Common Mom

 This is how I imagine it’ll go down after I go to the grocery store tomorrow . . .

Kids: Mommy, why are we eating goofy curly noodles in water?

Mom: It’s called Ramen. And it’s not plain water, it’s chicken flavored.

Kids: Well, I don’t SEE any chicken. Where’s the chicken?

Mom: There isn’t actual chicken. It’s chicken “flavored” water.

Kids: Oh. I like Daddy’s chicken and wild rice soup better.

Mom: Just eat your Ramen.

Kids: But it’s noodles and water.

Mom: Hey, every college kid in America survives 4 years on Ramen; your dad did it, I did it; so you can, too. Think of it as training for the real world.

After 5 minutes of slurping noodles from chicken flavored water

Kids: Mommy, why are we eating Ramen? Why can’t Dad make chicken and wild rice soup? Or CHILI!

Mom: Because Ramen only costs $5 for 1000 packets at Sam’s Club.

Kids: But we didn’t used to eat Ramen.

Mom: Ya, well we didn’t used to have plane tickets to Orlando, and we didn’t used to have to buy a new computer when mommy’s got struck by lightning, and we didn’t used to have a new Highlander, and we didn’t used to have a Jeep without a working transmission, and we didn’t used to have season passes for snowboarding and skiing, and we didn’t used to have a car that we wanted to sell but nobody wanted to buy. So sit down and eat your Ramen.

We kinda blew our whole wad at once . . . I guess the good thing is that we’ll have pretty much free entertainment for the next 8 months!

I’ve been putting this off for a long time. I wasn’t ready to give up my Summer Saturdays. But, the time has come . . . the time when every boy should start to play America’s favorite pasttime (and mine, too - baseball/softball is by FAR my favorite sport!). Here he is in all his glory at his first coach pitch game

This is Dude and his buddy of 7 years. I love this picture because they met when Buddy was just 11 months old and Dude was 8 weeks old. They went to daycare and preschool together until just last year. I love that they’re still friends!

He’s a natural! OK, maybe not. When you take a thousand pictures, you’re bound to get a couple good ones out of the bunch But he did have a great time.

Dude gets down and dirty to field the ball.

Dude got to play the pitcher position one inning. He did great! Here he is throwing the runner out at 3rd. Buddy was playing 3rd and they actually got the out! A pretty amazing fete if you’ve ever watched a bunch of 6 and 7 year olds try to play baseball

I had to put this one in here. Dude and I share a common “talent” - the ability to swing at a high pitch and foul it off in such a way that it completely misses your batting helmet and hits you in the face. Really, this is a very special talent that I’m sure can only be passed drown from parent to child. Dude was lucky and only hit himself in the nose . . . with a semi-squishy baseball. Me, not so lucky - smacked myself dead in the eye with a big softball - swollen shut for days! It was very pretty - I should find that picture and post it.

Overall, Dude did very well. He got on base every time and scored 4 runs. He did great in the field, as did his teammates. But most of all, his coaches are awesome and the boys had a ton of fun, which is what the game is all about - at any age. If you’re not havin’ fun playin’ baseball, then you’re not doin’ it right

I gave in and vacummed the whole house today and swept the kitchen floor and am now fighting my urge to clean my bathroom. And not for reasons that most normal people have - like cleaning the bathroom is a crappy job (just stinks?).

The Cleaning Lady is coming tomorrow (thanks again MIL!). My bathroom desperately needs to be cleaned. Good thing The Cleaning Lady is coming, right? Nope . . . I’m feeling an incredible NEED to clean that dang bathroom before she comes, so I don’t look quite so much like a slob. I’m also feeling the need to dust. But why would I dust if the cleaning lady is coming? Well, I’d dust because Mom taught me that you not only have a clean and orderly house every day, but you have an ESPECIALLY SPOTLESS house when company is coming over - you never know who might look through that linen closet or check for dust bunnies under the 8,000 pound sleeper sofa that’s never been moved! And company counts anyone who might happen to drop in . . . cousin, neighbor, coworker, pizza delivery man, UPS man. We never had a cleaning lady other than Mom growing up; so I can only assume that The Cleaning Lady counts as “company”. She’ll see more of this house in detail than any of our real company ever does! So it should be especially clean and orderly when she shows up, right? All of my upbringing also indicates that I should have snackies and drinks available for said company as well. NOW I have to go to the grocery store, too!

I’m fighting the urge to clean the bathroom. And dust. And sweep out the garage . . . ugh, the garage, the place where TCL puts the garbage bags that she empties from the cans! Which, when you think about it, is kind of goofy since the garbage man comes on Monday, so I empty the garbages on Monday . . . how many bags of garbage can one adult and two children create in 24 hours? I hope it’s not as many as pairs of shoes we can wear!

I’ve been tagged by Melanie to participate in the My Four Favorites meme.

Four Jobs I’ve Held

• Bean Walker (any one who is over 30 and from the Midwest knows that I’m talking about!)
• Bar Tender
• Typist at Carlson Craft (invitation printer)
• Technical Writer

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again

• A Christmas Story 
• Mystery, Alaska 
• 40 Year Old Virgin
• Ice Age 

Four Places I’ve Lived

• In an apartment in Minnesota 
• In a camper every summer
• In an apartment in Colorado 
• In a house in Colorado

Four TV Shows I Watch (I don’t watch much TV - hmmmmmm)

• The King of Queens 
• The local morning news 
• Army Wives (thanks to Taunya for TiVoing this for me!) 
• 24 - but I watch it on DVD after the season is over - does that count?

Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation

• Hawaii 
• Vermont 
• Puerto Rico 
• Eastern Caribbean

Four Favorite Foods (Really? I can only choose 4?)

• Dan’s Grilled Salmon 
• Tootsie Rolls 
• Homemade Smoothies 
• Chipotle 

Four Websites I Visit

• The local newspaper 
• Yahoo News 
• Quite a few blogs
• 4th . . . hmmmm, guess I don’t spend as much time online as I thought!

People I’m Tagging - I’m only tagging 1 because I don’t know lots of people with blogs.

• Ami at Cup Runneth Over

TGIF! It’s been a rough week with deciding what to do with our dog, Maggie (she tore her achilles tendon), getting the kids signed up for summer camp, busy busy busy time at work, etc. I really needed a break last night, and Dan doesn’t come home until Monday. It always amazes me how kids can just tell when mom is at her wits end. We got home last night and I started making chicken alfredo for dinner (Jason and Keira’s favorite meal besides PB&J!). Keira (4) started asking me all kinds of questions and to help her with this and that - suddenly, Jason (6) perks up and says “Hey Keira - I have an idea. Let’s go outside and entertain ourselves while mom makes dinner.” So they did! They got bubbles out of the closet and headed outside.

It was so fun to watch them through the kitchen window having a blast blowing bubbles and giggling that unforced uncontrolled giggle that only kids seem to be able to manage. You’ve gotta love the simple things kids bring to our lives every day.

Here’s to hoping you have a great Friday!

I apologize in advance if this is too graphic for some, but I’m having a hard time with my 6 year old hearing this at school. 

A few weeks ago, we received a very sad letter in Jason’s take-home folder at school. It turns out that the school bus driver (Ms. Cherrie) lost her son in an avalanche in Wyoming. The letter said that Ms. Cherrie would be out for a few weeks to grieve and that they hadn’t told the children, instead leaving the details to the parents. So I explained to Jason why Ms. Cherrie was gone (he read the letter and wanted to know) - I explained what an avalanche was and how someone could get trapped in it. He was profoundly sad for her - wanting to buy her flowers and make her a card (he’s so sweet!).

Ms. Cherrie came back to school this week. Last night Jason informed me of this. He also informed me that one of the kids in his class asked her what happened. She politely explained that both of her sons were skiing and the avalanche came. The one son escaped, the other didn’t. The one that escaped followed the beacon that the one who didn’t was wearing and located him . . . but it was too late. And the rescue crews had to continue searching for “the rest of him.” Apparently, in the powerful rush of snow, he did not remain in tact.

I can’t imagine and hope I never have to experience the feelings Ms. Cherrie felt when she heard that news. I’m also quite upset that my 6 year old was told this story at school. I’m all for truth and reality, but this seems a bit too much for young boys to be hearing without any forum for asking questions.

Am I being too protective/unreal/insensitive?