Is it just me, or is the Ice Cream Man a mom's worst nightmare? Not only does he drive around in a scary bread truck covered with ice cream stickers peddling all kinds of calorie-ladden treats, but he blares this extremely annoying music as he trolls the neighborhoods! The jury is still out on whether this music is a warning to parents, or a summoning to children. I suppose it depends on who you ask!
Here is my real problem with the ice cream man - he comes through my neighborhood with his crazy music at 2:30pm, which is why I am sure he must not have children or nieces/nephews. In fact, he may not even know any children!! He can't......or else he would know that this is naptime. Richmond has been waking up from a dead sleep screaming, "Ice Cream! I want Ice Cream!" It's just like Eddie Murphy said it would be, only it was funny in the 80's because I was a kid. Now I am the mom, and it is not funny. First of all.....no, we are not paying $2 for a popscicle, and secondly, the ice cream man does not determine when naptime is over. Obviously, he has never read any of the "Growing Kids God's Way" series. The mommy decides when naptime is over - not the ice cream man! But what do you do? There's no 1-800-How's My Ice Cream number on the back of his truck. There's no organized coalition against the ice cream truck man. So we wait.....for winter......when the ice cream man goes on hiatus. Who knew that as a Mom, I would wish away summertime bliss in favor of the bleakness of winter, all because of the ICE CREAM MAN!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
AH-HA
One of my biggest ah-ha's in life thus far has been to finally understand all of those "Mom sayings" that we all heard as kids. You know the ones......you heard them so often that they sounded more like "Blah, blah and blah, blah, blah" then actual words in the English language. Many of them were as much a part of our daily interaction with our moms as good morning or what's for dinner. Growing up, I think most of us completely wrote these sayings off as Mom is just having a moment, and we continued on with whatever it was that was causing Mom's moment.
Sometime after Richmond turned one, these sayings began to come out of my mouth uncontrollably and without thought. It's like they had been implanted into my brain and had lay dormant for all of these years just waiting for the perfect opportunity to make their debut. (This phenomenon only happens in females). Once they surface, it's as if they stay on guard at the edge of our tongues looking for any chance to attack!
A few of my favs:*
*"Just wait until your Dad comes home."
Why is this so scary to a child? Sometimes when I find myself trying to reason with a 4 year old (which is too often, and stupid I might add), I'll throw this one out as a last resort. It works! But take caution, overuse could cause it to lose it's effectiveness.
* "Your room looks like a pig-pen"(or a tornado touched down, or any other phrase equaling complete and utter destruction).
It only takes a minute for the Pottery Barn room to look like the.......well - the barn itself.
* "I am going to change my name."
From Mom that is...... If I don't respond immediately for whatever reason when I hear Mommy, I can be assured that it will be repeated without pause until I have responded - and sometimes even afterwards. Now.....for some of you that might not have children or at least children who have learned to ask questions, this may sound somewhat cruel. "Why doesn't she just answer her child immediately", you might ask. If you are one who may be asking this question, I will ask you to store this one in your memory banks to pull out at a later date.
Calgon, take me away........
* "I am not made of money."
There was a time when I could go to the grocery or Wal-Mart with Richmond, and he was virtually unaware of what was happening. The only concern he had was making sure he could partake in any free cookie giveaways. I'm not sure at what point his eyes were opened to the world of retail, but shopping has become painful. In fact, I would rather go shopping in the wee hours of the a.m. than to shop with my little fair-haired child in the sunshine hours. Those of you who know me well know that this is BIG, for I am practically dead between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
* "Please leave your brother (sister) alone."
There are a number of other ways that this is expressed, but in the end, it all boils down to just downright leaving them alone. Sometimes Richmond loves Knox soooo much that it hurts. It hurts Knox that is! He gets squeezed and pinched and patted, all in the name of love. On the flip side, Richmond likes to test Knox's threshold of pain.
A recurring example - I'm in the kitchen making dinner, Knox is playing in the floor, and Richmond is watching a movie. Suddenly, Knox is screaming at the top of his lungs, crawling towards me like he was shot out of a cannon.
"Richmond, what happened to Knox? Why is he crying?"
"I hurt him," Richmond says.
"What did you do?"
"I ran over his fingers with the truck," he says.
"Why??"
"I wanted to see if he would cry."
The reasonable human side of me wants to scream out, "Duh, of course he is going to cry!" Instead, you move into the Golden Rule talk - painstakingly trying to put it into perspective that a 4 year old understands. A few minutes later, something similar occurs.......thus, resorting to "Leave your brother alone!"
* "If little Johnny jumps off a bridge, are you going to follow him?"
This is one that just recently made it's debut. I even consciously held off on this one - trying instead to explain that Mommy and Daddy are only concerned with Richmond's actions, not those of his friends. After several times of hearing that dreaded phrase, "So-and-so did it", I snapped. The previously mentioned classic response came out of my mouth, to which Richmond simply replied, "No."
Well alrighty then..............
* "Don't make me pull this car over!" (Also frequently used by Dads).
You know....with this one, you actually have to pull the car over and close the deal before this statement gains any effectiveness. You also have to be willing to pull the car over, which can be pain in the gluteous maximus for not only the child, but more so for the parent. I have only committed this act twice, but have successfully threatened it on numerous occasions.My favorite story in regards to this statement comes from the Gerald Roberts (Richy's dad) book of parenting. Before leaving the driveway on any trip, Daddy G would go and cut the thickest, most intimidating limb from the bush (known as a switch in the South) in their front yard. I think he even waved it around in the air to show it's power (or his). The 4 offspring would quietly witness this ceremonial switch cutting from the car, imagining the pain that could come from one small quarrel with a sibling. He would get into the car and place the switch in the dashboard, then turn to his sweet, sweet children and say with a smile, "Here we go!"
You go, Daddy G!!
And last but not least, certainly my all-time favorite.........
* "I can't have anything!"
Stains on the carpet; gross, sticky stuff on the couches; destroyed dishes; broken jewelry; lost brushes; trampled perennial gardens; finger-printed walls and windows; trashed vehicles; computer casualties................need I say more?? I think this is the one that sounded most like blah, blah, blah to me; and therefore, is my biggest AH-HA!
In the big picture of my life.............I can't have anything, but I have everything! Perspective is a beautiful thing :)
So all you Moms out there......rejoice at heart! Eventually blah, blah, blah becomes clear as a bell!
Sometime after Richmond turned one, these sayings began to come out of my mouth uncontrollably and without thought. It's like they had been implanted into my brain and had lay dormant for all of these years just waiting for the perfect opportunity to make their debut. (This phenomenon only happens in females). Once they surface, it's as if they stay on guard at the edge of our tongues looking for any chance to attack!
A few of my favs:*
*"Just wait until your Dad comes home."
Why is this so scary to a child? Sometimes when I find myself trying to reason with a 4 year old (which is too often, and stupid I might add), I'll throw this one out as a last resort. It works! But take caution, overuse could cause it to lose it's effectiveness.
* "Your room looks like a pig-pen"(or a tornado touched down, or any other phrase equaling complete and utter destruction).
It only takes a minute for the Pottery Barn room to look like the.......well - the barn itself.
* "I am going to change my name."
From Mom that is...... If I don't respond immediately for whatever reason when I hear Mommy, I can be assured that it will be repeated without pause until I have responded - and sometimes even afterwards. Now.....for some of you that might not have children or at least children who have learned to ask questions, this may sound somewhat cruel. "Why doesn't she just answer her child immediately", you might ask. If you are one who may be asking this question, I will ask you to store this one in your memory banks to pull out at a later date.
Calgon, take me away........
* "I am not made of money."
There was a time when I could go to the grocery or Wal-Mart with Richmond, and he was virtually unaware of what was happening. The only concern he had was making sure he could partake in any free cookie giveaways. I'm not sure at what point his eyes were opened to the world of retail, but shopping has become painful. In fact, I would rather go shopping in the wee hours of the a.m. than to shop with my little fair-haired child in the sunshine hours. Those of you who know me well know that this is BIG, for I am practically dead between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
* "Please leave your brother (sister) alone."
There are a number of other ways that this is expressed, but in the end, it all boils down to just downright leaving them alone. Sometimes Richmond loves Knox soooo much that it hurts. It hurts Knox that is! He gets squeezed and pinched and patted, all in the name of love. On the flip side, Richmond likes to test Knox's threshold of pain.
A recurring example - I'm in the kitchen making dinner, Knox is playing in the floor, and Richmond is watching a movie. Suddenly, Knox is screaming at the top of his lungs, crawling towards me like he was shot out of a cannon.
"Richmond, what happened to Knox? Why is he crying?"
"I hurt him," Richmond says.
"What did you do?"
"I ran over his fingers with the truck," he says.
"Why??"
"I wanted to see if he would cry."
The reasonable human side of me wants to scream out, "Duh, of course he is going to cry!" Instead, you move into the Golden Rule talk - painstakingly trying to put it into perspective that a 4 year old understands. A few minutes later, something similar occurs.......thus, resorting to "Leave your brother alone!"
* "If little Johnny jumps off a bridge, are you going to follow him?"
This is one that just recently made it's debut. I even consciously held off on this one - trying instead to explain that Mommy and Daddy are only concerned with Richmond's actions, not those of his friends. After several times of hearing that dreaded phrase, "So-and-so did it", I snapped. The previously mentioned classic response came out of my mouth, to which Richmond simply replied, "No."
Well alrighty then..............
* "Don't make me pull this car over!" (Also frequently used by Dads).
You know....with this one, you actually have to pull the car over and close the deal before this statement gains any effectiveness. You also have to be willing to pull the car over, which can be pain in the gluteous maximus for not only the child, but more so for the parent. I have only committed this act twice, but have successfully threatened it on numerous occasions.My favorite story in regards to this statement comes from the Gerald Roberts (Richy's dad) book of parenting. Before leaving the driveway on any trip, Daddy G would go and cut the thickest, most intimidating limb from the bush (known as a switch in the South) in their front yard. I think he even waved it around in the air to show it's power (or his). The 4 offspring would quietly witness this ceremonial switch cutting from the car, imagining the pain that could come from one small quarrel with a sibling. He would get into the car and place the switch in the dashboard, then turn to his sweet, sweet children and say with a smile, "Here we go!"
You go, Daddy G!!
And last but not least, certainly my all-time favorite.........
* "I can't have anything!"
Stains on the carpet; gross, sticky stuff on the couches; destroyed dishes; broken jewelry; lost brushes; trampled perennial gardens; finger-printed walls and windows; trashed vehicles; computer casualties................need I say more?? I think this is the one that sounded most like blah, blah, blah to me; and therefore, is my biggest AH-HA!
In the big picture of my life.............I can't have anything, but I have everything! Perspective is a beautiful thing :)
So all you Moms out there......rejoice at heart! Eventually blah, blah, blah becomes clear as a bell!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
What Makes A Great Dad?
A great Dad is one who makes great sacrifices to spend time with his children, not because it's his "duty" as a Dad.......but because he wants to........because he enjoys it!
Richy, thanks for being such a great Dad to our boys!!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Birthday Bash
We celebrated both boys' birthdays on Saturday with a big Fishing Party, and though the fish weren't biting, we had a grand 'ol time. We decided to combine the parties since their birthdays are so close - May 29th for Richmond and June 10th for Knox. In all ways practical, this was a great idea; however, I'm convinced Knox totally got the shaft on the 1st birthday party! Of course, the main attraction is the one who demands the most attention. Since day one of Knox's short life, it has been that way. His older brother is very active and full of energy, thus requiring most of our energy. It's quite funny to me just how little attention Knox has required since he came on the scene.......until he became mobile, he basically sat in the corner with an attitude of I'm over here if you need me. I stated this observation to Richy several times along the way prompting him to quote the most cheesy line ever to come from the silver screen, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner". I'm sure the days are coming soon when he will grace us with his outgoing personality, but I'm thankful for his current laid back ways!
The party was a blast - we celebrated with lots of family and friends. It has become tradition to have the birthday party in the park behind our subdivision. We rent the pavillion directly behind our house, decorate it with the chosen theme, and celebrate all day. I dread the day that Richmond (or Knox) decide that it's not cool to have their party in the park. Tears will be shed, and I'll only go down kicking and screaming!
Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us! To all of you who tried to fish with your kids, sorry the fish weren't biting. Hope you weren't planning to have the catch of the day for dinner!
Richmond blowing out the candles!
The whole gang.......
The pinata is always a hit!
I think Knox likes the cake!
Anticipation......
Never too young to be proud of their truck!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Who Begat Who?
For Richmond, the process of understanding all of the pieces of our extended family and how we fit together began as soon as he could talk. A few thousand questions later, I think he is beginning to understand that there was life before him. (Of course, this fits into the "it's all about me" perception of himself that began at about 6 months. I think this is fairly normal for most children - ending at or around 25.) Having attended two family weddings in the last month, the questions regarding family, and even marriage, have been coming faster than the speed of light. I wanted to document some of my favorites (not necessarily in chronological order)......
*"Mommy, does Miss Heather want to have a baby and a house......is that why she has to marry Mr. Paul?"
*"Who came out of Grandmommy's tummy?" He proceeded by asking this question about every female in the family. Lately he has identified several people as, "You know her (or him) Mommy, the one that came out of Grandmommy's (Aunt Laura's, Nana's, etc) tummy."
*"Mommy, who will take care of Elizabeth when Aunt Laura's baby comes out of her tummy?" To which I replied, "Aunt Laura." He then responded, "Well, then.....who will take care of Uncle Tate?" Such a classic!
*"Who was my big brother when I was Knox's age?" When I tried to explain that he didn't have a big brother because he was first, he wasn't having it. After a lot of whining, I told him that his big brother was Jesse, our dog. This made him chuckle and reply, "Oh Mommy, Jesse is a dog - he's not a brother." This makes so much more sense than the concept that there was a human being big brother that has mysteriously vanished!
*In response to an anticipated visit by my parents....."I can't wait to see Papa and Nana." He then turns to me with a sad look and says, "Awww....don't you miss your Daddy? Why don't you live with him anymore?"
*"Hey Mom, when I get married, I'm gonna live here in this house with you. Whatta you think about that, um?" To myself I was thinking, "It depends on who you marry?"
*On a recent trip to visit my sister, Marcy, and her family, we were delayed by a short traffic jam. Richmond asks, "Are all these people going to visit their Aunt Marcies?" He also asked his Dad and me, "Did you have Aunt Marcies when you were my age?"
*"Was I the ring bearer at you and Daddy's wedding?" Upon hearing the news that he was not yet with us at that point, he replied laughingly, "Yes, of course I was. Actually, it was Knox that wasn't born yet."
*"Mommy, who is that man that Aunt Laura lives with? You know the one....he has lots of hair, he reads books, and watches a lot of T.V.?" I reply, "Uncle Tate." With great joy and excitement that I answered correctly, he says, "That's right, Mommy! Way to go!" I guess with all of the quizzing that he receives on who belongs with who, he wanted to turn the tables and test my knowledge of the family tree!
*In response to a litter of kittens born to the cat of a neighbor, "Did those little kitties' mommy and daddy get married? Did we go to their wedding?" Now.....dogs can't be big brothers, but cats can have a wedding?? Go figure!
And the latest question that keeps being repeated on a daily basis, "Mommy, when is a sister gonna come out of your tummy?" My response is usually the classic, "We'll see, Honey. I'm not sure what God's plan is for a sister." Depending on the day, my thought to myself is usually "When Hell freezes over!"
I think I shall truly miss the day that he fully understands who begat who......
*"Mommy, does Miss Heather want to have a baby and a house......is that why she has to marry Mr. Paul?"
*"Who came out of Grandmommy's tummy?" He proceeded by asking this question about every female in the family. Lately he has identified several people as, "You know her (or him) Mommy, the one that came out of Grandmommy's (Aunt Laura's, Nana's, etc) tummy."
*"Mommy, who will take care of Elizabeth when Aunt Laura's baby comes out of her tummy?" To which I replied, "Aunt Laura." He then responded, "Well, then.....who will take care of Uncle Tate?" Such a classic!
*"Who was my big brother when I was Knox's age?" When I tried to explain that he didn't have a big brother because he was first, he wasn't having it. After a lot of whining, I told him that his big brother was Jesse, our dog. This made him chuckle and reply, "Oh Mommy, Jesse is a dog - he's not a brother." This makes so much more sense than the concept that there was a human being big brother that has mysteriously vanished!
*In response to an anticipated visit by my parents....."I can't wait to see Papa and Nana." He then turns to me with a sad look and says, "Awww....don't you miss your Daddy? Why don't you live with him anymore?"
*"Hey Mom, when I get married, I'm gonna live here in this house with you. Whatta you think about that, um?" To myself I was thinking, "It depends on who you marry?"
*On a recent trip to visit my sister, Marcy, and her family, we were delayed by a short traffic jam. Richmond asks, "Are all these people going to visit their Aunt Marcies?" He also asked his Dad and me, "Did you have Aunt Marcies when you were my age?"
*"Was I the ring bearer at you and Daddy's wedding?" Upon hearing the news that he was not yet with us at that point, he replied laughingly, "Yes, of course I was. Actually, it was Knox that wasn't born yet."
*"Mommy, who is that man that Aunt Laura lives with? You know the one....he has lots of hair, he reads books, and watches a lot of T.V.?" I reply, "Uncle Tate." With great joy and excitement that I answered correctly, he says, "That's right, Mommy! Way to go!" I guess with all of the quizzing that he receives on who belongs with who, he wanted to turn the tables and test my knowledge of the family tree!
*In response to a litter of kittens born to the cat of a neighbor, "Did those little kitties' mommy and daddy get married? Did we go to their wedding?" Now.....dogs can't be big brothers, but cats can have a wedding?? Go figure!
And the latest question that keeps being repeated on a daily basis, "Mommy, when is a sister gonna come out of your tummy?" My response is usually the classic, "We'll see, Honey. I'm not sure what God's plan is for a sister." Depending on the day, my thought to myself is usually "When Hell freezes over!"
I think I shall truly miss the day that he fully understands who begat who......
Friday, June 02, 2006
Young Love
Ahhh......this subject takes most of us back to our first big crush at around 14 or 15, maybe even 12 or 13. But 4?? That's right, 4. Richmond is in love. A couple of weeks ago I would have deemed this idea ridiculous, but that was before we met Ella. Ella is the beautiful 4 year old that lives up the block - with long, white blonde hair and eyes as clear blue as the Caribbean Sea. At least he has good taste, right?
The relationship began innocently one spring evening as Ella's family was enjoying a walk around the neighborhood. Being the friendly neighbors that we are, we struck up a conversation with Ella's parents. Richmond's fancy was immediately tickled as Ella rode up on her pink and purple big wheel - a silent invitation to join her on his red and yellow big wheel. All I remember hearing was 4 words, "Do you wanna race?", and life with Richmond as we once knew it has not been the same since. Now our days are filled with the constant request of, "Can we go for a walk, pleeeaaasssee?" (Translation: "Can we walk around the block by Ella's house to see if she is outside, so I can play with her?") I will admit that the two of them play together so well that it does allow some stored up energy to be burned. (Translation: Mom and Dad get a break.) We have become fast friends with Ella's parents which is good; otherwise, we may be regarded as "the neighbors who stalk us". Never a good thing. It is a good thing, however, that we enjoy one another's company seeing as they may be the in-laws someday. One thing is for sure......Richmond and Ella would have the most beautiful blonde hair, blue-eyed babies ever. Did I say that out loud? Let's see if they survive kindergarten first. The "Big K" can be tough on a relationship! Just think......if they did get married one day - it would make one heck of a country song! You were 4, and I was 4, they said we'd never make it........
Oh, by the way, Ella has a sister. Claire is 15 months and as cute as they come. Look out, Knox! The saga continues...........
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Transition
I recently said goodbye to my career of the last 7 years in Corporate America. I accepted a position as Chief Managing Officer of the Roberts Organization, a.k.a. stay-at-home-mom. I have 2 male direct reports - Richmond who just turned 4, and Knox who is only days away from his first birthday. Having been in my new position since January, I have had time to reflect on "the transition". The decision to leave my job was agonizing - I felt as though I was giving up a part of my identity, one of the only places in my life where it was just me, not us and we. I was giving up a part of me that had found its way to a career that I felt was my niche - a career where my strengths shined often and my weaknesses only showed up occassionally. It was an extremely demanding and stressful job but also exciting and rewarding........very much a love/hate gig! After Richmond, I found that I could still somewhat balance my job and my homelife. After Knox, it became oh so clear that I was in control.......of nothing! I was one project or spit-up soiled suit away from a complete meltdown - one that may require extensive hospitalization! I wasn't getting it done at work, and I wasn't getting it done at home. The Lord leads us where we are most needed. You get the picture....the setup for my new position as CMO - Roberts Org.
So here we are five months later. I have some of the same feelings about my new job that I had with my old one......demanding and stressful, exciting and rewarding. However, I feel like my weaknesses show up more than occassionally and my strengths are......well.....I'm not sure what they are anymore! In this position, I often feel that any mistakes could turn into devestating consequences for the future of our organization. The investment here is so much greater, the stakes so much higher. Oh, the PRESSURE!! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the rewards are tremendous and the bonuses are little memories that last forever! These days are short......life is short......and I want to stop and smell the roses, with my children. I know this opportunity is a blessing from the Great Provider. I don't want to let Him down.
Lord, I look to you for wisdom and patience each day........
So here we are five months later. I have some of the same feelings about my new job that I had with my old one......demanding and stressful, exciting and rewarding. However, I feel like my weaknesses show up more than occassionally and my strengths are......well.....I'm not sure what they are anymore! In this position, I often feel that any mistakes could turn into devestating consequences for the future of our organization. The investment here is so much greater, the stakes so much higher. Oh, the PRESSURE!! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the rewards are tremendous and the bonuses are little memories that last forever! These days are short......life is short......and I want to stop and smell the roses, with my children. I know this opportunity is a blessing from the Great Provider. I don't want to let Him down.
Lord, I look to you for wisdom and patience each day........
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