Universal Law of Motherhood: when a child wakes a mother up before her alarm goes off that mother gets to drink one extra cup of coffee per twenty minutes of lost sleep.
That means today I'm looking at two extra cups.
We went to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear this weekend and Carolena may have had one of the best days of her life. It was right up her alley and she immediately announced that she too will have a Build-A-Bear birthday... you know... a million months from now when it's actually her birthday.
So, I spent yesterday morning creating a nap mat, skirt, and dress for her new Build-A-Bear puppy.
And sitting at the kitchen table with my new book (Illustration School: Let's Draw Cute Animals). I'm addicted. I wonder if they have some sort of anonymous group for being addicted to such a thing.
Yesterday I heard the magical words, "Enjoy the quiet house!" as Chris and the kids hopped out to go check on his new fish at work. I, very wisely, spent the time with my new drawing book and Mr. Toad. A sequel not written by the author of the first book is certainly open to some skepticism... but wow... Mr. Horwood did it. The Willows in Winter is fabulous. A keeper for sure.
AND Carolena and I had a "just the girls" outing yesterday. Lunch at Chick-Fil-A (her choice) and a trip to the mall. C got two dresses and a cute pair of Converse which came with a handshake that she would learn to tie them. She kept her part of the deal and worked on it when we got home... but teaching a lefty to tie her shoes evidently confounds me and we might have to bring in an expert for shoe tying lessons (*ahem*UncleTrent!*ahem). After shoes and dresses we hit up Claire's. Ohh yeahhh. At one point C screeched in happiness, "I found a locket!!! Just like in Annie. I didn't know these were real! I thought it was just in Annie!"
So now she owns a $7 locket.
I finally managed to hang out with one of my very favorite people (we rarely get to see one another due to schedules). We got casually dressed up (as in nice shoes with jeans) and went out to eat. Mom heaven. Well, except for when she told me her family's quest to move into the country has finally come to fruition and they'll be moving before next school year. An hour and a half away. At the time I was caught up in her excitement (and still am), but it hit me when I got home and I cried. My very best friend in Katy is moving. I think this is an okay time for an "oh shit" except that I am so insanely happy for her that if it fell through I would be sad and disappointed. Plus, now I will be able to go visit her cool farm house and her future chickens and such. Life was awesome back when she and I used to be able to hang out several times a week though.
Last night I fell asleep in front of the fire (it's okay, Chris was awake as it was like 740) and am starting the day with those two extra cups o'joe on the horizon thanks to Nils. So, yeah, I'd say today looks promising.
Showing posts with label Universal Laws of Motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Universal Laws of Motherhood. Show all posts
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Grace-Full
Some days I nail it. Some days I have a seemingly unlimited amount of patience for critters in my household including but not limited to cats, children, a husband, and a plethora of spiders. Some days I am creative and fun and resourceful and kind. Some days I am generous and compassionate.
BUT...
But some days I have a secret (until Chris finds me) crying melt down in the laundry room because someone *cough*not-me*cough* unknowingly spilled bleach on the edge of the kitchen counter and I got it on my new shirt and one of only two pairs of shorts that fit me well. You know, my new shirt that I found at Goodwill this week (and is thus not replaceable) that says "think positive" across it.
And no, the irony of hiding in the laundry room to cry over bleach on someone else's cast-off "think positive" shirt is not lost on me at all.
Some days I have stressing melt downs over the fact that the work that I literally did not have time to get done until Saturday morning (scheduled to be done between the hours of 440-7am) was interrupted by the early rising of a chipper nugget who refused to "go snuggle with Daddy." It is a universal law of motherhood that any work left until the early morning hours of the last possible minute will be interrupted by a random early riser.
Some days I awake tired because of the Halloween festival that I forced everyone to go to at bedtime the night before which was not really even fun. Some days the coffee just isn't strong enough. Some days the scheduled on the calendar "family day nothing else!" turns out to be a day when everyone should really just hide from my wrath.
And days like this are the days I'm reminded of grace. Free, unearned, undeserved, free flowing love.
Chris took the kids to the park for the morning so that I could finish my work. Pizza dough is rising. Beer is in the fridge. Aggies are on tv much to the glee of Nils who cries out "football! football! and is happily eating two suckers and a box of Nerds while watching the game (duh, didn't I already convince you it's that kind of day around here?). Supergirl is flying around ready to "save the people!" and now that my slightly postponed work is finally finished I know that a good book and a calm bed are calling my name.
Yes, grace abounds. Grace abounds.
BUT...
But some days I have a secret (until Chris finds me) crying melt down in the laundry room because someone *cough*not-me*cough* unknowingly spilled bleach on the edge of the kitchen counter and I got it on my new shirt and one of only two pairs of shorts that fit me well. You know, my new shirt that I found at Goodwill this week (and is thus not replaceable) that says "think positive" across it.
And no, the irony of hiding in the laundry room to cry over bleach on someone else's cast-off "think positive" shirt is not lost on me at all.
Some days I have stressing melt downs over the fact that the work that I literally did not have time to get done until Saturday morning (scheduled to be done between the hours of 440-7am) was interrupted by the early rising of a chipper nugget who refused to "go snuggle with Daddy." It is a universal law of motherhood that any work left until the early morning hours of the last possible minute will be interrupted by a random early riser.
Some days I awake tired because of the Halloween festival that I forced everyone to go to at bedtime the night before which was not really even fun. Some days the coffee just isn't strong enough. Some days the scheduled on the calendar "family day nothing else!" turns out to be a day when everyone should really just hide from my wrath.
And days like this are the days I'm reminded of grace. Free, unearned, undeserved, free flowing love.
Chris took the kids to the park for the morning so that I could finish my work. Pizza dough is rising. Beer is in the fridge. Aggies are on tv much to the glee of Nils who cries out "football! football! and is happily eating two suckers and a box of Nerds while watching the game (duh, didn't I already convince you it's that kind of day around here?). Supergirl is flying around ready to "save the people!" and now that my slightly postponed work is finally finished I know that a good book and a calm bed are calling my name.
Yes, grace abounds. Grace abounds.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Best Buds
Nils has really moved his way up on the fun-ness scale when it comes to playing with Carolena. I recently managed to see (without her noticing my presence) Carolena toss her arm around his shoulders and exclaim, "Nils, you're my best bud! Did you know that?! You're my best bud!" I think my old grinch heart grew three sizes that day.
Yesterday afternoon Carolena and Nils started playing a game with a simple premise: take turns hitting one another and laughing. On the one hand (which we shall call "reason") I knew it would quickly disolve into tears and fighting. On the other hand (which we shall call "motherhood" or "survival mode") I realllly just wanted to drink my Diet Coke Diet Dr. K and zone out for a second. Plus, at that moment they were laughing.
Shockingly, shockingly, the game ended and they each moved on to something else. I left the living room for five seconds (a mother's gotta pee sometime) and when I came back (literally like one minute later) found that Nils had a pen and was attempting to color the ottoman. Luckily, he was using the wrong end.
Not only had Sir Nils managed to get into that mischief. He had also used crayon on the couch and spread dirt from a house plant and ground it into the carpet. How did he get so much accomplished in so little time? I mean, seriously, I was tempted to not even be mad and just be impressed. That kid is an overachiever! Just finding a pen and getting to the ottoman would have been enough of a feat. Proud as my pirate side was, alas, parenting must be done. I would rather be a mother raising my children rather than just watching them grow up. He was sent to time out and then had to "help" me clean up the mess. You can see from this picture how helpful he was:
Nils was forbidden from using any writing implements for the rest of the day so Carolena decided to work on her Top Secret Father's Day Poster (that Daddy knows about because it keeps getting left on the kitchen table but he pretends to not notice because he is in fact a great dad) in the "pie-vacy" of her own room.
And mommy drank a rum and coke last night with dinner. Hello, Friday. What new adventures do you hold for us?
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| All Aboard! |
Shockingly, shockingly, the game ended and they each moved on to something else. I left the living room for five seconds (a mother's gotta pee sometime) and when I came back (literally like one minute later) found that Nils had a pen and was attempting to color the ottoman. Luckily, he was using the wrong end.
Not only had Sir Nils managed to get into that mischief. He had also used crayon on the couch and spread dirt from a house plant and ground it into the carpet. How did he get so much accomplished in so little time? I mean, seriously, I was tempted to not even be mad and just be impressed. That kid is an overachiever! Just finding a pen and getting to the ottoman would have been enough of a feat. Proud as my pirate side was, alas, parenting must be done. I would rather be a mother raising my children rather than just watching them grow up. He was sent to time out and then had to "help" me clean up the mess. You can see from this picture how helpful he was:
Nils was forbidden from using any writing implements for the rest of the day so Carolena decided to work on her Top Secret Father's Day Poster (that Daddy knows about because it keeps getting left on the kitchen table but he pretends to not notice because he is in fact a great dad) in the "pie-vacy" of her own room.
And mommy drank a rum and coke last night with dinner. Hello, Friday. What new adventures do you hold for us?
Monday, February 2, 2015
Universal Laws of Motherhood
Universal Law of Motherhood #317
If your child randomly falls of off his or her chair for no apparent reason, he or she will be holding a full open-lidded cup containing any beverage other than water.
If your child randomly falls of off his or her chair for no apparent reason, he or she will be holding a full open-lidded cup containing any beverage other than water.
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