Little Things

Do you ever find yourself dwelling on the unpleasantries in your life? Life's... rough sometimes. It would be unwise and just plain crazy to pretend otherwise.

Lately, I have been having trouble finding humor. Finding my inner silly head (yes, I am allowed to use the term "silly head" because I am a mom and I have three young kids. So there.) The difficult parts of life have a way of casting a shadow over the very real and very present joy in life. It happens.

But this morning, as I was munching on my tiny snack pack of peanuts on the airplane, (holy smokes, those bags are shrinking! I literally had 6 peanuts in mine!) a memory came to mind that made me smile and actually, despite the smallness of it, refocused me.

Here's the memory: when I was a kid, any time my dad would travel, he'd come home with his bag full of treasures. Know what those treasures were? Airplane snack bags! I think maybe a special barf bag was presented as awesome occasionally too. I can just imagine him snagging all the barf bags from the seats in front of him and schmoozing the flight attendant out of four extra bags of pretzels and peanuts. And then he'd probably keep her there chatting until there was an emergency. Like, someone waving a gun or having a baby emergency. (He likes to talk...)

But when he'd come home and whip those pretzels and peanuts out of his bag, one for each of us, i thought it was the greatest thing. My kids would think, "No peanuts! They say at school that peanuts can KILL you! And why are you handing me my snack? I don't really even love pretzels and I thought you said you had a surprise for me...")

So thank you for the pretzel snack packs, Dad, but also for making them special somehow and for thinking of your family while chatting up the flight attendant. And thank you for the smile and sigh I just gave that was noticeable enough that the lady in the seat next to me who has been on the verge of a panic attack all flight just stopped her heavy breathing and squirming and asking me if the clouds look awefully weird to me too to ask me what I was smiling about.

PS: It just occurred to me that one time, my brother actually got a recorder (those annoying plastic flutes that I actually took lessons on in school one year) instead of peanuts... How did the rest of us not rise up in rebellion and beat him up with his recorder when he got that when we got pretzels... Siblings? Help me out on this one?

Little Things

Do you ever find yourself dwelling on the unpleasantries in your life? Life's... rough sometimes. It would be unwise and just plain crazy to pretend otherwise.

Lately, I have been having trouble finding humor. Finding my inner silly head (yes, I am allowed to use the term "silly head" because I am a mom and I have three young kids. So there.) The difficult parts of life have a way of casting a shadow over the very real and very present joy in life. It happens.

But this morning, as I was munching on my tiny snack pack of peanuts on the airplane, (holy smokes, those bags are shrinking! I literally had 6 peanuts in mine!) a memory came to mind that made me smile and actually, despite the smallness of it, refocused me.

Here's the memory: when I was a kid, any time my dad would travel, he'd come home with his bag full of treasures. Know what those treasures were? Airplane snack bags! I think maybe a special barf bag was presented as awesome occasionally too. I can just imagine him snagging all the barf bags from the seats in front of him and schmoozing the flight attendant out of four extra bags of pretzels and peanuts. And then he'd probably keep her there chatting until there was an emergency. Like, someone waving a gun or having a baby emergency. (He likes to talk...)

But when he'd come home and whip those pretzels and peanuts out of his bag, one for each of us, i thought it was the greatest thing. My kids would think, "No peanuts! They say at school that peanuts can KILL you! And why are you handing me my snack? I don't really even love pretzels and I thought you said you had a surprise for me...")

So thank you for the pretzel snack packs, Dad, but also for making them special somehow and for thinking of your family while chatting up the flight attendant. And thank you for the smile and sigh I just gave that was noticeable enough that the lady in the seat next to me who has been on the verge of a panic attack all flight just stopped her heavy breathing and squirming and asking me if the clouds look awefully weird to me too to ask me what I was smiling about.

PS: It just occurred to me that one time, my brother actually got a recorder (those annoying plastic flutes that I actually took lessons on in school one year) instead of peanuts... How did the rest of us not rise up in rebellion and beat him up with his recorder when he got that when we got pretzels... Siblings? Help me out on this one?

To Pee or Not to Pee

When given the choice on an airplane, I am always conflicted over which seat to choose. I do love the window seat. I absolutely love the too side of clouds. And even though I have never successfully picked out my home when flying over it at landing, I still enjoy the challenge of trying. Having a wall to lay my head against is also a plus - lessens the likelihood of an open mouth, bobbing head, terribly I restful cat nap.

On the other hand, what do I do when I have to pee? I know what the obvious answer is: say "excuse me but could you let me out?"

But there is always seemingly insurmountable reasons why I just can't make myself do that! The business man is out cold. I can't wake him and use the word "pee" at the same time!

Of the old lady that takes 5 minutes just to get everything situated just right before she can move.

Or the book reader with his tray table surface COMPLETELY covered with electronic devices, drinks, snacks, etc. c'mon, where is all that stuff going to go!

So I usually end up either dehydrated out of refusal to have to face this dreaded situation, or else sitting with a bladder stretched to bursting, silently and fervently praying that person between me and relief will think of a reason to get out if their seat on their own.

What about you? Do you hold it or just barge right through the barriers?

Coke Breath

Jack was sitting on my lap after his nap today (one of my favorite times of day; love that warm, snuggly little guy...)

Anyways, we were just chatting a bit when he suddenly burped.  With a surprised look on his face, he said, "Mom! It tastes like Coke!  Can you smell my Coke breath?"

He must have overdone it on my Coke this afternoon because the burps just kept coming.  Each time, he'd stop and say, "I had another Coke breath mom!"

Pure Awesomeness

We like stripes in this family. Well, I like stripes and I buy all the clothes so...

But I must say, Mitchell especially has fully embraced striped clothing. The problem is when he goes overboard.

Never one to let me pick out his clothing for the day, he often comes up with some... eye-boggling ensembles.

This morning, he came downstairs, striped from head to toe. I reminded him of the "stripes rule," which is simply no stripes on top AND bottom, but his response blew my argument away:

"But mom! I look so awesome!!"

It's Saturday. Go for it, Mr Awesome!

Mom's Homework

Now that Mitchell is in Kindergarten, he feels terribly grown up.  So far, he just loves getting his folder out immediately after school and digging out all his papers and gets started on his homework before I even get a chance to see it!  While Ben waits until he eats a snack, goofs around, complains a bit, claims he can't find his folder, goes to the bathroom, changes his shoes, and stares off into space a bit before finally getting down to homework, Mitchell is done before I get his snack ready!  I love the differences in my boys.  Always humorous to me.

Well, yesterday was a busy day and we just didn't have time to get homework done.  So we did it this morning.  I think I may do that more often!  Their focus was better and, for Mitchell, it got him into his hopping up and down, can't contain my ideas and creativity mood.  I love it when he is so amped about something he just can't stop hopping.

After finishing his homework, he immediately got out some paper and pencil and designed a special homework assignment for me.  

At the top was a picture of a jack-o-lantern.

Followed by some "writing/instructions."

Next was a line to write my FULL name, "not just mom, ok mom?  Your REAL name!"

Then a picture of a person, a door, and steps to another door.

The assignment was to write my FULL name, then count how many steps it took to walk from the front door to the family room.  But it didn't end there.  Once I completed that, I had to count how many hops it took.  Then skips.  Then giant steps.  Then baby steps.  Then crawling.  Then backwards steps.  Then  spinning.  

When I finally finished my homework, I got an enormous hug, a huge smile, and a hair bow.  

I think I'm going to have to plan some extra time into my morning if this is going to become a regular thing.  But it would be worth it for the amount of giggling and quality time all four of us spent hopping, skipping, crawling, spinning, and generally acting silly.

Moggy

On our walk to the bus stop this morning, Jack looked up at me from his little bike and casually mentioned, "Mom, it sure is moggy out this morning! It sure is..."

I guess he's right. When it's both muggy and foggy, naturally, you have on your hands a moggy day!

Smart little boy...