JustJessie

Mother's Day Tea

Grayson and I had a very special time together on Thursday.  Every year his school puts on a Mother's Day Tea for the kindergarten moms.  They coach them on manners beforehand, so that when we moms arrived our kids waited for us at the door of the "tea room" and escorted us to a seat.  Then they very carefully served us tea and waited patiently until we finished.  Each of our kids wrote us a poem, which they read in front of the group.  Grayson's went like this, "I love my mom.  She is Jessica.  She is the best.  I love my mom."  Here he is reading it to me:

After the poems, they sang us a couple of songs, and then we played a game called "Guess Who."  The teachers asked the kids questions about their mom ahead of time, and we were supposed to guess who the mom was based on the kids answers. That was a lot of fun.  I'll tell you, though, I was sweating that one.  You never know WHAT kids are going to say or take out of context.  Thank goodness Grayson's answers were all accurate and socially acceptable.  At the end they presented us with gifts: a vase they painted, a bookmark they made, and a copy of our poem.

I am so thankful to his teachers for giving Grayson and I a day we will treasure forever. 

Early Mother's Day

I am always one to say, "Oh, no.  Please don't get me a gift," and usually I mean it.  In a one income household with four people to feed and clothe, I can see a lot better uses for our money than Mother's Day gifts.  This year, though, I asked for something I've been needing for a long time, and I got it early! 

See that beautiful new easel?  It's mine, mine, all mine.  I want to get mini ones for the boys, so they can paint alongside me, but I haven't found the right ones yet. 

And speaking of the boys, they gave me a little early mom's day as well.  They got the kits at Home Depot, and assembled them at home with Jeff.  They're cutie little pencil boxes with flowers. :)

Sunday Sweetness

I love baking in the morning with my boys.  I can't even imagine that I used to cook breakfast without four extra helping hands.  It's fun now to watch Grayson instructing Grant in the jobs he used to do, and then learning to do bigger boy things himself.

I don't know why working together in the kitchen creates such a peaceful, bonding atmosphere, but I love every bit of it: chairs pushed up to the counter, three hands stirring every bowl, trying to even out batter after someone sneaks in an extra cup of sugar or flour, wondering why the batter turned brown and then noticing the empty coffee cup sitting beside the bowl.  I imagine it's very different from baking with little girls, and I would say it's MUCH more fun.

Off to school

There's my boy, all packed up and ready for his first day of school.  I'm feeling too many things to write right now.  I've been trying for the last fifteen minutes, but what I need to say just won't translate here.

Suffice it to say, I'm a proud, sad, excited, nervous momma.  Everything in me wants to go back to the school and tell them they can't have my baby.  He belongs at home with me.  But, as much as I wish it, that's just not what he needs.  He's out there, testing his wings for the first time, and I have to let him.  But I don't have to be entirely happy about it.

A special treat

Thursday night, my cousin and I went to the Christmas openhouse in downtown Decatur.  I confess I don't make it down there very often, because most of the stores don't have an atmosphere conducive to shopping with children (close aisles and loads of breakables!).  It was so nice to be there, though, with the leaves changing, and the chill in the air.

It reminded me of trips downtown with my dad when I was a kid.  He would take my brother and me to C.F. Penn's (the oldest, greasiest, coolest hamburger joint in town).  We would sit on the stools at the counter and watch the big woman slap our bread-filled burgers onto the cooktop and mash them with her pudgy, brown elbow (gross, but true).  Then we would walk to the music store, where Andy and I would play on a piano and guitar while Dad talked shop with the owners.  If we behaved really well, he would take us on to Bank Street where he would set us loose in the toystore. 

Amidst all these memories, I realized my kids have never experienced that.  Shame on me!  So the very next day I called up my dad, and we took the boys on a special trip.  We skipped Penn's and opted for a "meat and three" diner for lunch.  As soon as we finished, we drove down to Bank Street, and the boys got to experience their first-ever, old fashioned toystore!  You know the kind...  One of each toy sitting out to be tested by eager little hands, and none of the cheap plastic junk either, thank you very much!  Only real, sturdy, imaginative play toys here.  They each got to pick a toy, and then we were off to the candy store.  Oh yes, I said the Candy Store!  Not quite up to par with the one in Willy Wonka, but wall to wall candy none the less.   I let them each choose a lollipop, then we sat out in the chill autumn air to enjoy them.

I hope to do this fairly often, not only for the enjoyment it brings the boys, but also for the feelings it evokes in me.  I can't quite define the feeling, I suppose it's more of a connection.  When I'm walking those sidewalks, I walk in the footsteps of my parents, my grandparents, and even my great-grands.  True, the stores are different, the crowds smaller, and the trolley track is used no more; but they were here.  Just like me.  They held little hands to keep them from the street.  They watched little eyes light up when the toystore came into view.  Part of me touches them here.  That's why it's special.  That's why we'll be back soon.

Somebody Pinch Me?

Sometimes I think I must live in a dream.  Are people allowed to be this happy?  I have a husband who always puts me first.  He works extra hard, leaves early, comes home late, trying to succeed, so that it remains financially possible for me to stay home with our boys.  He makes time for me, time for them, and not a lot of time for himself. 

True, I never got my little blond-haired girl, but I got two wonderfully individual boys who I wouldn't trade for the most lovely of girls.  There's Grayson who is deep thinking, creative, expressive, and so intelligent it amazes me sometimes.  Then Grant, my rambunctious, hilarious, deep loving, daredevil.  They are polar opposites, and I am truly in love with them both. 

Now we have this sweet puppy who fills our life with a new kind of excitement.  We are all learning a different type of responsibility by caring for him.  I get to watch my boys love him, and remember the bond of deep love I felt for my pets as a child.  There was no love like that heart-warming, protective love I felt for those little creatures who depended on me for their existence.  I look on with a smile as I see that same protective tenderness developing between the boys and Copper.

Sometimes I feel guilty, like I'm taking more than my share of happiness from the world.  Then times like this morning, I'm just so genuinely grateful.  Overwhelmed, happy, and deeply, deeply, grateful.

A great day

"I had a great day today, Mom."  That's what Grayson said after I tucked him in tonight.  I cannot tell you how fulfilled that sentence makes me feel. 

I have made some changes in our house without telling anyone.  After our morning TLC cartoons, I am switching off the set for the rest of the day.  You know the best thing about it?  Grayson hasn't even noticed!  We made a trip to the library yesterday and checked out The BFG by Roald Dahl, and we are already halfway through it.  Everytime we have a few minutes to sit, Grayson brings me the book and asks for a chapter. 

We also did this:

I totally swiped this idea from a friend who had her children make a "city" outside with chalk.  Since it's a bajillion degrees in Alabama right now, we made ours inside!  Grayson had soo much fun with this one.  I think his favorite part was making my cars wait for his train to pass.  :) 

My strategy so far is, whenever he asks to watch tv, I suggest something fun to do together, or I break out our new "dangerous book"  and we learn a new skill from it.  I think we are all happier and more fulfilled for finally switching off the ol' telly.

Twilight Storytime

Taking a moment.  Taking a breath.  Listening, reading, being.

Crickets and lightning bugs, giggles and dancing, fresh air at bedtime.

Sweet bubbas, enjoying each other.  Enjoying our life and our love.

A change of pace

The boys and I were having one of those days.  You know the kind I mean.  We were all ill and biting each others heads off.  There was a lot of me yelling at the kids to stop yelling in the house, or at each other.  So when my dad called to ask if we wanted to come by, I thought the change of scenery (and company) might do us good.  And as usual, an afternoon at GaGa and Dado's was just what the doctor ordered. 

Dad taught Grayson two guitar chords (a momentous occasion in my family).  He learned A and D, so technically he could play a song.  I actually know one that is basically A and D the whole way through.  Grayson was pretty proud of himself, let me tell ya'!

Then Grant got to help cook dinner.  We tried to get the boys to help us shuck the corn, but we did it outside, and there are just way too many distractions out there.   Grant always wants to know what's going on in the kitchen, though, so he was more than happy to help when we got to that part.  We let him "wash" the corn (it was more like splashing it around under the faucet).

Then he got to put it in the pot, and fill the pot up with water.  You could just tell how big he felt, getting to help out like that. 

We ended up having a great afternoon after a very rocky morning.  Thank God for grandparents who care enough to brighten our day.

Workin' Nine to Five...

I have to blog quickly because my laptop hates me and is refusing to charge it's batteries.  That's okay though, because I had the most boring day EVER!!  Somehow last week my house went from reasonably clean to... unreasonably unclean.  or something.  I spent the whole entire day cleaning.  I'm  talking nine to five people.  I even cleaned my room.  And let me tell you, if you haven't cleaned your room in a year or so, my advice is to convert it into a storage room and sell your house as quickly as possible.  By no means should you try to clean it.  There will be vicious dust bunnies attacking from under the bed where they've been hiding and feeding on lego shaped waffle pieces and goldfish crackers.  Oh, I wish I were exaggerating.  But I'm not.  Not even when I tell you there were more toys in my room than in the playroom and boys' room combined.  Or when I tell you my hardwood floor felt more like a sandbox than, well, our sandbox.

You know what's even worse?  My house doesn't even look clean.  I didn't concentrate on following the boys around picking up toys all day, or folding their blankies, etc, so the house still looks messy.  I keep finding dust bunny carcasses peeping out of corners that I know I already cleaned.  They're multiplying behind my back, naughty little bunnies.

Now my brain hurts, and I'm going to bed.