Today

I did a lot of "feel good" things.

I had coffee with a good friend and her sweet baby.

I dropped off 4 bags of toys to Goodwill.  Hope some little people out there enjoy them.

I dropped off a huge bag of shoes and coats for kids going without in our area.

I volunteered for 2 hours in GoGo's classroom.  I used a hot glue gun, cut ribbon, addressed envelopes and got Gingerbread houses ready for decoration.

I spied on D in his class.

I ordered 36 holiday cupcakes for GoGo's class holiday party.

I dropped off treats and holiday paper products for Walks With Purpose's class holiday party.

I took pictures of my Christmas decorations.  With Christmas music blaring.

Much better than yesterday.


I argued with D about his math homework.
Me-"Oh!  I didn't know you guys were learning to carry the 1."
D-"We're not."
Me-"Yes, you are."
D-"No, we're not, Mom."
Me-"Um, yes you are.  Right here."
D-"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Turns out they don't call it that anymore.  It's grouping, which is basically a bunch of sticks and dots.  WTF?  Must they change everything?

I had a bit of a row, with GoGo yesterday.  Over piano.  And her lack of practice.
I gave her my best mom-knows-best lecture about the need for practice, how it makes perfect, and other such nonsense.
She doesn't give in and I drive her to her lesson, convinced she will not pass this week's song.
Alas, I am proven wrong.  Not only did she pass, she was assigned 2 new songs and her teacher tells me "She has a knack for this.  A natural ability".  What does GoGo say?  "HA-HA-HA, mom."
I just got schooled.  Again.

Recently, I have  lost my patience with Walks with Purpose for a multitude of things and I may or may not have said a few potty words under my breath.  Have we met?  Maybe they weren't quite under my breath.
Purpose picked up a doozy and now I am begging her not to repeat.  I remind her it's potty talk, not nice talk, not good manners talk.  She pauses.  She looks at me.  She repeats her potty talk.
My thoughts exactly.

Confessions, Christmas Craziness and More

D took a big step towards his First Communion this past weekend - First Reconciliation.  Or, Confession, if you are old school like me but that seems to confuse the youngsters now.
He was so nervous - he has this little finger twisting thing going on when he's anxious about something.  It was palpable and I felt for him.  But he marched right on up to the front of the Church and laid it out there.
Somehow in the midst of his soul baring, he found it important to tell the Priest that "his sister drives him nuts".  I suspect this was to explain some of his sins away.  Which, he "only told him 3 things because that's all I could remember."
Sounds like plenty for a first-timer.  Then he came back to the pew and we prayed his Penance together (only ONE Our Father!) and he beamed at me and asked me how he did.
I could have eaten him up right then and there-so proud.
GoGo will be next year and that may be a longer process...

So we are in high Christmas spirits around here.  Lights a-blazing, music blaring, Elf on the Shelf out.
Each and every year I tell myself to slow down and really enjoy the Season for what it is, not what it's marketed to be.  Because each and every year I am a bit depressed after Christmas is over.  It goes by in a blur and all that seems to be left are shards of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes being turned into forts.
Are my kids really getting the message?  Do I have to remind them of the Birthday that IS Christmas?
No and Yes are the answers, unfortunately.
So this year we are adopting a family in need-not just an Angel Tree gift, although we've done those before.  This is the whole kit and caboodle-adults and kids both, food and gifts, bare necessities.  I don't know if it will help but we're going to give it a go.

Meanwhile, my little people are trying hard to be good, for that Elf is watching closely.
Walks With Purpose has repeated a few choice phrases recently (picked up from none other than Mommy) and both GoGo and D have reminded her that the Elf is watching and she may not get any presents for having such a potty mouth.  Ugh Oh.

I feel like so much is crammed into the next 2 weeks between school functions, parties, extra holiday projects, etc.  I'm sure I will forget a thing or 2 between now and then.

Like moving that Elf each night...

Giving Thanks

For These Guys...healthy, beautiful, creative individuals.   Love them.

For the Sun, Sky and beautiful views.

For doing things you love, with people you love.

For not being afraid to dance to the beat of your very own little drummer.

Yes, that is a mean White Man Overbite impersonation.

Thankful we have family to spend time with, an abundance of food to share and memories for later days.

What Did You Say?

My little people are already in the Christmas spirit.  Of Santa, that is.
On the way home from our mountain trip, they decided to pen a note to the Man In Red.

Apparently my driving was not conducive to writing a note to Santa.

My driving had no effect on GoGo's letter-it's mostly hearts anyway.

D's take on a cottage in the mountains - to be mailed along with the list to Santa.

GoGo's gift for Santa.

This morning two Walks With Purpose things happened.

She's in bed with hubs and I and she toots.  She whispers "Tree Frog".  

She toots again.  She whispers "Again".

Happy Weekend!

Later, she has taken her diaper off for the 6th time in approximately 30 minutes.  

I ask her WHY she keeps taking it off.  She tells me "cuz Baby is on my  butt".  

I look and yes, there is her baby doll on her butt.  

Nice.  I couldn't bring myself to photograph that.

You Learn Something New Everyday

We went to the mountains this weekend for a long and relaxing stay.

It was cold, a lot of the time.  But beautiful. And fun.

My little people saw snow being made, kind-of-cold.

Most of the leaves at the higher elevations were gone but it was still so pretty.  

We mined for gem stones, watched the snow blowers at Appalachian, putzed around downtown Boone, played at the park when it was 26 degrees outside, hiked, shopped and had roaring fires every night.

I learned that GoGo will probably never go to App State.  

She is not a mountain/hiking/lots of clothing kind of girl.

She is a sunshine, beach, flip flop kind of girl.

D, on the other hand, was totally in his element.  If App State had a building program, he would be there tomorrow I suspect.  He loved the hiking, the trees, the dirt, the vibe.

Walks With Purpose was happy regardless.  She had french fries, room to run and her big bro and sis.

Where To Start

Let's see.

Walks With Purpose told me something was "super cool" for the first time.  Cracked me up.
She is really talking so much more now and the things she says either crack me up or make me cringe.
No in-between.  She is getting much better at saying Please, Thank You and You're Welcome.
She has also told me I'm stupid.  Nice.  Wonder where she heard that one?

Which brings us to D and GoGo...

My older 2 went fishing at the beach this weekend.  That was the longest I've ever been away from them and I really missed them.  Although the quiet was nice too...
They caught 3 baby sharks and you know that made Gogo's year.  I have a picture of her waving a filet knife that I am saving to use on her when she's 15 and knows everything.  She informed me that "they didn't rip the shark's tooth out because he was just a baby."  How merciful.
My father-in-law gave the kids these cool geodes from Mt. Saint Helen's and now I wonder if D is re-thinking his plan to become a builder. He's so into this rock and crystal thing now, I see him at a dig site in Egypt in about 10 years.  He also made his first "balls" joke yesterday to me.  Good times.

Meanwhile, I think I am in the midst of an early mid-life crisis.  Is that possible before you even reach 40?
Lately I have had this incredible wanderlust - I want to take about 2 months off from my life and follow Van Morrison and Mumford and Sons around the U.K.  I want to close down the pubs while enjoying a beer and some live Irish music.  I want to rent a car and trace the steps of my great-great grandparents in Ireland and Wales.
All of which, is tough to do with 3 little people.  Not to mention Hubs.
I am hoping this is a bad combo of PMS and the anniversary of my mom's death and not a full-blown crisis.
I can't afford to take all of us on my 2 month journey to insanity.

On a brighter note, we visit the mountains this weekend and then Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  Everyone says it each and every year but Where Did This Year Go?
I've no idea.  But Christmas is Coming!  And that makes me very happy.
Maybe Santa will stuff my stocking with a bit of sanity.

Instant Gratification

The Sickness is upon us.
A stomach bug, head cold and strep throat swept through our house over the last 5 days.
First hit was Walks With Purpose, then D, then GoGo and finally, Mom.
There is only so much vomit a person can clean up and not actually get sick as well.

Hopefully everyone is on the mend.
Beautiful weather is here this week and I hate for us to be inside breathing each others's cooties, instead of running through the leaves.

But tending to little people when they are ill leads to instant gratification, in a weird way.  We snuggle, I dole out meds, we watch cartoons and eat noodles in our jammies.  Voila!  Everything is better.

Many days as a parent I wonder if what I'm telling them, showing them, etc is sinking in at all.  It may be another few years before I see the fruit of all this labor.
Sure, there are lots of moments with spontaneous hugs, smiles, hand-drawn pictures and such.
When Walks With Purpose says "Awww...poor Dommie" because he is sick, when I see D congratulate GoGo on something at school, when I hear GoGo talking about her great her big bro' is to her friends...then I know I'm doing something a little bit right.   I'm raising empathetic, family-first people here.

But the big stuff may not reveal itself for quite a while.  The choices they will have to make daily as they get older, when it really counts.  Decisions that will affect the rest of their lives - friends, college, lifestyle.  I can only hope all my "nagging" about choices and consequences will have sunk in by then.  So no instant gratification - just a wait and see.

Sick, but still cute.

I know, right??  She thinks anytime I get my camera out, we're doing a "shoot".

Love that she is managing it all - driving, sippy cup and her baby.  

Also, GoGo was awarded the Star Student for her class last week - so proud.
Her teacher noted "Margot is always considerate and kind to her classmates".
Her teacher let her call me from school and tell me which I thought was way cool.  So did GoGo.
D congratulated her and it sounded sincere.
Walks With Purpose gave her a big hug.

A little bit of instant gratification...love these guys.