Mother's Day 2012

My 16th Mother's Day was nice and quiet and relaxing. I went to Indian Lake with the girls and enjoyed some time relaxing and gabbing. 

I spent a little time lounging in the hammock, looking out at the lake and up at the trees.  We had an evening of drinks and chitchatting by the fire and it was wonderful.

 On Sunday, I was welcomed home with a Welcome Home/Happy Mother's Day sign, with balloons even!

 

Ella gave Silas some rollerblading lessons. Only minor wipe-outs...

 Justin created a frame and mixed concrete so that all 5 of us could
make our handprints and then decorate it. 

Silas hand painted me a wonderful tile with flowers.

 
And made me a book about "My Mom"

 Which he put in this big envelope with his paper flowers and flower pot.

 Ella had this card for me...
So much better than the "mean mom" note that I usually get!

 Ella also created a really wonderful book of poems for me too.
She made "me" on the front - I love that she gave me a Life is Good t-shirt,
which I wear as often as possible.

 This was her opening note:

 Dear Mom,
I'm writing you this letter to tell you how much I love you. I appreciate how
you cheer me and my soccer team on and buy us what we need, I appreciate
that you cook for us and take care of me.
I hope you like my poetry book!
You are the best!
Love, Ella

Mother:
Mother
awesome, loving
cooking
running, very amuesing
excited, funny, happy, joyful
Mommyo

There were a few more wonderful poems that I'll have to post too.  I like flowers, I like some pampering...

but this to me is what makes Mother's Day. Though I did NOT get any cute pictures or art from Mason!  I guess that ship has sailed :(

I feel very blessed to have a wonderful mother, wonderful mom friends and family, and pretty darn good kids that call me mom and seem to appreciate me more than just on Mother's Day...life is good :)

Deja Vu

Justin and I are home tonight with only Silas at home. Ella and Mason have sleepovers this evening. Anytime we just have Si at home we always flash back to the "just Mason" days. Especially tonight since we are in the finished basement which is nice and cozy and reminds us of our old living room across the street.

This boy...I love this kid so much. Even as rotten as he can be...

His ball got run over in the soccer field parking lot. He was not pleased. This face says it all...
but he ended up getting a pretty snazzy neon blue and green ball to replace this one, so that made him happier!






He's been reading like a champ. It's really amazing what he's learned this year. His teacher continues to say how amazed she is with his math abilities and he's been LOVING the science they have been doing in class. He's so excited to come home and tell us all about it!

 Thursday evening Ella had soccer practice and just Silas and I were home.  We hadn't been outside much because it has been pretty chilly and rainy lately. The sun came out and we decided to run down to the school for a little fun and exercise.  The sky was looking beautiful from the mix of the rainy day, sun coming out and setting.  I snapped this picture with my iPhone and I think it will get added to one of my eternal favorites of the kids.

Ella and Silas were looking at the kids' baby books last week and as I was flipping through, I saw this picture.  The fact that Mason can curl up on just 1/2 of the couch...if I could rewind, I'd go back and have a do-over from here.  All 3 little for a while longer.  Hmm, or maybe flash forward a few more months to when Silas is sleeping through the night.  That would be better!

There are lives I can imagine without children but none of them have the same laughter and noise. {Story People}

Happy Mother's Day Dear Moms!

Motherhood is scary business...sometimes it doesn't seem like it at the beginning - when things go perfectly and you ease into mothering that newborn baby that sleeps well, eats great and never has an ear infection (like Mason), you might think "hey, this isn't so bad...I can do this!"

You may catch a whiff of fear the first time the baby sleeps through the night and you awake in a panic and rush to make sure he's still breathing, or the night that a fever spikes suddenly and you call the doctor's office in a panic.  Or the loud "thud" and screech of a first broken bone.

Almost 16 years into Motherhood, and I'm still amazed at how much turbulence the heart can withstand...it's capacity to stretch, expand and contract with pride, joy and fear.

The snuggle, first words, a Thank You, kindness when playing with other kids, good grades, great effort...

Losing your 3 year old for 10 minutes at the store, a lump on her neck that sends a cold chill through your body as you think the worst, being bullied and teased.

And so much more that I haven't gotten to experience yet as a Mom.  It's a blessed but scary road.  One that I wouldn't trade for all the wine in the world... 

Thank you Mom and to all the Moms that I know and love!

Precious Moment

It is so, so cold out right now.  When I woke up this morning the temperature read -3 degrees*.  Tonight it had "warmed" up to 18 degrees.  As I was tucking Silas in bed tonight, I layered about 4 blankets on him, getting him all snuggled in.
I kissed him good-night and said, "You are all snuggled in, nice and cozy.  You are a very lucky boy."
In his close-to-sleep, still baby voice he whispered, "I know mama, I am a lucky boy."

Lordy, how I love these kids!!

*I feel a bit like a sissy complaining about -3 degree temps when it was -47 in North Dakota and -27 in Minnesota today!

Ahhh....

Silas was giving me lots of hugs this morning at breakfast.  I hugged him back and asked:

"Why am I getting so many hugs this morning?"

His reply:  "Because I love you so much"  he said while giving me another big hug.

Whatever it is he wants, he's getting it!

Oh, What a Night

I should know better than to try to get a "good-night's-sleep" - I know this by now. I headed to bed earlier than I have been lately (considering the holidays, having company in the house the last 10 days AND the Buckeye's game - which we will NOT talk about).
Silas had been coughing (Thanks to Typhoid Mary and her sick kids - and that is Emily's self-label, not mine! :)

We got Silas to bed, lathered in Vick's vapo rub (yes, I do put it on his feet as well as his chest), got Ella to bed and all was well. Like I mentioned, I went to bed "early-ish". Woke up a few times around midnight to Silas coughing, woke up a few times because I didn't hear Silas coughing (and of course that made me nervous so I had to get up and check on him).

Woke up around 1:30 because Ella's elbow delivered a blow to my eyeball that could have knocked-0ut Mohammad Ali - I really thought she had deflated my eyeball (though I'm pretty sure they don't just pop like a balloon.)

2:00am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
2:45am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
3:45am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
4:00am - Ella says - Mommy, I have to pee - makes sense - then I see her in a full blown run to the potty - and then hear some terrible retching noises - she made it to the bathroom but couldn't get the toilet lid up in time - say bye-bye to one new roll of toilet paper and a box of Always maxipads :-(


The poor thing retched a few times. She is the best puker that I know - she takes it all in stride, it doesn't freak her out, she holds back her hair, wipes her mouth and then nods her head to herself like she is saying "okay, I think I'm done".

She then came back to bed (she was sleeping with us because Aunt Em and the cousins had her room). I tucked her back in, kissed her forehead and then stroked the side of her face a few times before putting my head down. As I laid my head on the pillow, she reaches up and strokes my face a few times and then reaches for my hand.
My first thought is: she is going to take care of me when I'm old.
My second thought is: we should NOT be holding hands with all these germs...

But of course, I don't let go.

First Soccer Game

Ella had her first soccer game yesterday. She did a great job of hustling and even scored a goal! Coach Daddy was very proud of her and the girls. Their team name this year is The Butterflies.

Notice her new soccer cleats - pink and black :)

She looks like such a little tomboy here!

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Justin was up at 5:45 am and was out the door at 6:15 to go play golf - some much needed R&R for him. He's worked his rear off on the floor and has all the hallway and most of the dining area completed. The more that goes down, the more we love it! Today we will work on getting the family room put back together - it's like a great big romper room right now.

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Last night when I tucked Ella into bed, she was so sweet. She had played hard all day with her friends after soccer, so she was exhausted. She wanted to sleep in our bed and we were too tired to put up a fight. As I tucked her in she said "I love to snuggle with you - that's why I like to read books with you and sleep in your bed" and then she kissed me on the nose.
I know why my kids have to be so rotten sometimes - if they were as sweet as they can be ALL the time, my heart would shatter in a million little pieces.