First of many

Today….today was a day of a million memories worth preserving forever. When you hold your firstborn in your arms, so many emotions swarm inside you including love like you never knew existed. I had the privilege of spending the past five years day in and day out with one of the most amazing little girls who is totally going to rock this world one day with her love and her ability to lead and direct people.

Today, she rocked kindergarten, and I couldn’t cry and be sad as she got on that bus because I was too proud of her and too happy for her to be sad for me that the time passed so quickly. This was the moment we were thinking of when we moved back to Michigan and as we searched for a house. Kindergarten. The big new beginning. We had debated and prayed over school options for years, and to see it all come together today was breath taking.

MDM#20

We’ve spent the past few months talking a lot about friends and the importance of choosing good ones – friends who are kind and loving and respectful of others and treat people well. We told her there will be kids at school who might be mean and do or say mean things and disobey the teachers. We talked about how we are still to love those kids and be nice to them, but that doesn’t mean we have to play with them and hang out with them. This morning I prayed with her over breakfast and prayed that she would have a good day and meet some great new friends. After I said “Amen” she kept her hands folded and said, “And help me to know which friends will be good and which ones won’t be good.” Amen.

MDM#21

As she got on the bus, I was so concerned about getting a picture and not holding up the bus that I almost forgot to give her a hug and kiss. As I was nudging her to the bus she said, “MOM! Hug and kiss!” Aww, I love that, in front of the whole bus even. I snapped a quick picture and the driver checked her name off a list and showed her where to sit. Little Miss waved at me out the window and blew a hug and kiss with an ear to ear grin as they drove off. My heart swelled.

MDM #22

We had also talked about lunch quite a bit. Little Miss can be quite the chatterbox, especially at meal times. I told her it was going to be tempting to want to talk to all her new classmates at lunch, but that it’s important she eat her food first because they only have 20 minutes. We talked about how important it is to eat a good lunch so you don’t get hungry in the afternoon and can pay attention better in class. I went over the lunch I packed for her – pb&j, grapes and pretzels. I told her it would be best to eat the pb&j and grapes first for the most energy and if she ran out of time for the pretzels that would be ok. She came home from school and I asked her about lunch and how it went. “Mom, I did just what you told me – I ate the pb&j and grapes first and not all the pretzels and I still had time to talk!”

MDM #23

Almost in direct response to our breakfast prayer request, she was excited to tell me that she sat with a friend on the bus – another kindergartner that she had met at Safety Town a few weeks ago and had become friends with. We had no idea she would be on the same bus. She was rather excited to see someone she knew to ride with.

MDM #24

T-Rex refused to take any pictures with Little Miss this morning. I think he didn’t know what to think. After she left, I asked him if he was going to miss her. He looked at me and had to think for a second and then said, “Uhhh….well…..ye….no.” And went back to playing legos. My father-in-law came and took him fishing for the day. He had his own adventure to look forward to.

Recent Funny Moments

Million Dollar Moment #16

Little Miss just completed a week of Safety Town. Every evening for a week, kids entering kindergarten heard important messages from “safety heroes” in our town  – firemen, bus divers, policemen – and learned silly songs with memorable messages. At the end of the week, the parents came for a party and they sang us their songs and answered questions about what all they learned that week. Upon completion of the “Safety Town Celebration” Little Miss looked at me wide eyed and said, “That was the first time I sang on stage in front of people. I liked it. When can I do it again?” No doubting whose daughter she is.

#17

On the way home from Safety Town Celebration, we had a discussion on which Disney Princess was the most safety smart. We determined it was Cinderella. She had a mean stepmother, but she always did her work with a good attitude, and then she obeyed her fairy godmother and went straight home at midnight like she was instructed not even stopping for her slipper. We decided the least safety smart was Snow White because she let the stranger in the dwarves’s home. That was one of the most bizarre conversations I’ve ever had.

#18

One recent evening at the park, T-Rex kept asking me to do something for him over and over and over. I finally said, “I haven’t heard a please yet.” He looked at me and said, “Yeah, neither have I!”

Drama bandage

#13 Million Dollar Moment

Little Miss tends to over exaggerate. I have no idea where she gets it from *cough* but I think she’ll be a great storyteller someday. In fact, we’re so used to her drama exaggeration that last summer we didn’t realize she had a fractured arm for a week because she made practically zero fuss. Bad mama.

This week while visiting my parents, she got a teeny tiny scratch that barely broke skin. This minor scratch caused major ruckus, I think mainly in an attempt to get her brother in trouble. Mom and I were fixing dinner. We inspected it, told her she was fine, it didn’t need a bandaid, it wasn’t even bleeding, and so on. When my Dad got home, we made him deal with it. So he took her upstairs, and she returned, rather proudly, with a bandage to fit the drama. It’s nice to see his paramedic skills put to good use. He was rather proud of himself.

Of course, then the bandage caused more drama because she couldn’t get it wet. But then Mom told her that meant she couldn’t go swimming, and the scratch was miraculously healed. That’s some serious medicine in that bandage!

Floating Farm

#12 Million Dollar Moment

My dad is a magician/juggler/clown. My father-in-law is a magician/juggler/storyteller. I can do ventriloquism. My husaband and I and all 3 of our brothers can juggle. His sister can do mime. We all (including the mothers) know how to properly manipulate a puppet and at least twist a balloon dog.

Therefore, it should not surprise you that my kids would request a floating farm of balloon animals in their swimming pool and that my mom would happily twist a pool full of balloons to oblige.

Song Prayers

Over the past year, the kids have started doing “song prayers” at bedtime. Little Miss loves to sing, and one evening she asked if she could sing her prayer. It was beautiful, spontaneous and heart-felt. T-Rex will occasionally join in as well. Unscripted singing seems to unleash their little souls of gratefulness with angelic musical adoration.

On a recent 45-minute drive home from my in-laws, Little Miss started singing a prayer. I clicked off the cd I had started playing to help me stay awake, and tuned my ears instead to the backseat, trying to remember as much of her verse as I could. Here’s some snippets:

We are singing praise to God, We are singing to Him.
Praise Him, All praise to Him.

We are His little sheep.
Let us run to Him and not away from Him.
We love Him so much and want to be with Him.

And even when we go far from home and miss our mothers and fathers and all sorts of grandmas and grandpas, He is always with us, telling us not to be afraid or sad.

And when bad things happen He is there with us, He never leaves us.
We want to praise Him, praise Him all the time.
We love Him so very very much and want to be with Him in Heaven, Amen.

The sun was sinking just below the treeline casting a fire orange glow across the fields. My soul sighed with deep contentment as the little amen left her lips. She asked me if it was good. I told her it was very good and so beautiful. In fact, I don’t think a whole host of angels could sing more beautifully or please Him more than the sincere outpouring of a child who wants nothing more than to love Him and be with Him forever. And as a parent – to get a glimpse into your child’s beautiful heart – that’s worth way more than a million dollars.

#9 MDM

umbrella sprinklers

The consensus in our home among those under 4 feet tall is that the best thing about getting new sod is how often you have to run the sprinklers. Hang on…I need to go move the sprinkler…

I’m back, and with a cup of coffee. Back to sprinklers. However, in the over 4 feet tall population in our home there has been some grumbling about water bills.

During one watering session, Little Miss Sunshine wanted to play in the sprinklers, but not really get wet. So she grabbed her umbrella out of the backseat of the car and stood in the sprinklers under her umbrella. Any excuse to use the pink umbrella works for her, even if it’s just a drip off a roof.

T-Rex, not about to be undone grabbed his umbrella as well. He really didn’t mind getting wet, in fact, his clothes were already soaked. He just wanted to play with the umbrella. It apparently makes a very good sword for fighting imaginary battles in the rain.

I sat on the steps trying to stay out of harm’s way, keeping my eye on the stopwatch to know when to move the sprinkler. A white minivan drove by, rather slowly, and I noticed a woman (undoubtedly another mother) getting a good laugh at my children sitting on the lawn under their umbrellas next to the sprinklers.

It was an unforgettable summer moment….oh, time to move the sprinkler again.

#7MDM

Float my boat

This past weekend was one of those weekends that gave me pause to remember just why we willingly uprooted ourselves from the community we love in Florida and moved back to Michigan. I need those reminders, because even though I’ve adjusted and settled back into life up here, there are frequent moments where emotion knocks me over like a tidal wave and I miss my friends in the south so very dearly.

It was Saturday afternoon, after The Narrator and one of his brothers had run a triathlon, and we’d had a birthday lunch for The Narrator’s 33rd birthday. The kids and I were floating in the pool with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Little Miss had hold of her auntie’s hands and they were twirling around the pool this way and that way, very lady like. And then there was T-Rex. Picking a fight. With his uncle. Who’s over six feet tall. Oh the trash talking. I have no idea (ok, maybe I do) how in short 3 years he learned how to trash talk so well, but he’s mighty good at it.

“I’m gonna get you Uncle K!!” Followed by much splashing and thrashing. “Nuh-uh, you can’t get me, I’m gunna get you. I’m gonna wreck you, you can’t get me!!” Uncle K let T-Rex ride on his back, cling to his neck, splash him, thrash him, and seriously trash talk him. It was quite the male bonding, while the three of us girls just tried to avoid the tidal wave happening in the other side of the pool. I’m not sure who wore out who, but I’m sure they both slept very, very well that night.

And as I floated on my little pink noodle observing Little Miss being very girly and T-Rex being as boyish as they come, enjoying playing with their aunt and uncle, I sighed a little sigh of contentment. These little family moments that happen now and then are part of why we moved back – for our kids to know (and trash talk) their aunts and uncles, to have cousins to play with and be friends with. To grow up around their roots. And so I can float in the pool while other family members entertain my kids. Ok, well maybe not consciously that part, but it is a nice perk

#5 MDM

Tickle Fest

One recent evening, Little Miss was sitting on my lap and we were having a tickle fest. She’s never been one to sit and cuddle; even as a baby she was always on the go, constantly wiggling and moving. So tickling has been our method of “cuddling.”

I paused in the tickle fest and began to whisper in her ear about how ticklish her daddy is, and where his tickle spots are. As we were whispering, The Narrator walked over with a “And what’s that you’re talking about, huh?” Without skipping a beat, Little Miss replied, “Shirts. We’re talking about how many shirts I have in my closet.”

The Narrator didn’t buy her attempt at a white lie, and replied while lurching at me, “Your Momma has lots of ticklish spots too!” Next thing I knew, I was laying on the floor, laughing uncontrollably trying to get away.

In an instant, I felt something physically release inside of me. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed that hard – the kind of laughter where you can’t help yourself and you couldn’t stop if you tried. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and as I lay writhing on the floor, I felt something penetrate my bones and move through my body. I was lighter. Life was simpler. I was a kid again. I was 17 and falling in love with the man of my dreams. I hadn’t a care in the world, and was flattered by his attentions. My life full of potential and unlimited dreams lay before me. All that from laughter resonating deep in the soul.

He finally let me go with a twinkle in his eye. The kids had joined in too. T-Rex had pounced on my head tickling my neck, and Little Miss was pulling on my leg trying to save me. I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes. Before I resumed the weight of adulthood, I lingered in the light carefree moment and breathed in my family.

I’m not saying that we should all be tickled once a week until we laugh so hard we can’t breathe, but it was nice to laugh so hard and just let go of adult assumptions and pretentions.

#4 Million Dollar Moments

Blueberries this way

I’m kind of addicted to picking blueberries. And eating them. I’ve gone blueberry picking 3 times this month. I never knew what I was missing!

My second blueberry picking trip was with my Mom and Little Miss Sunshine. Unlike our first picking trip, the day was clear and sunny and gorgeous. The blueberries had plumped and hung on the bushes in clumps singing in unison “pick me!! pick me!!” I never realized how many blueberries could grow on one bush. You could stand at one bush and pick probably a pound of blueberries or more by the handfuls. The sweet aroma like blueberry muffins hung in the air. I am definitely going to have to plant some blueberry bushes.

Once our buckets were full we headed back to the car to drive to the stand to pay for our treats. We had arrived before the rush and the street was filling up. I had parked on a slight incline and as I was backing up, I thought I was getting stuck on the hill. I made it out onto the street and realized I had run over their little wooden sign with an arrow that said, “blueberries” to help people know the blueberries were behind the row of apple trees. Oops.

Little Miss Sunshine was rather concerned. “You’re going to tell them you’re sorry you ran over their sign, aren’t you? You better tell them you’re sorry.” Oh…the values we instill in our children come to haunt our own actions. “Yes, Little Miss, I’ll tell them I’m sorry.” Although I really didn’t want to admit I’d knocked it over. I tried to stand it back up, but it needed a staple, or nail…or superglue.

As I was checking out, I could tell that Little Miss had an eagle eye on me to make sure I apologized. As I handed the dear owner my cash I said, “And…I accidentally ran over your blueberry sign.” She looked at me and said, “Oh, well did you put it back up?” I shifted my feet, “Uh, I tried, but I think it needs a staple to hold it together, I’m sorry.” There I said it. Whew. I loaded up a bag with cucumbers to kind of make up for the poor sign. I figured it was time to try to make pickles anyway. She said she’d have one of the guys look at it and put it back together.

We got in the car and I informed Little Miss that I had done my deed.

We returned to pick a few more pounds of blueberries one more time. There’s nothing like having a freezer full of blue summer in January to break the icy doldrums. I hoped the owner didn’t recognize me from the other day, and if she did, she didn’t mention it. She was just happy I bought 5 more pounds of berries, and some peppers and broccoli too. I did notice that the sign was back up, and had a little string for extra support. I parked on the road, nowhere close to the sign.

#3 Million Dollar Moments

Lentil Love

My kids are pretty good eaters. At my husband’s request, we don’t eat a lot of meat. In fact, he’d be perfectly fine if I never served meat ever again. My kids are good sports and they try most everything, and we eat some stuff that would be considered quite odd in normal households. Last night, I sat at dinner and chuckled thinking to myself what an unusual food- love I had stumbled upon. My kids devoured our dinner, asked for seconds, and thirds, and we had no leftovers. And it wasn’t chicken fingers or mac ‘n cheese; I made lentil and veggie tostadas. Little Miss asked for more lentils. And more. And more. She apparently loves lentils. And T-Rex devoured the veggies (lentils too, but he wanted more veggies) – zucchini, squash, broccoli, he was even snacking on them raw off my cutting board while I was mixing things up. I hope we are able to continue this love of healthy, not-the-norm foods as they grow older!

I would have taken a picture…but they devoured them too quickly!

lentil & veggie tostadas (from Better Homes & Gardens easy vegetarian dinners)

1 3/4 c water
3/4 dry yellow or green lentils, rinsed and drained
1/4 c chopped onions
1 to 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tostada shells
2 cups assorted chopped veggies such as broccoli, tomato, zucchini and/or yellow summer squash
3/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Start to finish 40 mins, makes 4 servings

In a medium saucepan stir together ater, lentils, onion, cilantro, salkt sumin, and garlic. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 25-30 mins or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to mash the cooked lentils.

Spread the lentil mixture on tostada shells, top with vegetables and cheese. Place on a large baking sheet, Broil 3-4 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

It’s really good served with fresh salsa. YUM!