Five

April 21, 2008

We celebrated this weekend where she made her own cake (with help from Rob), a two layer triple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and cherries on top. She was so proud of her cake. I have no good photos of the cake since my camera battery went DEAD and I couldn’t find the charger.

Since today was her actual birthday I picked up a small pink cake while I was at the grocery store. Can you celebrate a birthday too much? I don’t think so. Can you have too much cake? Definitely not.

The Boy Who Ceased to Exist

My thirteen year old son is going through that phase where he hates having his photo taken. Virtually every photo I take of him features the back of his head. Or his hand in front of his face. Or a book. I tease him that when grows up he is going to wonder if he even existed at all during his thirteenth year. Or wonder if perhaps that was the year we kept him tethered to the basement water pipes.

Today I was taking photos when he unceremoniously informed me that he no longer wants me to write anything about things he does. Or doesn’t do. Or photograph him. Or show other people the photos that I do manage to get of him. I should just pretend that he doesn’t exist.

He probably wouldn’t want me to tell you that today I let him go into the grocery store all alone to buy a few things. it isn’t that he has been itching to do this. It has never really come up before, but today we were running errands and I needed to go to the store next to the grocery store so I asked him if he wanted to go in alone.

He definitely wouldn’t want me to tell you that as he walked away I shouted, “Don’t let anyone kidnap you now!” When he found me a little while later in the neighboring store he seemed to walk taller. Some imperceptible change had happened and suddenly I could see the future.

As we were driving home, his seven year old brother in the back seat decided to count. With each number he got louder and more enthusiastic. My 13 year old son looked over at me and said, “My god that is the most annoying thing.” I agreed, but instead of saying anything I reached over and turned the radio off.

“No sense in competing. We may as well embrace the counting.” I laughed.

“Doesn’t that annoy you?” he asked.

Rather than answer, I reminded him of a time when he was about the same age and he decided to count by tens all the way home from his aunt’s house. A house that is over an hour away from us.

“I remember that!” he said.

“Do you?” I asked, in between the shouts of FIRTY-FIVE… FIRTY-SIX… FIRTY-SEVEN…

“Yes. I don’t remember it being so annoying though.” He laughed.

Of course you don’t, I wanted to say.

And so if I don’t mention this son anymore it isn’t because I don’t have things to say about him. I do. It isn’t that I don’t love him. Because man, do I love this child young man. I am proud of who he is growing up to be. I am fairly confident these days that he won’t grow up to be a career criminal, a serial killer, or a Republican. Oh I kid. I just threw that last one in there for my husband. Some of my best friends are Republicans.

Sometimes being a parent means keeping your mouth shut and embracing the moment silently. Not matter how annoying it might be.

Jump!

April 18, 2008

The best part of swinging is jumping off.

Semi-Yearly Event

This morning I brought summer clothes and sandals down from the attic. The weather is in the mid 70’s today, though I am sure the temperature will dip low enough to require jackets again before summer is here for good.

I have children alternately insisting that their shoes from last summer, which are now two sizes too small, fit them perfectly. And children who are doing all they can in their power to insist that things that do fit them are too small. Clownishly small, a certain child insists.

I am being entertained, for lack of a better word, with how shorts should not show your knees. Even when you sit down. I told my son that we might as well call what he wants to wear capris. Or highwaters.

It was much easier before they had any opinions about their clothing or any (COMPLETELY INSANE) ideas about fashion. My sons make my daughter’s request for light-up Disney Princess sandals seem perfectly reasonable.

If you never see me again it is because I drowned under a sea of Teva sandals, plastic flip flops, and ironic Old Navy t-shirts. All of which span sizes 2T- 18, yet miraculously fit NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON in this house.

Love Thursday

April 17, 2008

The weather has finally turned warm. We have been spending every spare moment outside this week, soaking in the sunshine, replenishing our Vitamin D stores in our bodies that have long ago been depleted.

It was also time to break out the sidewalk chalk.

And also rake out all of the flower beds, but that part wasn’t so much fun. My arms feel like jello now.

Over at Work It, Mom! Pulled Pork Sandwiches that you make in the crockpot. You know how much I love my crockpot. Especially now that we are out away from the house most evenings when I would normally be preparing dinner.

In Case You Wondered

April 16, 2008

Gee, Chris, what have you been up to lately?

My seven year old rounding second base.

From now until September October November The First Measurable Snowfall AFTER Summer I will be keeping myself busy either watching baseball or washing uniforms. Nice to have something to fill my time because the rest of the year I have nothing to do. [/sarcasm]

Tuesday Links

At Parenting I wrote about an experience I had while traveling with my ginormous suitcase, which in actuality isn’t larger than normal, and how a huge group of teenage boys ran by while I was struggling on the stairs with the suitcase and all of them, except one ran by without offering assistance.

But I suppose it is my own damn fault for packing a suitcase at all and having to use stairs? Who knows, the internet is crazy with the things that get its panties in a wad.

I’m just glad that I didn’t mention that this was also the place where Susan and I saw the pantless hooker, on the train platform. Because somehow that might have been my fault also. But it was at that point, after already navigating the stair cases twice, that we decided to drive into the city. Because after that experience, nothing is scary. Then we renavigated the two sets of staircases. All while hoping the pantless hooker and the men didn’t come after us.

Neither one of us are city girls and it was never more obvious than at that exact moment.

Over at Work It, Mom!

This sort of looks like one of those photos on the menu at a bad Chinese restaurant, but I assure you that the recipe is delicious.

Also, over at Work It, Mom! there are contests and giveaways every day this week in celebration of the one year birthday of the site. Entering to win is as easy as leaving a comment.

Just a Grrrl

April 14, 2008

The Little Brother

April 13, 2008

“You will sit there, and wear my shoes, and watch me dance. When I am done you will clap.”

“Ok. I will. You are a beautiful butterfly and a good dancer.”

“No talking to me either.”

We Take Safety Seriously

April 12, 2008

The weather was gorgeous today. The kids asked if we could go on a bike ride. Miles was mad when I told him that he could not ride his tricycle on the road.

But once I told him that he could wear his helmet while we walked, he cheered right back up. I guess when you are three wearing a helmet is cool.

Also thank god he doesn’t have a two wheeler bike yet. My daughter decided half way through the ride that it was “Tooooooo haaaaaaaarrrrrrrd.” And she was “Toooooooooo tiiiiiirrrrrrrrred.” I ended up pulling her on her bike most of the way home, all the while muttering empty threats under my breath about how she will never ever again ride her bike on the road. And how if she doesn’t stop whining I will toss her bike into the woods and leave it there for the bears to use.

If I had two kids on two bikes to deal with, I am not certain that I wouldn’t have just left them there on the side of the road to fend for themselves.

I know you are all thinking, “What how could that angelic looking child possibly behave in a way that would anger you so? You horrible, awful, undeserving mother.” But you are imagining this face:

When the face that I am dealing with looks more like that of Linda Blair right before the pea soup came flying out of her mouth:

I see the future. Hold me.

I have no idea about his fashion choices. Clearly he does not believe that spring is here to stay and wants to be prepared with boots should a freak snowstorm arise.

And really he might just have the last laugh.