Big Week for just 3 Days...

Wow. What a big week for just 3 days. How did we get so much in? How did I miss getting so much more in? I'm such a Bad Day Care Momma sometimes - we haven't even colored this week! Well, maybe we didn't color - but we sure had lots of fun.

This week we welcomed a yet-to-be-blog-named Little Dumpling (okay, maybe that will be her name) into our group. Look at this beauty, will you? Don't you just want to kiss her up? I know I wanted too - and I did too.

So how does this work, do you think this Little Dumpling, The Princess, and Baby Cakes will be fast friends forever? Here are some representations of the babies by Girl3 who just loves to steal pages from my notebook, climb into a corner, and create...

The Princess dropped in on Wednesday for a little photo shoot with her new BFFs - they were a little too busy to pose very long - especially Baby Cakes (confined to the saucer for the picture) who has now unofficially been released into General Population with her newly acquired skill in the military crawl. We will have lots of opportunities for more pictures at the end of summer, but here is a shot of my "Gaggle of Baby Girls" from yesterday...

And by the end of the day yesterday, overwhelmed with meeting her new buddies and worn slick by her awesome mobility skills, Baby Cakes returned to a womb, taking my Wednesday Hump Day Chocolate with her. I'm probably going to feel like this too - the first couple of weeks I'm watching the 3 of them together!

And we broke in our new floors, although not fully "cured" we worked around that with basic equipment that day care requires and followed everyone around with a towel to take care of my 7th Day Care Charge - the NEW CORK FLOORS. Do they like them? Yes. Do I like them? I will like them more when I am able to really clean them on Sunday and we can get out our Hot Wheels and other "more scratchy stuff" next week.

Before (right) After (left)

Pretty Floors for a Pretty Baby Cakes

Cork Burls and Boy Curls (Smiley)

And this week held The Last Day of Kindergarten for Girl4. Here's a shot from the first day, and then again (right) of the last day. She is now a First Grader, Mrs. IDKHSDI officially released her to her new title. She will be hanging out with us for a couple of weeks until Summer Camp starts in the middle of June.

(Going in a preschooler...)

(...coming out a 1st Grader.)

And what about that NEW 42 INCH PLASMA TV? The unexpected additional expense (along with those pesky termites) from getting new floors. Do the kids like it too? Well, of course they do. They do however, feel that the increase in viewing size should have come with an increase of TV Time - which is very limited around here during day care hours. Sorry guys, we just can't watch TV all day - we got stuff to do! On the left below are the two that appreciate the new TV - The Prince (couch) and Little (squatting with Diego).

The two pictured on the right, Sweetie Pie & Smiley, really aren't too impressed. Our 15-30 minute window of viewing time (if we aren't dancing to a CD instead) is usually spent for her on a morning nap. Today she insisted she did not want a nap and did not want me to remove her glasses - but predictably she crashed (and no, I did not "pose" her in the picture). I should have waited another 5 minutes to take the picture, by then Smiley had buried her with some "gifts" of books and dolls. Smiley usually uses viewing time to have a chance to play alone with whatever special toy we have out that day - but today I guess the opportunity to decorate Sweetie Pie was just too tempting. ;O)

And in the category of "Will They Eat It?" this month's winner is Asian Crunch Salad from today. The lettuce is finely chopped Romaine, the ingredients are shown. Extra on the crunch stuff - heck, just leave out the lettuce.

If I could wish you out of Heaven...

If I could wish you out of Heaven, just for one hour...

My Mother-in-Law Betty - I would wish you out of Heaven and into my backyard for a cook-out with the Other F-Family. I would love to see your two boys introduce all your grandchildren and watch you play with them in the backyard you played in as a child. You are the first person I have ever loved and felt connected to that I have never met. Thanks for raising such great boys - they are both fine husbands and wonderful fathers.

My Gram, Papa Jack, and Gene - I would wish you out of Heaven and to Sibley Lake in the Big Horn Mountains where we would all fish for trout together again. Either that, or hamburgers & beer at the bar in the Sheridan Elks Lodge. Gene, you pick which one - but the beers are on you!

My Aunt Jackie - I would wish you out of Heaven and we could be anywhere. I would just like to visit with you, write down as many notes about our family history as possible (you knew it all), and tell you goodbye properly.

My Great Aunt Mary and Uncle Ray - I'm unsure if I would wish you out of Heaven separately or together. If it would be together, it would be to that dumpy little diner with the awesome pork tenderloins you both loved so well. I loved hearing you talk, how you said things, I miss your voices and your stories. I would love to see all your "country friends" hug and kiss you too. Everyone knew you!

If it were separately, Uncle Ray I would want one more long tractor ride around the farm with you. I would want to tell you that our final goodbye at the end is one of the sweetest memories of my life to date, and to Thank You for making it perfect.

And Aunt Mary, if it were separately, I would wish you back to the hospital where you passed, to the last hour of your life, so that I could hold your hand and comfort you as you passed from here to Heaven. One of the biggest regrets of my life is that this is not how it happened - even though neither of us had control of the situation.

My 7th & 8th Grade Friend Bobby Brock - I would wish you out of Heaven and back to that spot behind Burney where we spent that silly awkward moment in the 8th Grade. I would tell you that my "closely guarded secret recipe" to those chocolate chip cookies I brought to you in the hospital is on the back of the Nestle Chips bag. I would share with you that your best friend, Phil, was the first person I ever recognized as truly a "great friend" and he is the one who set-my-bar on how to be a good friend. I would also tell you how I wished you had been my first kiss.

My Best Friend Carla - I would wish you out of Heaven and into your daughter's living room to play with your first granddaughter. I would like to be there to see that, and often have dreams of this scene. I would not need to visit with you either, because so often I visit with you in spirit still. I would tell you "sorry" that I am still - all these years later - working on that last promise I made to you. You always expected a lot, I will get there, you will be proud. You are one of my Best Friends - always.

Today I hope you think of someone who is gone, and come up with a happy memory of what you would do if you could have them back for one hour. Things in our hearts are real. I believe the love we have for family and friends does not deminish with their physical absence AND that you can love someone you have never met.

Here's Hoping Your Weekend...

Starts every morning with a smile.

Has LOTS of good meals in the sunshine with friends.

Meals so good, you leave some on your face for later!

(Or for kisses that taste like Sweet Potatoes.)

And that your house doesn't end up like this in the end.

Just some pictures from our day so far, hoping all of you have a great weekend!

Girl2 and another Coat of Paint…

What do Girl2 and another coat of paint have in common? Well, if you know me then you know how easy it is for me to go from rational to irrational (I mean emotional) in just a few seconds and at the most inappropriate (actually just the right moment). Sometimes it’s hard to figure out exactly what it was that triggered my heart and sent me straight over the edge. Let’s see if you can follow…


Gazing up at my beautiful ‘Mountain Air’ blue, freshly painted with the final-final coat, family room ceiling this morning and reminiscing of my Little Girl2 and all the challenges she has faced and her many-many accomplishments in her first 18.5 years upon this earth, I have reached a couple of comparisons between the two. Now I know this is just me being emotional, but you have to admit that it is also quite ironic given the fact she is heading off to art school (Minneapolis College of Art & Design) this August. Oh yeah, I am looking at ‘another coat of paint’ as in finishing off vs. covering up too.


So this final-final coat of paint was applied under the watchful eye of some dutiful friends last night. They helped eye-ball the situation, staying objective, pointing out the weak thinner areas of coverage from the first 3 coats of paint - and provided some good tips on application of paint to a very challenging surface – a dimly light, textured, and vaulted ceiling. Reflect on those few sentences in a metaphoric way. Is it getting deep in here or what? Of course, they will say they were here to keep me and the Hubby from a Monday Night Brawl – since he is unable to appreciate the truly fabulous color choice, or just how much better it looks over the ordinary, albeit practical, white it formerly was. He would tell you that I am just “over-honey-doing” him to help get myself through a rough (I prefer the word transitional) time in my life.


And so, standing back and reflecting on my beautiful 18.5 year old daughter this morning, I’m trying to look at her today like my friends looked at my ceiling last night. I’m trying to remove any thoughts about the job I’ve done (the first 3 coats) and reflect about what I can do (or shouldn’t do) with the next final-final coat I have over her last few months at home. She is the artist, after all, of her own life. I’m just rolling on a few coats that she can build from. I’m sure I will be reminded at some near point in the future to come back to his blog post just for this paragraph.

So today, everything I have done right or wrong I set aside. I know that she is the awesome wonderful young woman she is more because of the choices she has made and not the choices I made (or did not make). I also trust a Higher Power - even higher than a Mother's Love - to keep her safe in the Big World.


Her list of accomplishments is unending but includes: Being a Wonderful Person, National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Indian Princess 2008-2009 (school mascot), Wresting Manager (three years), Accomplished Artist, and Good Friend. And my favorite one? She has been able to make choices for herself about her goals, friends, and direction of life that took her from being a “Worrisome Teen” to an “Accomplished Teen” in her parent’s eyes in a fairly short period of time (can you hear my huge sigh of relief or see the tears I'm crying).


By age 18 she has accomplished things in life that I have not been able to do by age 46. She has been faced with challenges I never faced, and overcome every single one – triumphantly I may add. Her real challenges rolled in just after she turned two – and kept on coming. She was a victim (little “v”) and became a Survivor (capital “S”). She can love above the circumstances of that abuse – even loving her abuser. Not being in the same spot with her on this makes her such a better woman than myself and leaves me awe of her strength. At five she was diagnosed as “profoundly Dyslexic” and with a “Genius IQ”. Where at first I saw this as only and hopeless and frustrating situation for her to deal with, she put her own twist on the problem – turned it into a challenge vs. a disability – and rose above it through hard work and determination. And now she is a “momma-proud” Member of the National Honor Society (both Academic and Art) – without any IEPs or other academic accommodations for her disability.


I’ve got so much to teach (really to learn) from my daughter.

We are quite similar in many ways, some good some bad. Since I want to keep the focus on her in the blog and keep it on the positive side, we will just “move on” from those comparisons! If High School is truly just practice for Real Life, I’m pretty confident that she is going to be just fine out of the nest. Here are just a few of her very positive qualities:


She dreams big, and follows those dreams boldly.
She is both impulsive and a deep-thinker - knowing which approach to take given a situation.
She will do the right thing – the majority of the time.
She is extremely intelligent, but acts really normal.
She can be selfish and selfless – which I believe is an essential survival skill in the Big World.
She has a great laugh and a heart that matches her beautiful smile.
She has a great sense of humor.
She knows the appropriate time and amount of sarcasm to apply.
She allows herself to “wallow in misery” - but only for a set amount of time.
She is fiercely loyal and pretty honest too.
She knows and practices the art of forgiveness.
She knows how to talk to, and deal with, a wide variety of people.
She loves all types of diversity and learning new things.


Come on World - my daughter is READY FOR YOU. But know, that if you do anything to hurt her – you will have to answer to ME. Yeah, I’d take on the World for one of my kids.

And yes, those are numerous honor cords she is wearing. She may be disappointed that she is not one of the Top 10 academically in her class - but I ask you, what’s that compared to being on your Mother’s Top 4? And as a Mother who has not been very critical (my biggest maternal character flaw) in this post, I hope she doesn't behave this goofy for the real pictures we take tonight. ;0)


And actually, at least for today, because I try hard not be play favorites – today she is My #1.

Not Me! Mondays....

Okay, this is my first try at this "Not Me! Mondays Thing" I hope I get better at it....

So for the past few weeks Girl4 has had a very hard time transitioning to Preschool at drop off, with even a few sad outbursts throughout her day. I don't know if she is jealous of the attention I'm giving my Day Care Kids and she thinks she is missing out, if she is just fussing for attention, if she is just developing a larger sense of self and realizing that other things are occurring out of her space, or if she is getting beat up on the playground everyday (which I highly doubt - she is "super popular" at Preschool). I never have to guess at what is going on in a child's mind - Not Me!

She came home in her spare clothes (you know what that means) once during each of the first and second weeks of this new Drop-off Drama Stage. I ignored it, moved on. Then last week she came home in the spare clothes on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday when I asked what happened to her outfit, she smiled up at me and laughingly replied "They got wet". And being the Day Care Professional that I am, Good Mother and all - I would never try to shame her for having an accident, even if it was on purpose and she was proud of it - Not Me! I'm just so exasperated about what to do, what to say (Yes Me?), guilt (Not Me!), irritation (Not Me!), I would never resort to bribery - Not Me!

So "Something Special for our Friday" was going to happen if she could be a Big Girl (suck it up) and go to school without any tears, clinging, whining, and especially no accidents on Wednesday and Thursday. I don't think it's bribery if you don't tell them what the "carrot" is do you? Not Me! She rose to the challenge - no whining, no tears, no changes of clothes (thank goodness). I mean, The Day Care Lady's own 3-almost-4-year-old would NEVER wet themselves on purpose - Not Mine! and a No Way!

So Friday rolled around and the "Something Specials" started to roll. First she had her first Play Date. If you know me, and because this kid's Mom has no idea I have a blog, you know I would never think ill of a child - Not Me! Even if the little girl shoved me over flat across the the floor trying to bust in front of me while we picked out some dance music. I would never say a child is ill mannered or rude - Not Me! And if you know me, you know I love kids and would never tell a child who proclaims "I'm coming to your house every Friday" - "Oh, I'm sorry honey but Girl4 and I are usually really busy doing errands and such on Fridays." Not me!

Yikes, I need to be more thankful for the screaming meanies that I have bore - because they could be so much worse. And if you know me, this is just not something I would feel/say/repeat - Not Me! And I would also never admit that my husband "called this nightmare" long before it happened - Not Me! He knew that this Play Date was a bad idea - the moment he heard the offer leave my mouth!

And, as a Home Room Mom to Girl3's Kindergarten Class, I would never think to warn Mrs. Idkhsdi (I Don't Know How She Does It), who I absolutely love and who happens to be retiring after next year that this is One Child she does not want on her roll - Not Me!

And there would not be another side of me that would think I should not forewarn her because that's what she gets for retiring before Girl4 gets to Kindergarten - Not Me! Of course, she is going to be calling me after she reads this post.

And then, like this Play Date from the Twilight Zone wasn't enough of a "Special Something" I would never take my almost 4-year-old for a pedicure at the Spa. Not Me! Heck, just ask Girl1 or Girl2 who will claim to have been totally deprived growing up with me as a Mom, "Not My Mom!" they would tell you. And this is Monday and I'm not still having Girl4 run around in her socks so that Girl2 doesn't see what I did with her on Friday - Not Me!

So this week, even with the tearing up and repairing of the floors/walls/ceiling scheduled to begin this Friday I would never dream of bribing my child with a lunch at Red Lobster. Especially not being sure how we could sneak out of the house and away from her Staying-At-Home-To-Do-This-Stinking-Task-Daddy - never, Not Me! Of course, this plan will need to be scrubbed as Daddy will read this post too - that's how he keeps up with so much of what I am doing (reading my blog).

Maybe this "Not Me! Monday's" isn't for me, but probably I just haven't gotten the knack of it yet.I hope I get better at this "Not Me! Mondays Thing" check back next week and we will see.

And P.S.

Girl4 did not cry, whine, cling, or return home in her "spare change" of clothes today! ;0)