Are you as thankful as a 1st grader?

Luke brought home a Thanksgiving book he made at school yesterday. I was amazed when he read it to me. Thought I would share (spelling was corrected):
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What I am thankful for
by Luke

I am thankful for electricity because if we did not have electricity there would be no computers and lights.

I am thankful for turkey because we can celebrate with it.

I am thankful for school because some kids do not get to go to school.

I am thankful for Christopher Columbus because he discovered America.

I am thankful for the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines because they go to battle for us so we can have freedom.

I am thankful for houses because some people have to sleep on streets.

I am thankful for food because some people do not have food.

I am thankful for TV because then we would not get to watch the weather.

I am thankful for me because I love myself.

I am thankful for my clothes because some people don't have clothes.
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Wow, I was amazed how someone just 7 years old could be so wise, and of course proud that my son was so insightful. I think I am thankful for Luke reminding me why we should all be thankful.

All Quiet on the Midwest Front

Wow, has it really been July since I posted a blog? Yep, that date stamp tells me so. Why? Well, I wish I had some great excuse like I have been working on my thesis or busy on a cure for a disease but I don't.

No, my excuse is that I a have been just too busy. I know, totally lame - we are all busy. Combine that with not really being inspired to the degree I must write a whole page and you get a long hiatus. I have also made an effort to stifle my sometimes opinionated ways a bit which has also cramped my writing a bit. (*gasp*)

Twitter seems to be more in line with the amount of time and quantity of what I have to say these days. Guess I have become more of a "140-characters-done-via-my-iPhone" kinda gal.

Tweet ya' later.

Thankful today

Went back to the scene of yesterday's fall in. I actually felt sick to my stomach as we approached it.

It is worse than I remember. And it surprised Sean. The gap is narrower than 18 inches - more like 12 maybe? How did he not smack his head on the drop down?

Today I am thankful. Hug your kids people.

It could have been so much worse (why swimming is imporant)

Wow, can you hear my heart beating?

Just back from an adventurous morning at the park. I have wanted to go to Kill Creek Park for a while now as it is pretty close and the newest of the county parks. It was truly amazing and good to see something positive with all my tax dollars.

It has a beach (ok, it is just really nice sand into a lake but has lifeguards and all), pedal boat rental, bike trails, big playground, new/clean picnic shelters with grills and water fountains, restrooms, and an awesome trail that leads all around the lake. Think this is my new favorite place in KC.

After our playground time, bike ride, and picnic, we decide to walk down and check out the boat dock. I sit down in a new bench, enjoying the cool breeze and beautiful view and watching the boys play on and explore the dock. We are apparently the only ones at the park today. Loving it. No other people and outdoors = me in heaven.

Boys being boys, they soon start testing the limits a bit by climbing on the railing as all kids do. "Boys, down please. Railing is for hands only." Fast forward 3 minutes as Jake climbs again on a different railing, this time BETWEEN the railing of the grass area and the railing of the ramp.

Just as I am about to say again "off the railing", Jake literally DISAPPEARS before my eyes! A second later I hear SPLASH!!! Yes, apparently there is a 18 inch gap between the railings and it is above the lake!! He has fallen down a 3 foot drop into the lake between the seawall and ramp.

Funny how things can happen in slow motion yet you can react in fractions of a millisecond. I think I covered the 8 feet without my feet touching the ground, hurdled the railing to search for my missing and possibly drowning son.

I have Sean to thank at this point as there 3 feet below me in this 18 inch gap between the concrete seawall of the lake and the aluminum ramp, is Jake -- swimming in perfect form. I fall to my stomach, extend my arm and he calmly swims to me, grabs my hand and I pull him up to safety.

Once safely on grass, what does Jake do? He cries of course...no, not because he just almost drowned but because "I lost my Crocs!"

Have no fear little one, Crocs float. I fish his Crocs out of the lake and on the walk back to the car, we talk about how brave he was and how well he swam.

And my heart finally beats again and I take a breath...and hold his hand a little extra tighter.

My sweet boys

I know I tend to brag a bit about my boys but what mother doesn't? Here it goes again.

This morning while making breakfast, I notice the floors are a mess so started sweeping and told the boys "Today, we are going to clean this house!"

When the boys asked to be excused from their breakfast, they both disappeared upstairs. When I didn't hear anything, I became suspicious (silence is more dangerous than noise with two boys). I peek upstairs to see them both diligently cleaning their rooms - UNPROMPTED! Yep, it was amazing. I snuck away and minutes later they appear downstairs and announce they have a surprise for me. They take me upstairs to show me their clean rooms. They have put any toys/books away, lined up their stuffed animals, and washed down their bathroom counters with their hand towels. SO sweet.

But this is not why I think they are the sweetest ever.

I praised them, hugs all around, then gave them each a quarter for their piggy banks for helping mommy clean the house. Such good helpers!

Then a few minutes later while I am cleaning up in my room, they both appear. Luke hands me his soccer trophy from last season and Jake gives me a St. Patty's day beaded necklace. "What's this for?" I ask them.

"For giving us a quarter and for being the best mommy ever."

Yep, eyes well up, my heart swells with pride for my two sweet boys. AND I vow to remember this later today when they will inevitably try my patience.

Happy Un-Mother's Day

What are you going to do this Mother's Day? If like me you are a mother to small children, I bet I can guess what you secretly want but don't want to ask for.

Since having kids, every day of the year we are mothers. We work, cook, clean, do laundry. We somehow manage to always remember snack day, hat day, blue shirt day, sports team day, and beach party day. We switch hats between mom, chef, coach, referee, psychologist, teacher, disciplinarian, hider, seeker, tagger, taggee, and even Princess Leia once in a while. We truly love our kids and our husbands. Ok, well most of the time we do.

What we really want for Mother's Day is to have an Un-Mother's Day. One day where we can pretend we are carefree, where we can shirk all those responsibilities if only for few hours.

So husbands, here is what you need to do: take the kids out of the house for the entire day or better yet, send us away for the day to a spa or shopping or out to dinner with friends or other moms.

We will love you for it. And you may even find the favor returned come Father's, I mean Un-Father's Day.

All that is wrong with society today

Warning: Some may consider this a politically-incorrect posting so if you are easily offended, stop reading now.

One more warning.

OK, here goes.

Last night, Luke and I were driving home from soccer practice when I saw a bumper sticker that to me embodies much of what is wrong with society these days. Here it is:

Of course I am proud of my kids and I will love them unconditionally forever - I am a parent HOWEVER, does that mean that I shouldn't strive to have them achieve? Has the world been taken over by the "we don't keep score" and "we are all winners" folks?

News flash: The world keeps score and not everyone wins. That's right - I said it. Kids need to learn this valuable lesson and as much as we may not want to admit it, excelling in school and learning the value of competition will give them a leg up later in life. My job is to make sure they have every advantage they can so they have options later in life and that starts by doing well in school.

And people wonder what is wrong with the world today?

I feel prity

Sometimes even a small note can make your day.

B-I-N-G-O

It was an exciting night. You could feel the buzz in the air as 200 kids and their families packed into the elementary school gymnasium and sat side by side down the long cafeteria tables. With BINGO cards and baggie of Fruit Loops to use as markers in hand, we found four open seats. "C'mon boys. Let's go check out the prize table."

The boys made their way to the end of the gym and walk slowly along the long table of prizes. Everything from bubble toys, Star Wars puzzles, electronic dart boards, boxes of 100 markers, stuffed animals, you name it. When they arrived back at the table, I asked if they had seen anything they liked. Definitely YES for Jake. Luke saw a couple things he liked. A hush rolls over the crowd as the BINGO starts. B12, I24, etc. I help Jake keep focused on putting Fruit Loop on the squares when he has a match (vs. eating them). Low and behold, N32 - Jake jumps to stand on the cafeteria table bench and belts out "BIIIIINGOOOO!"

Jake is beaming. A gal comes by and gives him a gift ticket for winning and tells him he can go the prize table and select any prize he wants. Before I can stand up to escort him, he is off like a shot with the tiny ticket in hand. As I approach the table, I try to tell Jake to come around to the front of the table, not around the back where the prize table volunteer is working. "NO MOM!" he says and darts quickly around the back where he almost knocks over the gal working. He quickly reaches up between the piles of prizes, grabs a plastic clamshell box and hands his ticket to the volunteer.

With smile ear to ear, he comes walking to me...so proud that he got the very prize he had eyed from the first moment seeing that prize table.

Yep, of all the prizes in the world, Jake wanted that pink & purple Hannah Montana light up microphone with the lip gloss, uh I mean "glitter" in the handle.

Redemption

In order to partly redeem myself from the Worst Mother Award, here is a copy of THE note from Luke. Now it can live forever in cyberspace while I undoubtedly will keep the hard copy forever.

Hi. My name is Jill and I am a bad mother.

Everybody now: HI JILL.

You know you try your best to be a good mother. And I really do try. I try to give lots of love and encouragement, oodles of hugs and too many kisses, discipline when needed, slay closet monsters, and cook using all four food groups for dinner. Ah, all is right with the world. That is until my heart is ripped out of my chest for being the worst mom ever.

In an effort to speed our departure to school and work yesterday, I asked the boys to take a large Hefty bag and go to all the trash cans in the house and gather the trash to help mommy take out the trash for trash day.

The boys, being energetic helpers, are excited by this newly bestowed responsibility. Off they go and gather away. From room to room they run and put the trash from each of their rooms, the bathroom, the kitchen, etc. all into the Hefty bag.

That's when I hear it. "MOMMY! MOOOOOOOOMMY!!!!" I run to stairs afraid someone must have severed an arm or other major catastrophe. It is worse.

There stands Luke, eyes wet with tears as he holds up a sheet of paper, covered with drawings of red colored hearts and the Kindergarten penciled message "I Love You Mom" on it. "Mom, I found this in the TRASH. I made this for you because I love you. Did you throw it away?"

Gulp. I suddenly start sweating, my heart racing.

See, a week ago I finally cleaned off the back door of all the magnet-adhered art, letters, notes, soccer schedules as it was so cluttered we couldn't find the door. I did save some in a portfolio I started when he was a baby. But the boys write notes every day (which I cherish) but should I save every note? Most I put in the recycling on days when the boys aren't home. I do it sneaky-like, in private so as not to hurt their feeling and to try to avoid this exact moment.

Thinking fast, I said, "What?! This was in the trash! You are kidding! You know what happened? That mean AT&T technician who has been working on our computer and TV must have moved it from my desk to the trash. What a bad man! Give it here and let me tape it up on the door."

Do I feel bad about throwing that tech guy under the bus? Not at all. But my feeling of being a bad mother may take a while to get over.

Wii Scholarship Fund

Being a working mom with two kids, much of our income the past six years has gone to daycare expenses. You know it is bad when the tax preparer at H&R Block gasps when he sees your annual daycare cost. We made this choice so hey, it is what it is but we often joke that we are spending our kids' college savings NOW so they better plan to study hard in school and get a scholarship to help pay the way.

Well, after last night, I have a new plan. Last night, Luke, age 6, was playing Wii bowling at Grandpa Timbo's and scored a 219. Yes, that's right, at 219. The kid hit spare, after spare, after spare interspersed with strikes. So in looking online, yep, you can go to college fully paid on a bowling scholarship!

Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Remember this video from last April?



So if you can't reach us, we are at the bowling alley or in my parents' basement working on our college plan.

DOT com

Of course I know things have changed since I was a kid however I admit I was surprised when Jake, my recently-turned FOUR year old, asked me how to spell something.

Ok, the asking how to spell is not the surprising part. See, Jake wants to know how to spell EVERYTHING. "Mom, how to do you spell 'When are we going to the hospital to see Angie.'" He wants to know how to spell the WHOLE sentence and then wants to be sure he can repeat it back to you. I love his enthusiasm but it can try your patience at times.

Both Jake and his brother got journals and pencils for Christmas. You may think it is sort of crazy to get a four year old a journal but they both really love to write notes for us and let me tell you, Jake's writing is good as some 6-7 year olds.

So back to the spelling. The other day, Jake was busy writing something in his new journal. He looks up, pauses, frowns and we have this conversation:

Jake: "Mom, how do you spell DOT."
Me: "Spell what?"
Jake" "DOT."
Me: "What do mean by DOT?"
Jake: "You know...like in WWW DOT COM?"

Yep, Jake was writing a URL (www.com) and wanted to be sure to get the DOT correct. Am I old or is that just crazy?