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.

How to know if you’re a Christian

There’s all kinds of pamphlets and information out there that evangelicals have created to help you know if you’re really a Christian. Those well-meaning pieces of paper printed in love point to verses throughout the Bible and if you’re in doubt, you can pray the sinners prayer and do the ABC thing one more time (Accept, Believe, Confess, for those unfamiliar with the lingo).

However, I have found a more practical, real-life test. Go camping. With your kids. On a weekend that was supposed to be nice and isn’t. Here’s my three-fold test to see how much you really love Jesus and your neighbor:

1. Go camping on a weekend that was forecasted to be nice with the exception of scattered showers on the first day. Suffer through a thunderstorm the first night, high winds and tree branches falling all around you the second night, and frigid temperatures the third night.

2. Have neighbors move in on one side of you that have the toddler from Hades. He throws temper tantrums 24/7, including at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Wake up and discover that neighbors have set up camp on the other side of you who drive your dream car, the one you’ve been drooling over for a year and were joking with your husband about how much nicer it would be to take THAT car camping instead of your own. Stare at that car for three days while you freeze your tush off making eggs and pancakes and roasting marshmallows.

3. Just when you think you are in the clear – your husband decides to go home one day early because no one has slept in three days and it’s a recipe for disaster, you’ve maintained your cool and your cheer thus far, doing your best to hold in tears and temper tantrums (even though you really wanted to join that toddler in the dirt on the campsite next to you), when your husband informs you he’s seen two ticks on the tent and you should inspect the children very closely for hitch hiking ticks. Panic. Check. Re-check. Determine everyone is bug free, but because of your manic tendencies, you itch all over for the next two days.

After enduring tests #1, #2, and #3 see how much you still love Jesus and your neighbor. And if you’re still thankful for rain and wind and fall temperatures and can love your camping neighbors and feel compassion for the other mother with the dirt-loving devil child and are thankful for healthy children and the chance to spend quality time connecting with them, you’re most likely a Christian. If not, pick up a pamphlet and pray the ABC one more time.

We had a fun family weekend. Minus the camping part. At least it’s fodder for good stories and funny memories.

MDM #20

Dreaming of Cheese

Million Dollar Moment #14

Of all the things that we look forward to as parents – first smile, first tooth, first steps, first words – there are so many things along the way that you never realize will be memorable milestones – like the first time they attach a real name to a toy, or the first time they tell you about a dream.

The other day, T-Rex told me about a dream he had while sleeping in the car. It’s the first time he’s ever re-told a dream to me, and it had me and Little Miss in stitches.

T-Rex: When I was in the car and sleeping, I was dreaming about a man, and every time he opened his mouth, cheese came out. It was like when a dragon breathes fire, but it was a man and he breathed cheese.

Little Miss: He was a cheese breathing dragon?

T-Rex: No, he was a man. He was a cheese breathing man.

And by this time, all three of us were cracking up. I knew he loved dragons. He apparently loves cheese too!

Road Trip

I made the 5 hour trip to my parents house this week with the kids. We pulled into the driveway a little earlier than my mom expected. She came outside and greeted us with, “Wow! You made good time!” It was at that point that I realized I had arrived at a new destination in my parenthood journey. The Roadtrip Without Stops. I had driven 5 hours with my 2 children (mostly) happy in the backseat. They fed and watered themselves from a lunchbox I had pre-packed. They snacked when they needed to. I only heard about a half dozen rounds of “HOW MUCH LONGER??” We made no potty stops, and I didn’t have to stop to change diapers/find pacifiers/spoonfeed/nurse/change outfits from blowouts or leaks. The car even cooperated and I made it on 1 tank of gas. It was amazing.

It seems it wasn’t that long ago that I would make the 1 hour trip to my Grandma’s in Florida with fear and trembling. I’d pack a bag for the day that would make you think we were staying a week. Then I’d strategically plan the trip so that the little ones would not be hungry and would be sleepy, but not so sleepy that they’d get so upset they couldn’t actually fall asleep. After adhering to a carefully masterminded plan to avoid screaming infants in the backseat that I could do nothing about whilst travelling at 70 mph, I’d turn around and head for home that afternoon hoping for the same. One infant would scream as soon as it got dark. Another infant would scream….just to scream.

So as I unloaded the car, and the kids unloaded their own stuff, that they had packed themselves, I smiled and thought. “Priceless,” and “I could definitely get used to this!”

#11 MDM

An Ode to the Cold Salad

Oh cold salads. How I love you in the summers. How do I love you all? Let me count the ways.

1. You make summer parties a snap. Like a few weeks ago when The Narrator requested a family lunch after the triathlon on his birthday. I assembled you all a day or two ahead of time. All packed neatly in bowls in the fridge, you made the race day party completely hassle free. We cheered on the sidelines, then rushed home to greet everyone for lunch. I pulled all of you out of the fridge and set you on the counter. Hungry triathletes and spectators hungry from watching racers work so hard devoured you in good form. Then I packed you all up and put you away. No oven, no stovetop, just pure cold refreshment assembled with leisure the day before. And everyone raved over the refreshing food on the warm sweaty day.

2. You make picnics in the woods taste gourmet. Mr Mighty bean salad all full of protein swimming in vinegar and spices, and you Pretty Pasta Salad with chunks of cheese and onion and peas swathed in white low-fat mayo, you made that picnic in the woods by Lake Michigan taste exceptionally delicious. Paired with the turkey burgers toasted over charcoal, this was no ordinary picnic of burgers and chips. Waiting for us in a cooler so patiently, you did your job of finishing off a day full of sun and sand with memorable gusto. Ravenous from a day full of play, you were the star of our dinner under the canopy of green.

3. I can eat you for weeks. Leftover in my fridge, you keep for  a week, and some of you for two! And most of you give us the pleasure of tasting better after each day you marinate in your dressings of choice. I loved you the first time, and even more the second.

4. At impromptu gatherings you make my life easy. Like the time I ran 14 miles with my training partner, and we came home ravenous and empty of fuel, we paired your mighty leftovers from the picnic the day before with a takeout pizza. You hit the spot, taking pizza and making it into a full, well-rounded meal with your veggies and protein to supplement and soak up the grease and the bread.

5. You keep me cool and refreshed. What summer cook doesn’t hate to be stuck in the kitchen slaving over 450 degrees of heat? That’s why you, Mighty Bean Salad, dumped from cans and whisked together in healthy oil and vinegar are one of my favorites. Even you, Chilled Chicken Salad, after a quick stovetop visit for the chicken are rather easy to assemble. And you marinated veggies, chopped and dumped into a pool of vinegar – you all help me leave my shiny new oven feeling rather blue and alone. Never fear, she’s just on summer vacation and will be put to good use this fall, when this cook doesn’t mind the heat so much.

My cuddle bug

T-Rex has developed a habit over the past six months of climbing into my bed around 7 a.m. and then falling back asleep for a little while before he starts the “I want brefast” chant. I didn’t realize how important this new routine was to him until a couple weeks ago. I decided to be a “good” mom and get up and shower and be dressed before the kids woke up. I stepped out of the shower, and a very red-eyed, poochy-lipped T-Rex was at the door trying to hold his composure. “What’s the matter, buddy?” The floodgates opened as he cried, “I didn’t get to cuddle with yoooouuu!!!” Break. My. Heart. I scooped him up and reassured him that we could still cuddle for awhile. And so we snuggled until he was satisfied and started the “brefast” chant.

This morning, he climbed in as usual around 7 a.m. and fell right back to sleep, but he grabbed my arm and wrapped his little arms around it as if clinging for dear life, and snuggled his head into my shoulder. He was fast asleep, but everytime I shifted, he grabbed my arm tighter and buried his head deeper.

I know our mornings are going to be seriously rocked in six weeks when Little Miss starts kindergarten. So in the meantime, I’m soaking up every second of summer morning snuggles while I can.

#10 MDM

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

Glo-Stick Grandpa

It’s been fun over the past 5 years to watch our parents turn into grandparents. I’ve gotten a kick out of my parents especially. There’s just something special about watching your own parents turn to mush with your kids and do things they never, ever would have done for you as a child. Two popsicles? Sure thing honey! A stuffed animal at the zoo? You betcha! A zoo umbrella, ok! Zoo sunglasses, yeah! (They go to the zoo a lot, mainly because they have passes to one of the coolest zoos in the U.S.) A little stuffed animal to remind you of our trip, of course!

My parents came to visit recently. It was their first visit in our new home. We were delighted to show them around our new town, which happened to be having its annual festival. The weekend concluded with fireworks. For a small town, we were rather impressed with the show – not to mention that we didn’t have to fight traffic, we weren’t crowded on the lawn, and it took us exactly 5 minutes to get to our car and drive home. None of the above would have been true in the big city we moved from.

We arrived with just enough time to claim our patch of grass and spread a sheet with a good view of the open sky. There were groups of people with sparklers, and a general spirit of celebration in the air. My Dad said he was going to go check something out. I watched him as he headed over towards a group of young people and I thought at first he was going to go inspect the riff-raff – maybe make sure they didn’t have something illegal that they were lighting up. But then I saw the very brightly glowing young man, and I knew that was where he was headed. Sure enough, Dad walked back with two glo-stick necklaces for the kids. I laughed. It did make it much easier to keep track of them on the walk back to the car.

It’s funny how something so little and simple makes such big memories. I get a fuzzy warm feeling every time I eat a red hot because my great-grandpa always had them at his house. I chuckle every time I see a scratch-off lotto ticket at the gas station because my Grandpa bought me one once and I won $5. Maybe in their 30′s, my kids will smile and think of my Dad every time they see a glo-stick necklace. You just never know what those Million Dollar Moments will be.

#8 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

the crowded dining table

We crowded 10 people around our new dining room table last night. It was one of those very rare moments in our current stage of life where there were 3 times as many adults as there were people age 5 and under. That being stated, we were able to actually eat our dinner together, and talk, and laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. I savored each moment just as I did the delectable zucchini brownies for dessert. I knew the gathering around our table would be rare as our visitors were out-of-town family. I wanted to capture the moment in my mind’s scrapbook so I could return to that page in years to come.

I’ve come a long way in 13 years when it comes to hostessing. When we were first were married and The Narrator would suggest having company over for dinner, I’d grab an empty flour bag and start hyperventilating. By the time our dinner guests would arrive, I’d be exhausted and barely able to enjoy the dinner I’d slaved over. Not to mention the kitchen cleanup I’d have afterward, and the fretting over whether or not the food was any good (probably wasn’t).

Somewhere over the past 5 years, I figured things out and started enjoying hostessing. I think motherhood may have had something to contribute. Along the way of having babies, you figure out how to multi-task and get things done, and in general you give up caring what people think of you, and whether or not the meal is perfect. Is it edible? yes. Will they die from eating it? no. Something in it whole wheat or vegetable oriented? yes. Then it’s all good. I found some tried and true recipes that were easy to make and easy on cleanup. I learned to run the dishwasher and empty it before company arrives to make cleanup a snap. I figured out how to time the cooking of dishes so everything would be ready at the same time. I learned to do the baking first, cleanup as I go, and chop all the vegetables first. In fact yesterday, I even had time to read the kids a few stories to entertain them before they went crazy waiting for our guests to arrive.

Dinner was apparently lip smacking good, and one guest gave me 3 stars. I didn’t ask out of how many stars, however I went to bed smiling that night. I didn’t break anything, burn anything, or forget the ice. It was a banner day for me. And whenever our home is filled with laughter and good food, I can’t help but smile. For me, it was a million dollar moment realizing how far I’ve come in this wife/mothering/hostessing business.