August 2012 ~ week 32 {Willy Wonk-y edition}

one would think that by the sheer number of miles we put on our mom-taxi that this mama actually enjoys the hustle and bustle.  truth is, this mama likes down-time.  quiet.  home.  time to think.  and reflect.

"introverts unite.  individually."  hahahaha... love that quote.

i know that we could slow down a tad, but truth is... how do we choose to eliminate something which enriches the lives of our littles?  that must be the key... if it's not building little lives, it doesn't make the cut.

piano each week?  keep.
theater, even when the schedule calls for multiple practices weekly?  are you kidding me?  the girls would call cps themselves if we tried to cut this. ;)
dance a few days a week?  you should see the look on gracie's face at the mere thought of cutting this.
the occasional field-trip?  okay, so long as it's occasional.



there are several other activities which we could get involved in that i know would enrich us in other ways... but we have to prioritize and choose those we are most passionate about.



co-ops?  not for us.
university art classes?  again, no.



christian scout groups?  this is something we participated in for 2 years, then cut - to make room for other passions.

outsourcing more subjects in various organizations?  no, thank you.

devoting time to too many busy tasks can make one a bit wonky.



wonky.  although fun at times, it's not my cup of tea.  i like hot tea.  i digress...



for the past 5 weeks, our girlies woke each morning, without complaint, for theater practices.   a few times, gracie even tried to wake me earlier than my alarm clock.  ummm, no thank you.  good thing she's so stinkin' cute.  they committed their summer to willy wonka.  {interpret as: by the end of the day, mama is usually left feeling like willy wonka, himself, beat mama with a candy cane.}

them: YAY!!  
me:  yeh.  

truthfully, i'm passionate about it because they are.  i love watching them perform and grow confidence.  it's priceless, really, and gives their father and me swollen heart syndrome.



being a great mom, and giving our girls a great-memory-filled-childhood, is my passion.

it gives me strength to deal with another mom that has truly tested my friendship and patience over the past 2 years.  that, alone, could fill another blog post.  *sigh*  people are just weird sometimes.



any time i'm tempted to feel weary in well-doing, i look at the faces of our girlies.  they truly inspire me.  that... and a picturesque sky, of course, but the girls are a tad more entertaining. ;) 

 

this wonk-y edition is brought to you by hmama, oompa #1, and oompa #3.   

we shall share more of our willy wonka performance pictures soon (we still have 8 more performances to go), but for now... i'm soaking up the quietness of these last 3 days in which we have had complete. quietness. in the house.  nothing on the schedule.  just reading... and a little school organizin' for mama.  you know... as i prepare for another year for living life on the edge of wonk-y.

holla.

{for those who've asked...  i'm not sure when the mom-taxi videos will be up again.  my former video camera died, and i haven't fallen in love with anything else since. *sigh*  my girls miss them, too.}

march~week 10/366 {ships-twin friends-juicer}

this week started with a road trip, as we made our way to visit the nina and pinta.  the most historically accurate columbus replica ships ever built.



we caught an artist painting an amazing picture of this floating treasure.

the nina was built completely by hand, in brazil.  later, the pinta was built a bit larger to scale to accompany the nina on her travels.

the boat hanging below is a miniature. {not the ship's boat built by the 14 yo apprentice.}

it really made me stand in awe of just how insane brave these explorers really were; sailing across the ocean, in boats such as these.  the size of the ship.  making room for people, animals, and supplies.  

these ships are always recruiting new shipmates, but i declined.  with a minimal 3 week commitment, my family would have missed me, i'm sure.  besides, mama needs more personal space. ;)


 
silly gracie gets creative with a post-haircut strand of hair - side bangs, mustache, uni-brow, and even chest hair.  too funny!

piano lessons. jazzy hunts for squirrel through the window.  ruff life.  sorry.  couldn't help myself.

we received unexpected, exciting news. the girls will be playing lead roles in the upcoming theater production.  i will forever kick myself for not filming their reaction.  tears of joy.

fun with friends.  twin-friends. although the kids do most of the playing... why does it tire me, too?  hmmmm...  after company leaves, we all fall into a post-sleepover slump.  under the weather. 

the new rule... if anyone from friend's family is ill, they cannot sleep over. ha!

soup, rest {beau is great at that, when he's not pouncing on anything that moves}, vitamins.




gracie was determined to feel better for her hip-hop class.  nator patiently waits for gracie to finish dance lesson. 

toward week's end, our homeschool included beakmans' world.  like i said... mama needed rest, too. ;)

the juicer arrived.  hubs turned into the juice master this weekend.  he is much better at drinking veggies.  i get the drink down, but it is not as appetizing as simply eating veggies, imho.  i'm on the hunt for palatable juice combinations that only include a lil' apple to sweeten... gotta watch the fat-inducing-insulin spikes, you know.


oh... and last but not least, nator.  reading national geographic kids.  our lil' spider-monkey, as her uncle affectionately nick-named her when born.  just so happened to look back and catch this chimpanzee face over hers.  funny, eh? ;)

let's catch up, shall we?

granny came to texas...  {howdy, granny!}

to see her granddaughter's acting debut.

fortunately, nator also had a piano recital for granny to enjoy.  live and in person.

see her at the piano?

*sigh*

maybe next time we agree to playing a duet, we should ask which side of the piano she will be playing, yes? ;)

playing a jazzy tune, they were the most entertaining {spoken like a true mama}...

including jazz hands at the end.

cute.

upon leaving recital, the church was hosting a small pumpkin patch.  we can check this off the list now, too.

right? ;)

cute lil' punkin' heads.

we woke early to join some of our best friends and 15,000 others {give or take a few} in a walk for the cure for juvenile diabetes.

 

cutie-patooties.  the girls were so excited to raise money for their friend.

i'm just realizing the greenery behind gracie's head makes her look like she has crazy, static-filled hair. ha!

we auditioned for the christmas production at theater.

then finished our final two productions.

{thankyoujesus}

think it's safe to say that they love it.

all of this, and more {you know school-errands-life}, might help explain some of the bloggy absence.  and my seemingly inability to remember to snap a picture of jazzy in her halloween tutu.  i know, right?!  what kind of furry-family-member-mama am i?!  i really should take more pictures of that poor doggy. ;)

name that play

wednesday was a day of painting theater props and piano lesson.
by 5:00 pm mama was ready to call. it. a. day.  really.
i'm not getting old... and i may or may not be in denial.

today, gracie and i woke together, just shy of the alarm going off.
i was greeted by her big smile, as she leaned over to snuggle and wish me good morning.
love that.

waking to the sound of an alarm is an annoying way to start the day anyway.  agree?  unless you're nator.  she's a light sleeper and only needs the smooth sounds of a light-classical-piano-alarm to wake her from behind her eye mask.  cute, yes? 

she's always been that way.  getting that girlie to nap when she was younger was a monumental task.  the slightest noise woke her.  gracie on the other hand, needed 'white noise' for sleep... and a rock, bounce, pat motion to do the trick.   to this day, gracie is known for falling asleep before we finish a movie.  nator will see it to the end... like her mama.

i digress.



we started our thursday with a full run-thru of the production. 

then it was off to diffuse a little drama happenings at theater {imagine that. ha!}.  late lunch.  edit pictures, taken during rehearsal.  {i always take too many!}  print theater invitations for the girls to hand deliver.  drop off girls at dance.  order a handful of 5x7 pix for the theater.  clean kitchen.  feed dog.  change litter.  take out trash.  talk to hubs via cell.  pick up pictures ordered.  pick up girls.  prepare dinner.  initiate showers.  blog multiple ramblings {aren't you glad?}.  eventually crawl to bed. 

now... aren't you tired, too?  soooooo it's not my age, it's this daily grind thing wearin' mama down. *ahem*

in our home, we are currently housing bet, charlotte, orphans, old sally, old lady {not me-the play, silly}, flower seller, and a milk maid.  which play am i?

oh! and thank you so much for all of the well wishes.  i have passed them on... and they were received with a big, thankful smile.  :)

consuming life lately

birthday party for a bestie-friend turning 12.

each of the girls made her a throw pillow to match her new bedroom.  {i hope it matches}  the stitching is a bit rough, but it's the thought that counts, right?  no, really.  i think they were giftable...  is that a word?  anyhoo, the luvable webkinz we brought will match any lil' girl's decor. ;)

i'm in complete denial of the fact that my oldest will be turning 12 in 5 months.
not. believing. it.  
and my youngest double digits in 3 months.
lord. help. me.
tissue?



theater.  we are using a different (much better) theater this round.

the hard part?  day-time practices [3 hrs (extended to 4 hrs lately)/3 days a week + driving time] and performance prop preparation, which has been eating into our normal school hours; however, the experiences gained??  priceless and irreplaceable.  the girls have grown so much and have looked forward to each rehearsal.

{i'm so glad you're not checking my horrid grammar.  you're not checking that on this blog, right??!}

i've determined to pause schoolwork this week due to the logistics of theater performances, piano recital preparation, in combination with dance schedule, hubs out of town, and honestly... exhaustion.

i've also determined to bring my good camera soon. 



pretty sure a few of the kids don't care which camera is used. ;)

 

dance.  dance team competition.  dance solo for competition.

yes, the show must go on, in all departments.  even if one girlie wears a knee and ankle brace and watch from the sidelines, as recommended by our wonderful chiropractor.

at least we are finally experiencing fall temperatures.  fi.na.lly.  this has made us all giddy!!  i'm pretty sure i looked at the employee in academy like she had two heads when she said she hated this cooler weather.  is it just me, or is something wrong with you when you want triple digit temps all of the time?? 

jazzy is excited.  more car rides.  however, she is apparently disturbed when 6 kids crowd around her personal space the window to ask me a question about her.  she growls.  and gets in trouble.  this is her mama-just-fussed-at-me-but-i'm-still-keeping-an-ear-on-those-kids-out-there face.  notice how she sometimes sits in the seat like a person.  one of us really should tell her she's a dog.  geesh.

i wish i could tell you more that been filling up our days, but this pretty much sums up my bloggy absence.  the daily grind.  *hangs head in shame*

tomorrow is our last day-time rehearsal... and school will resume in full-speed.  i'm sure the girls are excited.  {insert mad scientist laughter}

so, what's new with YOU?  i've missed making my rounds in blogdom.  hoping to catch up with you soon!!

chicken soup makes everything better, right? right?!

 

it was supposed to be a fun-theater-school-dance-day, 

ending with a kids eat free coupon at chili's.

we had a busy-fun day...

that ended in a need for comfort food, even if from a can.
chicken noodle soup, to be exact.
grilled cheese, made with ezekiel bread and rice cheese, to compliment. ;)

{i had most of the details of our day typed out, ready to post... but i chickened out just shy of that intimidating publish button.  believe me.  it's better this way.}

let me simply give you an abbreviated version.
{you're welcome}

theater.
{yeah!}
resale shop.
{yeah!}
lunch at home.
{protein shakes will do}
school.
{yeah! minus our first day of 'dictation'}
snacks.
{yumm!}
dance.
{yeah! until tap class.}
12 yo girl was mean to my 9 yo girlie.  possible bully situation brewing.  long story.
{whoa, wait a minute!}
tried to have an adult conversation with grandmother.
{she didn't act like an adult}
grandmother yells at mama. 
{where's the nearest exit?!}

i know it's hard to reeeally know someone from a blog, but trust me when i say that i am not a confrontational person.  i'm a slide-under-the-radar-kinda-gal.  the quiet one in a crowd.  seriously, i was the 'smile and nod' pastor's wife.  {although, looking back, sometimes i wish i would have spoken my mind.  but then again, knowing me... i wouldn't have done it differently.} ;)  but... sometimes, you just have to speak up and defend... your lil' kids.

let's see...
copied hubs the texts grandmother sent to mama tonight.
{hubs said this lady was... well... dumb}
he made me laugh with his unexpected response. 
{i needed that laugh}
grass fire near our home today.  it was contained.
{thankyoujesus}

we forgot to go to chili's.
we forgot to return our redbox movies.
mama forgot to eat dinner altogether.
but the girlies... they got comfort food.

and several exchanges of hugs, kisses, and tears.
i tucked them into bed...
praying that the events of the evening would only strengthen us.
and not cause any permanent damage.

i think i've finally stopped shaking...
and crying.
the fire dept could have used me today.

crazy grandmother.
{did i say that out loud?}

sounds like life to me

you've heard it said, or sung...
mama said they'll be days like this.
somehow, knowing that doesn't really prepare one for the feelings that ensue when those days co-exist in the mirage of perfection.



sometimes, the laundry feels never-ending.
pictures turn out below par.  sorry.
the dust settles against my disapproval.
the gas tank empties.
termites make an unwelcome appearance. 
groceries need to be bought.
tempers flare.

and children.
well, regardless of what we teach in our homes,
we know they will make decisions that leave us scratching our heads.
but, sometimes, those decisions will break our hearts.

i had a dose of that today.
and thought...
may i please have the middle-of-the-night-feedings-insomnia-back?



truly, they are their own individuals.
and not an extension of ourselves.

or am i the only one who felt that way, upon leaving the hospital with baby bundles?

cute, lil', sweet baby bundles.

it's been a day around here.
if you follow me on twitter, you may have heard a hint of it.
i'm certain the events of today will have me buying my next box of hair dye
sooner than expected.
i know. you thought i somehow managed to bypass the gray-hair-fairy?
no such luck.
at least i buy close to my natural color.
*ahem*

it's all good, you know.
because when mom is upset about something...
she usually cleans.
today, this meant the kiddos get to help mom sand and prime table and chairs.

physical labor develops character, right?
or at least makes the kiddos thankful for the little things.
like air conditioning.
we were a sweatin'.
workout.  check.

we ended the day with a shower.
little house on the prairie, game night, and beauty and the beast.
we're looking forward to daddy coming back home tomorrow.



someone should tell disney that happily ever after doesn't always look like this.

the bad feels worse.
but the good is so much gooder. ;)

curiosity... got her in {trouble}

Gracie anticipated the jump before it happened, and was quick to sweep her off of our freshly primed dresser.  Can you see the swoop marks?  I envisioned primer getting all over Gracie's favorite 'Justice' clothes.  So, I grappled her away from Gracie... and ran 3 steps into the bathroom.

I am going to bed with primer on my arms and hands.

Between the sound of running water, and me applying it to her declawed paws, she cried out similar to a 2 year old having a temper tantrum.  She handles bathes better than this and wanted nothing to do with it. 

Her cries nearly sound like a small child.  It's made my heart skip a beat a time or two before, thinking it was one of the girls.

Everyone gathered for the show in my small bathroom.  Including Jasmine.

Between the girls' loud laughter, an excited Jasmine, the overcrowding, and Bella's pleas to stop the torture... I saw a Bella bite in my near future.  I did what any loving mother would do... and loudly proclaimed that everyone was banished from the bathroom.  Immediately!

I didn't have much luck.  Primer dries quickly.  She, too, will be going to bed with evidence on her paws.

I give her a little face-time on the ol' blog, and this is how I'm treated?

She won't look me in the eye.

After she gave herself a quick bath, due to the water I put all over her paws, she watched me finish the primer on the dresser.  Then followed me downstairs, after tucking in the girls.

I think she's trying to get back into good graces with Mama.  A few catnaps on my lap, and we'll call it even. 

That's what I love about a cat, you know.  The cuddles.

They're especially welcome when hubs is out of town for the week.  *sigh*

Cuddles, blogging, and dark chocolate {with raw almonds}. 

It's how I roll.

One of the many reasons Mother's Day exists

It started as a lovely day.  Beautiful weather + beautiful people.  How much better could a day get?

The girls packed their bags with school curriculum and 100 color books, filled with the promise of eating cake at our local Starbucks.

Yesterday, I had a rare mommy date with a friend, and the opportunity to meet a new friend.  The topic of conversation?  Homeschool.  My new friend is planning to homeschool her girls {same age as mine} next year.  Gotta love meeting a new convert. ;)

We had a lovely conversation, while the girls shared 2 different cakes.  Yummy.

From there, we headed to our local Panera.  A good mama wouldn't dare let her girls go hungry after eating cake.  ;)

It was a lovely lunch, filled with more coloring and funny conversation.  Where there's an 8 and 10 year old, you will find laughs.

And drama.

But {somewhat} understandably so.

I'm getting to that part... eventually.

DK has been putting in the hours.  I recently told him that his job was interfering with our lives.  I was joking.  Kind-of.  Then again, his jobs always have.  But especially in the recent weeks.  {Seriously, how can I be expected to wait in suspense of watching the next episode of 24 without him?  But really, it's about my sofa snuggle time.}  When he is home, he is ready to hit the pillow.  Exhausted.  Why, you ask?

Again, with the oil disaster.

This is where DK is during his waking hours.  

At times, sharing airspace with the chairman of BP and the...

Impressive, yes?  Again, if this operation goes well, feel free to give some kudos to hubs. ;)  However, if this operation takes longer and is messier than expected?  Well, just remember that hubs is simply {one of many} on the tech side of this operation.  ;)  {That was for The Sneaky Mommy.. Hehe...}

So, while hubs is tackling the world's issues, I'm tackling lil' fires at home.  Swimsuit shopping.

It all started with pure excitement, giddiness, and good ol' shopping adrenaline bliss.

Just when I started to wonder at what age we lose that giddiness when shopping for a swimsuit...

drama, tears, indecisiveness, swimsuit discomfort ensued.

Child #1:  "I look adorable!  I look so cute!  They all look wonderful.  I just can't decide.  Oh, I just look so... adorable!"

Child #2:  "This one is embarrassing.  This one is uncomfortable.  I like this one, but I'm not sure.  Can I try on more?  This one huuuuuuuuuuuuuurts!"

I'll spare you all the drama.  I promised not to post the picture of child #2 while she was completely red-faced, in tears.   Believe me, I feel the same way when shopping for a swimsuit, but I didn't remember struggling with some of those feeling and emotions when I was only eight years old. 

Looong story short. By the time it was said and done, and my frozen groceries were completely defrosted, we left with two swimsuits.  This was simply to not infringe {any more} punishment upon myself if we made it home with only one suit.  Happy Mother's Day to me.

Once home, she realized how ridiculous her actions were and gave me a few unprompted, hear-felt apologies.  That made it better, but the wrinkles I developed at Target that day are permanent.

The stress from this shopping expedition reminded me of shopping for the first time by myself with a newborn and toddler.  The baby was crying.  I picked her up... and the whole double stroller flipped over with a once sleeping toddler inside, now crying too!  Two women passing by {probably mothers themselves} saw my distress and came to my rescue.  Kohl's was not worth the trip, that day. 

I sent DK the pictures from my day of work too.

Oil disaster?

Yeah... I want to see him deal with making a lil' girl happy while swimsuit shopping.

But he's a sweetheart.  This is what I found on the doorstep when I got home.  An early Mother's Day gift.  Roses in all colors.

But the best part of the day?  After my workout at the gym, I propped my feet up outside... just as DK came through the door.  I cuddled 15 minutes with my schmoopie, watching the sun go down from our back patio... then he went to bed, preparing to tackle the world's problems for {at least} one more day.

Maybe they'll let him have a day off this Mother's Day weekend?  Please?

What are your plans for Mother's Day?

Drama on the Bayou

It’s official. I had my first Mother/Daughter “spat” in a clothing store… with Grac my child who shall remain nameless. I never go to a mall these days (if I can help it); however, this was a full circle, sentimental moment. I remember going to this mall when I was a little girl, and now MY little girl was walking through that same mall… with me. I only wanted to go to the mall to get dance tights for the girls because they would need them as soon as we got back home (from Granny’s house in La) in time for dance class. I also wanted to purchase a certain hat to wear when we go to the beach. I’m all about efficiency, so let’s make it one stop.

When we entered, I think she sucked all of the oxygen out of the mall with her amazement and wonder. “Wow!” Like I said, it’s been a while. The last visit to a mall was at Christmas… for just one hour. That’s all I could stand. Ha!

It all started when we got distracted by the great ‘sale’ signs outside the store. They were my ‘bright & shiny objects’ of distraction. My little side-kick scanned the clothes and loved all of them, but narrowed it down to a loud flower shirt with loud striped short shorts. I repeatedly and politely as possible (trying to keep from screaming through grit teeth my cool) reminded her that, while I may not be an expert, I’ve watched enough What Not To Wear to know that this pretty much breaks every rule. And if I’m paying for it and we are on a budget… Well, it may as well be something she can wear outside the house.

I was met with LOTS of grump and a (small) waterworks display. Words like, “You’re frustrating me!” and “Ugh!” could be heard throughout the store, but obviously directed at me.

Wait. What? Wasn’t I the one offering to buy her something? It was Children’s Place after all… no mommy sizes here. I was tempted to leave with the outfit I put together for the other darling daughter who decided to stay home at Granny’s. Looking at all of the ‘bling-bling’ does not excite her anyway. She’s happy to let mom choose.

Anyway, somewhere during the 100th time of explaining everything once more and tightness in my chest, something in her clicked. She seemed herself again. I welcomed her back. She smiled. She found another outfit that matched (mommy found a few other things they would like as well… it really was a great sale) and we were on our merry way.

As we were checking out, she says, “Mommy wasn’t there another store you needed to go to?” Ummm, yeah. Remember the hat… and the budget? “No, baby, I think mommy just bought the hat.” ;) She responded with a big hug. “Thank you, Mommy!”

I love that lil' girl... to infinity and beyond. She can turn on that little girl voice and melt your heart in a second. I enjoyed holding her hand through the mall. I love that every time we go somewhere, just the two of us, she asks, "Mommy, what would you like to talk about?"

On the way home, I ask, “Did you have a good time?” We both agreed it was time well spent… except for one episode. She says, “I know what you’re going to do. When I’m a teenager, you are going to make me wear fancy clothes. I will want to wear pants and you are going to make me wear dresses. (There was a time I couldn’t get her out of dresses. She hated pants.) When I get married, you are going to come to my house every day and pick out my clothes.”

Lord, just help me survive the upcoming teen years. I mean, it's not like I'm going to make her wear this...Oh, and the next day... We made it home with 30 minutes to spare to throw on dance tights, leotards and fly to class. Whew! Oh the blogs I could write about from sitting in dance rehearsals....

Less than Perfect

It was one of those days.

We were preparing for DK to fly to Chicago for the week and I was sneezing my head off. Yes, sneezing. The very un-lady like - throw your back out - give you whip-lash – expel your vocal chords - kind of sneezing. All. Day. Like clockwork, I usually have a day like that once every few months.

The girls were engrossed in Webkinz world all morning and had been dreaming of new ones they’d like. They had money to contribute, but fell short of having what they needed. They’d done a great job in school all year, but we already had something planned for the ‘end of the year party’. So, DK said that if I came up with extra chores for them to do, we would get it for them.

Of course, we all know this means a lot of extra work for mom as well. Still violently sneezing… I’m a bit of a health nut and refuse to take anything. No need for suggestions. I’ve taken something before on a day like this… and it’s like taking candy. Theses sneezes don’t play. Anyone feel sorry for me yet? ;)

We drop Daddy off at the airport. Tears ensue. The promise of Webkinz = great distraction. We are on our way home. Literally, less than one minute from the house, Jasmine (yes, we took her with us) looks like she is about to throw up in the back seat. I try to chase her mouth with the blanket she is sitting on. Trying to stay on the road. Trying not to sneeze. Trying to convince my girls to help me while they are clearly in a TV coma with their headphones on. One of them (who shall remain nameless) looks at me, but chose not to help.

Thanks to the mommy super-power of driving with the left arm and having my entire right arm in the back seat, the unpleasant experience managed to get mostly on the blanket. However, by the time we rolled into the driveway, I was at my wits end! ACHOOOO! Excuse me.

“Does anyone hear me?!! Is it too much to ask for a little help?!! Why can’t anyone just help?!! ….. blah, blah, blah. ACHOOOO!” To them, I’m sure it sounded much like a rant from Charlie Brown’s teacher. However, the silent tears that followed brought me back to reality quickly. Mommy cooled off. We did our chores, bought the Webkinz, treated ourselves to a Smoothie King, ran in Target and had lots of hugs, silliness, snuggles & kisses the rest of the evening.

I figure there will be no permanent scaring. Well, except for the ‘mommy guilt’. I should remind myself that I'm human. I need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to be perfect in motherhood. Besides, if this video is an example of a perfect mom, I’d be happy with the ‘less than perfect’ mom title.

The sneezes finally start easing up a bit. Thank you, Lord.

Tucking the girls in bed, we were being quite silly. At some point I said, “I know you are, but what am I?” A-Nator said, “Beautiful….. and old.” I laughed (to keep from crying of course), “Yeah, just for that, you are going to have to take care of me when I’m really old.” Without hesitation, she said, “I will.”

So sweet.

Her prayers went something like this… “Dear Lord… Bless my Mommy & Daddy... Love them as much as I do… Thank you God for my mom. She is the best mommy.”

I pray she is still saying that for years to come.

I may not be a perfect mom, but I am a blessed one!

Dinner Drama

By now, most of us have heard the "Mom Song", right? 

Well, I was singing it at the dinner table. 

I know, I know... The dinner table is where families come together at the end of the day to make those deep, heartfelt connections. I know, and most dinners I do! However, as a homeschool mom I have multiple opportunities. So tonight, please just eat your dinner...

Gracie (our just turned 7 yr old) decides to write notes TO Gracie...

so mom can stop singing parts of the Mom Song.

It says, "Gracie, aet your Dinner! Love Mommy"

After she misspelled 'eat' the second time, my teacher hat revealed itself.

She then rewrites it correctly and proceeds to tell MOMMY to eat her dinner. It's appropriately decorated with with hearts, hugs & kisses.

note: Mommy and A-nator have eaten dinner and daddy is working late.

Then, this smart cookie decides to attempt the power of distraction.

Doesn't she realize moms invented that power?!

Gracie: "Hey, Mom, can you find the word 'Mommy' in this?"

Mom: "Yes, it's right there."

Gracie: "How can you see it?"

Mom: "Maybe it's my special mama eyes. Now eat your dinner."

"Why dint you fighnd it?"

The teacher in me is confused. She should know how to spell 'did'!

Yet, my heart melted when she used her 'igh' in night
special sound to write 'find'. 

Then she asks a question most of us have asked at some point in our lives...

Way! Way! Way! Oops, Mom corrects the mistake. Why! Why! Why!

Mom: "Gracie, if you don't eat your dinner you will not get popcorn."

Gracie: "You're making popcorn?!" Gracie sits back in her seat and writes,

"Why becaunes why kant I eat pocorn?"

I officially feel guilty my Gracie will be going to bed hungry,

but shouldn't because GRACIE requested this dinner.

Also making mental note...

We must work harder on spelling and not allow spelling city to do most of the job.

Apparently, I gave myself 'flowers' too.

My personal paycheck I suppose? :)

Possibly conversations between Gracie and God. Maybe they are in code so that my special mama eyes can't read them... or least try to correct misspellings. ;)

Did you know that Dad has a song too?