Out of the Mouth of Babes

So I'm sitting on the couch and my ear is itching so I'm rubbing it and my youngest says:

"Mommy, do you have fleas?"

Then, later in the bathtub she asks me,

"Mommy, do boys have to squeeze it to make the peepee come out?"

Only from her............

Love Thursday - Birthday Card

My youngest made this for me on Wednesday when we were at my work in the afternoon. I will cherish this always.

A Glimpse Into the Future?

Sometimes when you look at her, you can get a glimpse of what she's going to look like when she grows up.




That is if she doesn't dye her hair, get multiple pearcings and tattoos.

Back From Camp

What a week she had

"Did you have fun?"

"Oh yes, we did this, and this, and that, yada, yada, yada. But I missed you SOOO much!"

"So do you want to go back?"

"NO!"

I'm glad that she had a good time, but I feel bad that she missed us so much and even cried a few times.

Not that I want her out of the house, mind you.

But I do want her to be confident on being away from us as she gets older.

And I think she will.

I might start giving her some more independence soon to help with that.

But I'm awfully glad she's back.

I missed her very much too!!

"I Miss You So Damn Much"

You think that this is what I would be saying to my hubby because he's away.

Well, I do, but I didn't write this.

This is what my eldest wrote to me in her letter from camp.

This is her first time away from me for more than a night without either me or hubby around.

It's a strange place, she's never been there before, but at least she has her friends there.

She did say she is having fun though, but I can understand her missing me. Because I do miss her. Very damn much. And I miss hubby too, SO damn much.

And now you may be thinking, my 11 year old is writing this to me. 11? And saying "damn" to me and me allowing it?

Yes.

But only in certain contexts.

Like I miss you so damn much.

Or Damn!

When she reaches certain ages, I allow her to say certain words.

But they come with stipulations.

Like she's not supposed to say it around her sister.

Or her grandparents or other adults.

And she's not to use it to say it meanly towards me.

Like, "Damn You".

Or anyone else.

I mean, come on.

I'm not stupid.

I certainly was saying a HELL of a lot worse at her age.

I remember one time coming home from school, me and my friend, we had promised to stop cursing. We wanted to work on talking better.

But then this boy really pissed both of us off.

And we looked at each other and said, "Okay, this ONE time".

And then we both turned and said the exact same thing at the exact same time to this boy, without knowing what the other was going to say.

Let's just say there were two words, and one started with an "F" and the other started with an "A".

Hey, I can have a mouth on me just as bad as a sailor if I really wanted to.

But because I have children, I work really hard at not cursing.

At least not in front of them.

But sometimes it does slip out.

Damn it.

Love Thursday - Just Watching

I SO much enjoy just watching my youngest. She is so full of life! She loves to just chatter away when she's playing by herself, she's so enthusiastic when she talks about things she likes, and even things she doesn't like.

Even though I miss my eldest, I am enjoying my one-on-one time with my youngest.

Kumbya, My Lord....

My baby left for 6th grade camp today.

Even though she's my oldest, she's still my baby.

She was so nervous yesterday and this morning. I'm surprised she even slept at all.

Lord knows I didn't get much sleep! I feel asleep fine, but then when I got that "middle of the night pee call" I couldn't fall back asleep right away. And then finally when I did, the cat started playing with something on the hardwood floors and then the dog decided HE had to go pee too!

She did get up once in the middle of the night, but was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly.

She was fine when we were packing things up, packing the dufflebag, rolling up the sleeping bag, labeling everything, etc. She was even fine when I timed her to see if she could take a shower in 2 minutes (1 minute, 45 seconds, you go girl!) It wasn't until we were sitting there, watching TV that I think it hit her and she got very nervous and a bit teary eyed.

I certainly couldn't let on that I was nervous too! After all, the longest she had been away from me was 2 nights and that's when I went away for the weekend! And I was missing my family after the first night way too!

So I soothed her, hugged her, gave her kisses and told her that everything would be alright. I kept reassuring her. I told her that I knew for a FACT that she was NOT the only one who was feeling this way. I knew some of her friends were nervous as well. But that she would have her friends there and her teacher would be there too. (How cool is that, to be a 6th grade teacher and be able to go on this camp with your students for a whole week!) I think, or at least I hope, that it helped her some.

She was still nervous this morning, but she marched on.

We dropped off the youngest at preschool early and then headed on towards her school.

Of course finding a parking spot in the parking lot was impossible because every other parent who's 6th grade student was going too and they wanted to be there, just like me.

The bell rang and us parents stayed behind to watch all the luggage while the students went inside to class to gear up for the trip.

The bus came (there was literally a whole bus just for the luggage) and we loaded it up.

Then I saw her teacher and she guided us parents over to where the kids were lining up to get on the bus. We gave them hugs and kisses and waved them goodbye as they left.

Four nights without my baby.

I hope she has a BLAST though.

Dreams

Do you believe in dreams? I do. I believe dreams can be a powerful thing.

I have had quite a few dreams in my life that are so vivid that they have stuck with me.

I also believe that your loved ones that have passed o,n can use your dreams to be a pathway to communicate with you. I really do. That is why I believe that there is a heaven and that your soul doesn't die when your body does.

Case in point:

About 5 or 6 months after my grandma had died, I had this dream. In my dream I was at a family gathering and my grandpa was also there. When I looked up behind my grandpa, there was my grandma, standing behind him. I was so shocked to see her! I asked her why I could see her and what was she doing there. She told me that she was there to watch over grandpa and that only he and I could see her. Hubby literally had to wake me up from my sleep because I was crying so hard. Crying for sadness? No, joy because I was able to talk to her again, and I knew she was still there.

That was my first time I had ever had that happen to me. And I truly believe that she came to me in my dream to let me know it was okay. And to realize that she was actually watching over me as well.

It was nearing Christmas that year and I was telling hubby about this train set that used to get set up every Christmas, and how we loved it. He was very interested in it and we both were thinking about seeing if it was still around and if we could possibly have it. It was at my grandma's house (my mom was living there to take care of my grandpa) but no one could find it. My uncle said that I could have it (it was his, growing up after all) if it was still around.

That night I had a dream in which I found the train set in an armoire in the garage at my grandma's house. That next day I called my sister, who was also living there, and told her to go to that armoire in the garage and it would be there. Sure enough, it was there.

Psychic?

No, I think it was my grandma telling me where it was in my dreams.

I knew she was watching over me that night I had to drive up to see my mom, who had just had a massive stroke. I knew my grandma would make sure I got there okay to see my mom.

About six months or so after my mom passed away, I had a dream about her. I was at a family gathering (similar to the one I had when my grandma came to me) and I saw my mom there. My two sisters were there with me too. All 3 of us were able to see my mom and talk with her. And then, almost just as soon as it began, she wanted to give us a group hug because she had to go. She had to go so that she could come back to us again. One second she was giving us a group hug and then the next second, it was just the three of us hugging.

And my last example?

Just happened Thursday night/Friday morning.

I was having a dream that I was on MySpace, on my cousin's site, reading about the birth of her two babies. There was a picture of one of the babies. I kept reading on that she had had some complications with the delivery, but she was okay. I only saw one of the babies. My dream was so vivid, and I was going to keep on reading to find out what happened, but I got awoken by my cell phone going off.

I had a text message from my aunt.

She text messaged everyone to let them know that my cousin had had her babies. My cousin had to be in ICU for a little while, due to excessive bleeding, but she was okay now. And the big surprise? She didn't have two girls like the ultrasound had "supposedly" showed, (but my cousin never wanted to know the sex of the babies, but hubby knew and that's how we all knew), but she had a girl and a BOY (thus the reason I only saw a picture of one baby in my dream. I think I was supposed to see the pictue of the boy in my dream had I not been woken up by my aunt's text message about it).

So the fact that I had a dream very, very similar to what had actually happened, coincidence?

Possibly.

But I believe in the power of dreams.

Dialogue from the Youngest At The Dinner Table

"I'm eating worms" (spaghetti)

"It's red worm blood"

"It's squishy"

"I was eating the worm blood"

"The flavor is spinach"

"I have a worm moustache"

"Know what it smells like? Spinach"

"And inside the worm blood is another worm inside"

Boy, I sure can't wait to see what this kid is going to be like when she starts drinking! She will probably be the girl who swallows the worm in the tequila bottle........

Decompressing

All day today I've felt like I am just going to burst or blow up or yell or scream.

Do you ever have one of those days?

Where nothing "specific" actually happened to foul your mood, but you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess?

It started off waking my girls up. My eldest is usually a bear to wake up, but when I told her she had an email from Daddy, she hopped out of bed in an instant. I mean that's great and all, that she's excited to get an email from Daddy, but it also made me feel like the gum on the bottom of the shoe.

Then my youngest is starting to follow suit with her and waking up in crabby moods as well. She used to wake up all nice and cheery and loving. Not so much anymore.

Plus work is work. No fun.

Don't mind me, I'm just whining today.

Easter Eggs....

Dying eggs for easter.

What a time honored tradition.

This year it was no different in the fact that we dyed eggs, what was different was the place.

We were at home. I can't even remember the last time we stayed home for Easter. For the past few years we have been up in Henderson, NV at my aunt's house for Easter. It was always fun for the kids too. Plus they were with their cousins and we had a lot of family around. Dying eggs, finding their baskets Easter morning, going out in the backyard to find the plastic eggs hidden about.

Before that we would be at my mom's house for Easter. Same scenario, different location.

So this year was much more cozy.

It was just me and my girls.

Oh, and the Easter Bunny had to wrap all of the Easter baskets in cellophane to prevent the cat from getting into the baskets at night while they were hidden around the house. That was a new thing to do, since I've never done that before.

It was a nice quiet day here around the house and I liked it too, except for the fact that hubby wasn't here for it. We sure miss him.

Here's how our eggs turned out. Quite cute I think....

Where Did It Go?

My creative mojo.

It seems lately all my creative mojo has gone out the window.

Perhaps it is because I have been so busy lately.

My scrapbook area looks so lonely and wishing for me to come over there and create.

I'm hoping to get over there and do some work tomorrow, as it's on my list of things I need to get done (I'm doing a swap with some friends and it's due tomorrow, so I guess I should get a move on, huh?)

I just feel like I'm in a rut with the creative process.

It probably has something to do with the fact that I do need to get stuff done around here, so the "clutter energy" can go away, leaving me free to create.

I hope I can find it tomorrow under the clutter!

It's only Day Two!

Of Hubby being gone and already I'm having to yell at the children!

Okay, I know it's stressful for them.

The eldest is showing it already. Plus I think she's tired.

The youngest still doesn't really know what's going on, or that Daddy will be gone for a while. Today she wanted to get Daddy's phone number to call him and tell him she loves him. :*) (Too cute though!!) It's hard to explain to her that Daddy's phone doesn't work where he is and we don't have a number where we can call him, so we'll just have to email or write letters or draw pictures for him until he can call.

Whenever that is.

So I get my "stern mom voice" out and tell them to both come over here where I'm sitting.

I make them apologize to each other.

Then give each other hugs.

Then kisses.

Then wiggles. (that gets them to start giggling)

Then tickles.

Okay, they're fine now.

New Shoes

Back in style.

Finally, a pair of slip on Vans my daughter likes that don't make her feet look like boats.

Aren't they cute?!!!

I still find it amazing that slip on Vans are back in style.

That and bermuda shorts.

Yea, she got two pair of those today too.

Spring Break Shopping!