppa's lap, and having a fantastic time in the cute, old-fashioned theater that wasn't "too loud" for him.

Boppa's much-anticipated fireworks, with a dance routine from Boppa to go with. The kids didn't seem to notice that despite the 25 names of all the different "fountains," they pretty much all looked the same.

Dinosaur Gardens! WHO KNEW there was such a place?

The FOOD and DRINK - only during this one week of the entire year do I allow myself to eat TWO creamstick donuts, drinks everyday at 3 p.m., and appetizers, dinner AND ice cream all in one night!

The 4th of July parade in Harrisville, complete with patriotic songs blaring down Main St.

The Alcona Lighthouse and one room schoolhouse with Matt and Dad.

My 10 mile run in which I encountered a baby skunk that I really didn't want to run away from because he was so cute!

My little girl wanting to snuggle with me on the beach and be "cozy."

Seeing the kids have a blast with my parents, my sister and her boyfriend. They are so very luck to have so many people love them!


And now we head into July...with few weekend plans and lots of fun to be had. I can't wait!



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I'm a 39 year old stay-at-home mom. I have a 9 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. I have lived in the big city and in the mountains, but am happy to be back in the Midwest, raising the fam. I enjoy laughing, wine, bad karaoke, US Weekly, running, cemetaries, cheese sticks and short hair-dos. In my previous life, I was class-clown and a wanna-be comedian. In my professional life, I'm a journalism major with 10 years of marketing and PR experience. I dream of being a cast member on Saturday Night Live and working at Disney World as Snow White.

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