Which Witch?

March 8, 2010 by Rieshy


It must be my parent's fault.  They never sent me to field hockey camp during spring break. They didn't sign me up for cotillon lessons...

Back before children, in the pre-history of my marriage, I worked the reference desk at a small public library. One of the things that shocked me the most was Thursday nights.  

On Thursday nights the library would be full of parents wandering about with poster board, markers, paper, and change for the xerox machine.  They were at the library to do the research and even to write their children's school papers.

First the wild-eyed parent would ask me how to find a certain poem.  Or how to run the microfiche machine- mind you I'm 42 so this was all, gasp, before the internet.  Then they would sheepishly explain that their daughter had had so many cheerleading commitments that she just couldn't get to the library.  Or, my son forgot about the assignment..., or my child plays ____ sport and if they don't get a passing grade they are off the team.  

The Thursday night phenomena always astonished me because growing up my parents wouldn't even ask co-workers if they wanted to buy my girlscout cookies because, "that was my responsibility."  Trying to imagine my Dad willing to do my science project made my brain hurt.

It wasn't that my parents were not educated or involved.  My father has his doctorate from Harvard. I grew up a professor's kid on Ivy League and graduate school campuses. My mother didn't have a college degree but she outsmarted my Dad anyway.  My parents expected high grades and they also spent a lot of time with us- they were always available.  

My parents simply came from a time and place where childhood was about doing chores, swinging from trees and learning to take care of yourself.  Louis L'Amour meets Dick and Jane.  They didn't know that other parents were working the angles and pushing my friends to excel with tutors and S.A.T. prep classes and sports workshops on weekends.  Or if they knew, they thought it was silly.

This all flash forwards to now.  Which Witch?- just sounded catchier than, "Are you the type of mom that feels it is important to push your child to achieve perfection (and even do some of the work yourself) or are you laid back and willing to let your child choose their own path, even if that path is scholarship-less and un-strewn by accolades?"

Which Witch?





Making Your Home Sing Monday is an interesting place to browse!




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Glorious Sleep

March 5, 2010 by Rieshy


Last night I received the best gift- ever...

After I put my Littles to bed I noticed that all my teens were home and settled, and my husband was working hard at a project that could take hours; so I bailed.  Right into my bed.  My glorious wonderful bed.

I slept from 8:30 p.m. until 4 a.m. without a single interruption.  That's 7 1/2 hours of SLEEP. Yes, all for me. 
 
I haven't had that many hours of sleep for 4 years.  In fact, it's amazing that my body didn't go into shock.

I feel so charged and hyper that my children may have to put me in time-out.  I wonder if I can still stand on my hands?



Guess so. Happy Feel Good Friday!




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Exuberance

March 4, 2010 by Rieshy


Winter weather may make me feel sleepy and lazy but it has the opposite affect on my youngest three.

They're jumping for sheer indoor-joy..


A small amount of fear just gives jumping more of a rush.

The King Jump. Don't worry he's just a few feet off the ground- but he thinks he's flying!

Somehow the jumping joy was contagious. Thank you sweet boys.



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Literally

March 3, 2010 by Rieshy


My two oldest children take a couple of classes at tutorial that meets once a week. Their teacher had the students divide up into groups and choose an act from Hamlet to learn and perform. My two chose to work together on the bloodiest act (of course) at the end where all the main characters die.

Hmmmmm- They neglected to tell me that the parents were invited to come see all the groups perform their acts in order of the play. But.... mwhaahahaha a friend told me- 10 minutes before the performance time.

I threw on some clothes grabbed two of my more respectably dressed children and ran out the door.

On the ride to the tutorial I gave a short lecture to 3 yo- "You are going to have to sit absolutely still on my lap during the play."

He didn't answer for a moment then asked in a serious and somewhat worried voice, "Can I make the air come in and out of my body."

The 8 yo answered for me, "Yes, you can breathe- you just can't wiggle your body around."

After another pause 3 yo asked, "Can I wiggle the spit around in my mouth?"

I think he meant, "Can I swallow?" He and 8 yo then had a conversation about spit-wiggling versus spitting- a very serious distinction- one that I appreciate.

3 yo seems bent on parsing the entirety of the english language. A few nights ago when I was tucking 3 yo into bed he asked what language the word "breakfast" was. Then he wanted to know if it meant the same thing as "later."

Why yes, it does- Breakfast, after the play, you can spit-wiggle while you make the air come in and out, but only breakfast.

-The play ended up being a lot of fun to watch. I'm happy to report that we all breathed and swallowed quietly.




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March 2nd Daybook

March 1, 2010 by Rieshy


FOR TODAY
Outside my window... I can't believe it- more snowflakes.
I am thinking... that I have too much to do and too little motivation.
I am thankful for... a teenaged daughter that can make coffee.
From the learning rooms... come the calls of a couple of great books that I'd forgotten I had. I can't wait to read them to my 8 yo son.
From the kitchen... comes the smell of homemade bread; made by my coffee-making teen.
I am wearing... many layers- it's cold.
I am creating... I'm still working on my afghan. The cable on my needles broke yesterday, arghhh.
I am going... nowhere today- which is a wonderful place to go.
I am reading... (still) "The Brain That Changes Itself"
I am hoping... my husband stays warm on his shoot today.
I am hearing... the sounds of my toddlers playing.
Around the house... are the toys I didn't pick up last night before crawling into bed early.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My smallest helper



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When "How Are You" Is Confounding

by Rieshy

Last Spring my oldest sister and I laughed about the greeting/question, "How are you?"

At several calamitous points in our lives we've both found the casual question almost paralyzing.

"What did they intend: casual, insincere greeting or heartfelt question? Does the fact I feel like I'm going to fall apart at any moment actually show? Do I/they have time for a truthful answer?"

At the time I was living moment to moment with great seas of waiting between moments. Time had ceased to flow by in an orderly stream; it twirled and whirled and eddied and attempted to suck me down, like a malevolent whirlpool. It made it hard to answer purely social questions.

My sister told me I ought to draw up a handy-dandy flowchart so that I could refer to it in order to answer, "How are you," without looking like I was having an absence seizure.

I had forgotten about the flow chart until I was cleaning my desk a few days ago. Looking it over made me realize how far past the whirlpool I've sailed this year- Thanks to God. Simple questions don't bring tears to my eyes or a deer-in-the-headlights look anymore.

My two youngest children haven't been cured, nothing that caused my small personal whirlpool has really changed; instead I'm learning a new type of mothering and a new type of living. I'm learning what chronic means and how to balance that idea with a continued hope for healing.

I'm leaning on Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Today, to the silly flowchart written with both laughter and bitterness, I can answer- "I'm doing just fine."


Go to Tuesdays Unwrapped to see the extraordinary in the everyday, and Gratituesdays for a dose of shared thankfulness.













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Where Oh Where?

by Rieshy


Where, Oh where have my toddlers gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?
With their hair cut short and their jammies still on
Oh where oh where can they be?

I gave them crackers and favorite drinks
then turned my back for a spell,
Now a puddle of milk from non-spill cups
is all that remains to be seen.


Where, oh where have my little boys gone?
Oh where, oh where can they be?
Oh I've found my boys, eek, and here they are,
Oh here, oh here they've appeared.

What, oh what do my toddlers do?
Oh here, oh here do they work.
They've fetched dirty socks and they're helping me,
by filling the socks with clean cutlery.

Why, oh why do my toddlers do,
and why do they do it to me?




To find new blogs go to Monday Link-Up at the Pursuit of Mommyness.

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