Christmas, Kittens, and Kids...

We are a houseful, and that is putting it mildly.  With five kids, two parents,two grandparents who practically live with us, two dogs, and a cat there is a lot of yelling and barking and meowing and stepping over each other.  It can be crazy most of the time and that's the way we love it!  Earlier this year we added another soul to our menagerie, Mabel.  She is a lovely little kitten who we took in when I couldn't resist my teenage son's begging..."Please, Mom, she is so cute and they will have to give her to a shelter if we don't take her in."  *Sigh* How could I resist that boy?

Against this much cute, resistance is futile...

So Mabel came to live with us and really has been a joy.  She gets into all the things a kitten should, cupboards and containers, boxes and shoes, and makes a great playmate for the smaller dog in the crew, Monty, who really did need another friend to chase around.  Her favorite toy is a milk jug ring (that piece of plastic ring on top of the milk jug when you open a new one), she loves to eat people food like fruits and vegetables, and could care less when she is picked up and carried around by all of the kids and their friends all of the time.  Oh, and she was born into a house that kept raccoons as pets so I think she has learned how to be craftier than the average cat.  All in all, a perfect addition to our houseful of crazy.

We put up the Christmas tree last weekend, well Superman put it up while I watched - I'm doing a lot of watching lately - and I promised the kids we would decorate it when everyone got home. Mabel promptly climbed into the tree and we let her hang out and explore it since there was nothing but lights on it (I know, we should have shot her with water guns or whatever, but she is a 6-lb. ball of cute and claws - I don't care for the claws so she got to enjoy the tree).  She was very careful and able to climb up and down without a problem.  Eventually the younger two kids decided that waiting for everyone else was taking way too long and begged to hang just a few ornaments and garland.  I finally caved in and let them put a few things up. 

I promise, they did not hang the cat in the tree - she was fascinated with all the "toys" they put up!  

Peek-A-Boo!

After watching her reach out from inside the tree and bat all the shiny balls around (none came off, thankfully!) I promptly issued an executive order to the kids that we would not be putting any more ornaments on the tree this year.  I was not about to spend the next two weeks picking up every ornament she knocked off the tree - no way!  They were a little disappointed, but decided that having the cat as the living ornament would be more fun this year.  I was glad they took it so well as I'm a little leery of upsetting the holiday traditions - they all really look forward to decorating the house and especially the tree.  But everything else got decorated, the mantle with the SnowBabies and the front room with the snowmen, so they all felt it was enough for this year.  

I love how my kids always manage to teach me.  Maybe our traditions don't have to be so rigid and maybe I don't have to have an inner freak-out when the holiday cards aren't done, the cookies aren't baked, and the tree isn't completely decorated.

I'm glad for that this year, glad that my kids can still find joy in the season even if our traditions get done in a rather un-traditional way. 

(And, yes, that is duct tape on my un-traditional fireplace, holding the single-digit temperatures that waft down the chimney and through the ancient fireplace doors at bay...brrrrrr!!!! ) 

Still here? Yep, still here...

Going through some medical trials and tribulations right now, so if you happened upon my little blog please bear with me as I gradually come back to the land of the living.

Thanks for your patience!

Jen

School Spirit Shines with Ford Driving Skills for Life on Instagram During the Local 4 Friday Football Frenzy!

The start of another school year brings with it mixed emotions for me – some good, some sad, some scary.  We’re another year closer to my cuties being grown and gone (*sniffle*), we’re another year deeper into teen angst and drama (way too much of that around here), and we’ve got another kid learning to drive (yikes!).  It’s the latter one that always scares me the most – that whole learning to drive thing!

Our oldest child went through driver’s training a few years ago. She was guided through the usual driver education process thoroughly and patiently by her dad and I and the great driver training school she attended.  She passed all her tests with flying colors and by the time it was all said and done she felt ready to take on the world with her new driver’s license.

But I wasn’t ready.  I wasn’t prepared to let her go out into that scary world on the road.  It was very hard for me to let go of that fear every time she drove away from the house – what if something happened and she didn’t know how to react?  It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in her abilities – I just felt like there was no way I could prepare her enough for every situation that might happen.  I know it’s unrealistic to think that she could be prepared for every situation, and I also know that with age and experience comes the ability to effectively handle those times on the road when something unexpected happens.  But as a parent you just want to arm your kids with all the techniques and skills you can before you turn them loose out in the world.

A few years have gone by and we are now getting another kid ready for driving out in that big, scary world.  We again will teach him patiently and thoroughly, send him to a fantastic driving school, but this time we are going to add another element – the Ford Driving Skills for Life program.

It’s this last element that I am SO excited about!  The Ford Driving Skills for Life program is a national safety initiative for teens learning to drive or who have already obtained their driver’s license.  The program was created in 2003 by the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts with the goal to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving, beyond what they will learn in the usual driver education programs. The complete program includes a video, a leader's guide, a preview activity for students to complete before viewing the video, an online quiz, brochures and a take-home letter that students can give to their parents.  I cannot wait to get my fledgling driver signed up with this great program and he is excited to tell his friends about learning driving skills with Ford!  I am also going to tell every parent I know about this terrific program so we can all feel better about having our babies out on the road.

Another way I will be sharing this great program is by using Instagram (@FordDSFL on Instagram) during the Local 4 Friday Football Frenzy season at ClickOnDetroit.  Ford Driving Skills for Life is also asking parents, teens, and tweens to share their school spirit photos on Instagram using the hash tag #drivingschoolspirit.   

As a bonus, favorite photos with the #drivingschoolspirit hash tag and/or photos that tag @FordDSFL may be included in a round-up for some special recognition during the Local 4 Friday Football Frenzy season, including a featured slideshow on the Friday Football Frenzy page of the ClickOnDetroit website!

A 16-year old driver is 10 times more likely to be involved in a crash than an adult. 

(source: www.drivingskillsforlife.com)  

This is a really scary statistic that we as parents can try and change.  Help make the roads safer for all of us, old drivers and new, by sharing the Ford Driving Skills for Life program with as many folks as possible!  Spread the word about this great program by telling teachers, parents, friends, relatives, everyone you can.  And go ahead and follow @FordDSFL on Instagram and share your #drivingschoolspirit pictures – we’re all in this together!

:-) 

I was selected for this sponsored post by Hay There Social Media.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Road to Gettin’ on the Road – Part One: Visit an RV Show!

We have spent a long time on the road to moving up from a tent in our camping lifestyle – several years, in fact!  As a family and as a couple, we spent countless hours at the fabulous MARVAC Camper and RV show every time it came to our area, combed RV dealerships large and small, and read the classifieds on RVtrader.com incessantly (did you know there’s an app for that?!) – all with the hopes of finding our new vacation “home” on wheels.   We have had advice from friends, neighbors, family, and even our fellow campers throughout various campgrounds.   The decision to make the leap from tent to something with wheels was, indeed, a very big step for us and we wanted to be as informed as possible.

The best place to “try before you buy” was definitely the MARVAC (Michigan Association of Recreational Vehicles and Campgrounds) Camper and RV show – if you can get to a local RV show you will find a huge assortment of trailers and driveable RVs all there for your viewing pleasure!  They are often crowded, and you definitely have to bring your patience as you will need to wait while others get in and out of units ahead of you, but generally the salespeople representing the dealerships are great at answering questions.  They are knowledgeable and helpful and friendly – they do work hard for your business.  This was, by far, the best introduction to trailers and motorcoaches that we had.  We were able to get in and out of everything we were interested in without the pressure of a sales pitch.  The kids got to stand up, lie down, horse around, basically whatever they would normally do while camping, all in the name of finding the best fit for our family. 

MARVAC 2011

Trying to get them all to hold still is impossible!

You can fit five kids inside the pass-through storage of this trailer!

Superman approves of this Class B luxury van!

Trying to cram into a popup - but we're missing a couple bodies...

We went to several shows, with and without the kids, because we knew this was going to be a big decision – plus I’m an over-thinker and  over-researcher and my super hubby patiently indulged my Type A brain all along the way!  After each show visit, we came home armed with more information, brochures, and business cards from helpful salespeople, along with our pictures and notes from the visit.  We even collected information about campgrounds, resorts, and RV add-ons such as trailering components, generators – basically anything and everything that could be purchased aftermarket for your trailer or coach.  There were giveaways and games for the kids, places to purchase food and drink of all sorts, and even strolling beer waitresses should you need adult beverages while browsing the huge selection of vehicles. 

We learned so much at these shows – and highly recommend a visit or several if you are in the market for a new trailer or RV.

Kid #3 thinks bunks are great!

This was during the big "planking" craze - this one could plank anywhere!

All kinds of unusual  trailers - this one collapses like a popup!

Always have to make sure there's enough head room for the tall ones!

Go check out your local RV show - you will be glad you did!

A Camping We Will Go

Our friends and family all know one thing about Superman and I - we love to camp.  One of the first adventures Superman and I had in our blissful pre-children days was a hurricane-soaked camping trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I've been hooked ever since (well, there were a few camping adventures I had as a child that weren't quite so wonderful, but we won't go there).  Superman grew up camping and living in the woods as much as he could, so it's definitely our favorite thing to do and something we will still do together long after the kidlets are grown and have families of their own.

Ah, paradise!  Please excuse the messy campsite, the maid was on a break!

We have been camping for years in our trusty 12-person Wenger tent.  It has served us well, holding up under rain, wind, and hail, surviving middle of the night trampling from the pesky teenagers running amok in the campground, and just generally providing us with a wonderful home base.

Morning snuggles and giggles

Hail, Hail, the gangs all here!

Our kids have learned so much by tent camping I can't even begin to list all the positives - it's pretty neat to see all of them working as one big team to set up and break down camp - makes mom and dad proud.

But Superman and I have finally had enough of sleeping on the ground, on a pad on the ground, on an inflatable pad on the ground, and on the queen-size air mattress on the ground.  We both have rickety backs that just can't handle another season of hauling gear, setup, and crawl-on-your-knees, clean-as-you-fold take down.  Now, we have enough children to do that all for us, you say.  Well, yes and no.  Some day I will do a piece on just how much gear is required to tent camp for 7 people - it is a lot.  We do almost all the cooking over an open fire with fresh ingredients (that need to be cleaned, prepped, mixed, chopped there on site), don't use paper products (so all dishes are washed by hand with boiled water and sterilizing tabs), and keep the camp maintained and cleaned throughout the day and the fire stoked, in addition to fitting in time to explore the amazing natural area we are privileged to be staying in at that time.  It is a lot of work - work that we truly enjoy, but back-breaking work nonetheless.  And while all the kids have specific jobs and help tremendously, there is still a lot of heavy lifting for mom and dad.

It's time to think about throwing in the tenting towel and start looking at other options - but where to start?  When considering the transition out of a tent, the only options available are wheeled ones...pop-ups, trailers, fifth wheels, RVs, the list is overwhelming!

Finding something that fits our large family and stays within budget looks like it will be a daunting task, one that will only be accomplished with a ton of research.  Sorting through the dealer marketing, message boards, advertisements, sales, and opinions of friends and family is what we plan on doing over the next few weeks, and we invite you to tag along in our series of blog posts about this new adventure.

Happy Camping!

Jen :-)

aka The Crazy Craft Lady

Okay, I have a serious confession to make:

My name is Jen and I am addicted to crafts.  

Hmmm...doesn't quite make me feel as good as I thought that admission would.  Let's try this one:

My name is Jen and I love to craft things and I think I can make anything when really I can't and I have 234 projects started and my basement looks like it belongs on an episode of Hoarders.

Ohhhh....that feels better!

I think they should call me The Crazy Craft Lady.  When my multitude of children have grown and gone, I won't be the lady surrounded by tons of cats - it will be tons of crafts.  I already have a half-ton of unfinished projects in my basement and many more supplies to start another half-ton.  My poor husband isn't even interested when I walk in the door from yet another excursion to the craft store - my "just one thing" always turns into "Oh, I need that for this project," and "I can totally make that" when I see another project - and he just shakes his head and cringes ever so slightly when I come bouncing eagerly through the door from Michael's or Joann's or Hobby Lobby.  He knows me so well.  He knows the latest project will start out with the best of intentions and end shoved in a drawer or cupboard down in my "craft room" that used to be known as the basement.  This is yet another reason why he is so wonderful...he always supports me and never, ever, EVER makes one snarky comment about how I can't finish these things.

So this weekend it was a sewing machine.  I have had a few and my latest one needs a couple repairs that will  probably cost as much as the machine to fix so I broke down and got a new one this weekend.  My sister gave me the last one and neither one of us was able to make it work properly, and with another issue cropping up last time I attempted to use it I figured it was time to give up and start anew.  I always have sewing ideas in my head, if only I had a working machine to use.  In thinking about getting this new machine, I had tons more ideas swirling about my brain - potholders, oven mitts, pillowcases, t-shirt dresses, etc., etc. Until I got home and got the machine unpacked and on the counter.  Then, nothing.  Blank. Nada.  All creative inspiration left my head and I was staring at this wonderful machine wondering what the hell to do with it.

Sunday morning I had a little creative juice moving around in my brain and settled on an easy project to make with my new machine.  A quick trip to the fabric store and we would be in business.  Off I went, and picked up a couple more things that I couldn't live without - namely a rotary cutter and mat that cost more than gold but I MUST have if I am going to do any sewing, right?  And sewing ties directly into quilting which requires a lot of cutting in little pieces and, of course, I am going to quilt in the future so I can totally justify this purchase, right?  I remarked to my daughter on the way out of the store that I might kill her if she told anyone that I just spent damn near $100 to make a couple of oven mitts......

I finally sat down to find a pattern for these amazing oven mitts in late afternoon, only to discover that I need more specialized batting (with insulation so I don't melt my hands when I reach into the oven).  Batting which the store doesn't carry, but they have online and of course I have to order.  Okay, ordered.  So I figure I will get the machine setup to at least see how it works and I made yet another discovery - if I want to make the amazing and totally spectacular oven mitts I have to use the special presser foot for the sewing machine.  You know what is coming, right?  Yes, another website and another special order for the presser foot.

Now, taking stock of my good intentions (because at the root of my crafting obsession is the desire to make things myself because it will be CHEAPER TO MAKE MY OWN THINGS) this weekend we have purchased a sewing machine, all the fabric, tools and mats, two special kinds of stuffing, and one massive presser foot that I am hoping also scrubs my toilets for the exorbitant price I paid.  So much for saving money.

I think a better alternative may be to turn the basement into a from a craft-hoarding hell into a master bedroom.  At least I would get some sleep and not fret over all the money and space wasted by my crafting obsession.

And maybe I could sew curtains for the new basement retreat...

Envy or Happy? I Choose Happy :-)

I have a perfect life.  Really, I do.  Look at my Facebook page - my kids are happy, participating in cultural programs with flair, always being kind and helpful to each other, and my husband is purrrrr-fect - romantic and helpful and all those things we want in a husband (well, that part is true, really).  My Twitter feed is filled with interesting articles that I think you will enjoy about motherhood, natural living, life in our metro area, and I even Instagram the occasional knitting project I have just finished or gourmet deviled eggs I have made.  Follow me on Pinterest?  Of course you do, because you want to see what interesting project I am going to begin, the homemade soap I am going to make one day, or the threaded spaghetti hot dog bites creation that I am going to make and impress my kids with.  Oh, and yes, of course I look like that profile picture I posted of myself, thin and with great hair, smiling like I haven't a care in the world.

<<Did  you catch the copious amounts of eye rolling and dripping sarcasm??>>

Seriously.  What a freakin' social media snob, right?  But we all do this in one form or another, and it's really okay. I love social media - it’s a great way to connect with our friends and family, near and far, and share all the cool things we find and see and want and plan to do.  It's the modern-day equivalent of a coffee klatch or sewing circle - we gather together, albeit at different times, and share the nice things that are going on in our lives.  We catch up, learn some fun things, and see the cute pics of new babies and puppies and vacations.  We follow things that interest us, share them with our friends, and really enrich our personal communities in ways that we never could before the advent of tools like Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest, even good old Google.

I don't share a lot of the mundane things in my life, or the times when things go wrong, because I don't want to complain about how sometimes things just suck balls and all I want to do is curl up and go to sleep and let the inmates run this asylum.  I would rather reinforce (and share) all the good in my life.  My kids are awesome (and at times atrocious), my husband is truly wonderful (and at times a dick (he will tell you that)), I try to be kind to them all (and at times I am a real bitch), my house is occasionally clean (when it’s not a mess of dog hair and dust and papers to file), I try to keep lots of veggies in my house (and mostly throw them out when they go bad because I don't have time to use them), and I'm so lucky to work at home and be accessible to my family (and always behind on my work because working at home is one constant interruption), I have WONDERFUL friends and family who I know are always there for me (even if I don't call them enough...or, like, ever).  You get the idea.

I just read an article titled Instagram's Envy Effect.   It's an interesting read about how we only see what others want us to see on social media, that we only have part of the story from what they post and the envy that stems from seeing snippets of their perfect life.  There have been many blogs and articles written in this vein, about over-sharing life and promoting our own awesomeness - it's definitely a discussion I hear both in the real world and online.  There are a lot of ideas and opinions and judgments about how social media should make us feel, about what it says about us as a society and as individuals, and these opinions and discussions aren't always nice.  

But, social media is still social.  There are many official definitions of social but they pretty much all relate to coming together as a group or community.  Some of us still get together at parties or gatherings, church socials, and we share there, too.  There are pictures brought out of wallets, chatter about new promotions at work, and Jane might talk about the latest tip for getting those beautiful roses like in her garden.  But I bet money that Jane isn't going to share that in the winter while she was waiting for rose-pruning time she chauffeured her three kids to every sporting event known to man and made 154 boring casseroles for 154 boring dinners and scrubbed the kitchen floor every week and it still managed to look like a tiny army of dirt people rolled on it every day.  Oh, and she probably won't share about how the minivan is making that rattling noise again that she can't quite describe to the mechanic and she really needs to clean her basement because it’s starting to resemble an episode of "Hoarders" down there and, oh, that’s right - time to change the kitty litter again...it’s boring.  It’s life.  But the roses make her happy, and she’ll share that.

My point here really is we all have mundane lives.  And we all have beautiful lives.  That is the balance.  And so why not share the good things, the things that make us smile or fill us with pride?  They make us happy.  And happiness is really a choice, for the most part.  It doesn’t come by accident or luck; we all have the power over our own happiness, to choose to be happy.   We shouldn’t judge each other by the social media we choose to post - life is way too short to judge each other.  Instead of being envious of my neighbor's gorgeous roses, I will look at her Facebook post about how she pruned her roses to make them so gorgeous, and I will take notes and think about growing gorgeous roses in my yard.  I will be happy, both for her accomplishment and my inspiration that grew from it.  And next time I see her in the real world, I will tell her I really enjoy when she talks about roses on Facebook, because it makes me smile.  

I mean, really, I know that the profile pic I choose to use is one from several years and 40 pounds ago, but I still use it because I like it - it’s one of the few pics I have of me that I don't detest.  Does that make me vain?  Probably a bit.  But I’m certainly not posting it because I want someone to envy me.  It reminds me of a happy night when I was with my friends and my husband and we were having a great time, and to say anything else is really reading waaaaayyyy too much into it.  And when I see the cool things my friends share, I will like them and know that they shared because it made them happy, not because they want someone to envy them.

I'll choose happy over envy any day of the week.   :-)

Are We There Yet?

It's the end of winter...it has to be!  Don't get me wrong, I love snow.  I think I've waxed poetic on the beauty of winter snowfall many times - I love living in Michigan and winter is great when it snows.

But I'm feeling spring.  I'm itching to get outside and dig in the ground, smell the warm, moist air.  Shoots poking out of the ground, tiny buds on trees, the sun a little longer in the day.  Life coming out of its winter sleep and rejoicing in the new spring!

Last week I started my seeds:

One tray with probably too much variety, but I always garden with reckless abandon...I throw caution to the wind and forget to read and study which seeds will germinate first.   Then I have to quickly transplant and hope my new babies stay alive, like these after 8 days of being in the tray:

There are more seeds still in the tray, waiting to germinate.  We have some little shoots poking their heads up, but the slower seeds that don't want to sprout remind me of my kids who don't want to get out of bed in the morning...

It was snowing again yesterday, a soft and fluffy snow that was very pretty.  But I think I am about done with winter and ready for spring, like a little kid who is done with the car ride and eager to get to the destination....

Spring, are we there yet?

Finding Treasures

He loves his lawn, this man of mine – in the summertime the lawn is always a big priority with him.  He often speaks wistfully of mowing during the summer for his grandpa, who had an old-fashioned push mower with a reel.  Back in the day that was all they had and he fondly remembers pushing that thing back and forth, up and down, mowing the lawn. 

Saturday morning is hunting time for me - I love to go to estate sales with either my mom or my dearest friend, sometimes with both of them.  We poke through lost treasures and chat, get coffee and just generally enjoy looking at stuff.  Late Friday night I realized I hadn't asked my friend to go to the sales in the morning and my mom was already busy.  I turned my weary eyes to my equally weary husband and said, "Come with me tomorrow morning - we'll drive around with no kids."   I think it was the "no kids" part he was hearing when he said, "Sure," and so we set the alarm clock for our morning journey.

When we were first married we spent most of our free time driving.  We had really no money and so driving around exploring was something we did a lot of.  That and early morning fishing, lots of quiet time baiting hooks, listening, chatting.  We learned a lot during those times, mostly about each other.  We laughed and talked and just enjoyed being us.

What is that saying?  That life gets in the way...He is gone for work so much, we juggle kids schedules, me with two part-time jobs.  We are always coming and going.  Sometimes we barely get a chance to talk - we get home from work and jump right into the family maelstrom of pick-ups and drop-offs, dinnertime, homework, dogs barking, dishes in the sink.  Falling into bed at the end of the day, each thinking of the plan for the next day – what time do I have to be up?  Is tomorrow a workday, is my bag packed, do I have my stuff together?    Who has play practice or art class or cheerleading; notes from school, lunch money; who is getting them to the bus? 

This morning we set off to hunt for treasures, mapping out about a half-dozen sales for our drive.  Almost immediately, 22 years vanished and suddenly we were right back where we started - talking, listening, laughing.  We were goofy, we were honest, we were us.  It was easy and natural and right.  As we waited for one sale to open, he was standing outside the truck.  I sipped my coffee and looked at him standing in the fresh powder of the falling snow - this man in  his camouflage baseball hat and comfortable clothes.  I felt that familiar zing in my chest when he flashed his little cockeyed smile at me...He is still so handsome and strong and I am so very lucky.

  

One of the last sales we were at was pretty small - we walked through the house, looked at everything, and went back out the door.  Heading to the back of the yard, we marveled at how this little house was set up much like our first home, and into the garage we went.  

My eyes swept the room and took in the saws on the wall, the neat box of tools, the garden implements, and the mower tucked under a shelf.  Wait...a push mower?  With a reel?  My head spun to him, he already had his gaze locked on it.  He had found his treasure, the mower like his granddad's!  It was pretty old, but it was in really good shape and he eagerly said to the older man with the cash box, "It's perfect!  My son is going to love pushing this mower around the yard like I used to for my grandpa!"  There was some more excited chatter about hard work, grass clippings, and lessons for kids, money changed hands, and we marveled at finding this treasure when we weren't even looking for it.  

There is a lot of life in 22 years of marriage.  Peaks and valleys, ups and downs.  You do have the good with the bad, just like they say.  And if you are lucky enough, strong enough, stubborn enough, one day you look at each other and see that together you grew into something you didn't know you needed.  Something you didn't know was possible and maybe you weren't even looking for it.  You find yourself in a relationship that is as much a part of you as the breath in your lungs.  

I cannot imagine my life without this man by my side.  He is my treasure.

They Just Keep Growing...Likes Sands in the Hourglass....

They are being loud up there...another round of "sleepover central" is being played out in our house tonight.  It's a familiar theme for the girls lately - come Friday afternoon the begging starts, "Hey Mom, can so-and-so sleep oooooh-ver?  Puh-lease?  I promise we'll clean our room - she will put away laundry and I will pick up the floor; I promise we won't fight!  Can we, puh-lease?"  As it happens to start the second I walk in the door from work, my standard answer is, "We have to ask your dad," which loosely translated really means "Please give me one moment to breathe and maybe hang my coat up before you two start peppering me with questions!"  I usually give in, though, and Friday nights and often Saturdays, too, turn into evenings with several 10 and 11-year-old girls giggling and whispering to each other, chasing or being chased by the brothers, yelling, squealing...you get the picture.  The sleepovers have been going on since our oldest was little, probably going on 15 years of them, for the boys and the girls.  Lots of eating and sleeping bags and dancing and playing in the snow - Nerf gun wars and swimming, bikes and basketball tournaments...

"Mrs. C., can I have another cookie?"

"Mrs. C., can I have some more pancakes?"

"Mom, can we sleep in the family room?"

I love it.

And I hate it.

I love it because it's what I always dreamed of when we had all these toddlers and babies running around...a home filled with kids, mine and the neighborhood's, just hanging out and playing games, eating around the table, chatting and confiding.  A warm home, a safe home.  A fun, inviting, comfortable and, yes, loud home. The older kids still want their friends to hang out here, the young ones still want the sleepovers here.  It's good.  Really good.

But I hate it because it's slowly leaving me - the sand in the bottle of time that is my family.  That sand is trickling down, slowly and relentlessly, and soon it will run out.  Then they will be off turning over their own bottles of time and watching their own families grow.  And I will miss them.  I know I have some time; my first one is in college now and the last two are still only 11.  We have plenty of time before they want to leave and explore their big, beautiful worlds.  I hear it, I know it...that my babies are growing and they will keep on growing.  It's bittersweet, just like everyone always says.

But now I feel it, and it is an ache that is nagging at my heart, and it is growing along with my babies.

I know we all feel it.  Moms the world over talk about it, we commiserate during the school functions and gatherings and at the holiday tables.  We even have that look, the one when one of our kids says something particularly precocious...that look that we give each other over the kids' heads...with a little eyebrow arch and a wistful smile,"They are growing so fast and I'm a little sad..." We know that look.  We all give that look at one time or another.  It's like a reflex - we just can't help ourselves.

I knew it was coming.  I watched those Hallmark commercials that made me cry when I was pregnant.  I heard my mom, my aunts, my grandmas say it..."You just wait...when they are gone..." with that eyebrow arch and the wistful smile.  But I didn't know I would start to feel it now, so soon.  And that it would come with the knowledge that it would grow bigger as they did, this ache in my heart.

There's another knowledge that came with this feeling, too, though.  It's a tiny feeling that rests easily within my aching heart.  The feeling that Superman will be standing beside me as we wave the last child off to their big, beautiful world of adventure.  He will be there to hold me up as I feel the ache wash over me, and he will hold my hand as we turn over another bottle of time for the sand to start our own new adventure.  It will be new and different, and filled with love and pride as we watch these babies of ours from a distance.

And it will be good.

Really good.

Winter Musings

I have been thinking a long time on the direction my blog should take - hence the lack of posts :-)  I have come to the conclusion that maybe I will just share my crazy busy brain here on my blog and then my "voice" will naturally emerge...or all of you will find out just how nuts I am!

It's snowing right now, heavy snow outside the office window, and it is beautiful.  I am thankful to live in such a beautiful state where the weather changes so much - I think I would be totally bored in a state like Florida - as lovely as it is - with no season change and where the weather really never has any variety. 

The snow always feels like a lovely blanket, wrapping me in comfort.  It brings back happy childhood memories and makes happy childhood memories for my children.  I love the way it dampens the sounds outside; when I am standing out in the snow all the sounds are muted, I can't hear the freeway a half mile from my house and even the sound of the snow shovel scraping the driveway is softer, more gentle.

Driving in the snow makes me smile.  The crunch of the snow under my tires, the ruts of snow that create a path down the road, the screen of snow falling as I drive all make even a commute to work a lovely sensory experience.

Across the street from me right now is a home with many evergreens in the front yard.  Through the falling snow I can make out one of them from here at my desk.  It is the familiar dark green, conical shaped tree that is so common here in Michigan.  The snow has gently frosted the needles of the evergreen, creating a beautiful dark green and white picture for me to look at today.

Winter in Michigan brings me joy and peace...I hope it does for you, too!

:-)