On Tuesday morning as I was running out the door to take the kids to school. I looked on the kitchen counter and saw this....
It's empty you say, that's just my point I had just turned around to remind the kids again to get their lunches and to my surprise they had each remembered. HOORAY!! Magic can happen. We decided this was cause for celebration so I did a victory dance and they begged for the day off. After all they had brought mom such big smiles. I can see their logic but the party was over as soon as my dance ended. Of course they were going to school.
I realize that some things should just not be shared but we're talking about me and if it's about me I'm going to share it. Even if it means a picture of my butt on the internet.
I smiled this week when this happened:
It seems I'm growing and try as Isaak might he cannot fit his arms around me. Doesn't that just make you smile.
Last Sunday it snowed and while the snow didn't bring large upward creases to my face looking outside and seeing this.... boy footprints in the snow, did.
Anthony and Clayton are growing up and deodorant has become a cool new thing at our house. Isaak is following suit as he has with all things brotherly taught and regularly applies a thick slab to his underarms. Gotta smile at that. It's better than the last thing the older guys taught him.
Tuesday evening was the science fair at school. Clayton has spent a lot of energy and time focused on his project. I smiled twice when I saw this:
The first time because IT WAS FINALLY DONE!!!!
The second time because he stuck to it and finished the project and even though I was by his side the whole time and still have no idea the details of the project, he knows and he is beaming with happiness.
His project was on Nuclear Fission and how an atomic bomb employs fission. Yes, I have no idea what any of it is about. My favorite part was (besides when it was over) the little visual he put together that represents a chain reaction. We saw it on Youtube and we couldn't wait to recreate
On Wednesday when I was on the phone, on hold, with the Doc's office I heard the Carpenters singing the song Close to you. It reminded me of when I was a child. I remember being a small child and hearing this song and with certainty I knew it was written for me. Hearing the song now I realize it's about a guy, but the only words I listened to were the angels getting together to make my hair beautiful and my eyes so shiny and blue. Good memories.
On Thursday I was surprised with the arrival of mail. A big package. Doesn't it just make you feel special. It does me. I looked at the return label and discovered it was from my cousin Suzanne. How kind of her to think of me. The first thing I did was smile and think.... how nice and how WAY too much money spent on me. The second thing I did was think..... do I really need a bag that big for a itty-bitty baby?? I guess I forgot for a second how much you have to carry around with a baby.
It seems that everyone has their limit and mine was when Anthony was carrying groceries in and dropped a gallon of milk that split and then spilled all over the kitchen floor. I was furious. A simple mistake on his part and I lose it. Of course I felt justified. He knew his job was to clean it up. So he got towels... I freaked out because he got the small ones and he needed LARGE ones. He started cleaning up the mess... I freaked out because he was pushing it toward the carpet. I then freaked out and told him he would have to mop the area. He got the bucket and mop and filled it with water... I freak because he should be filling with HOT water. He adds the cleaner.... I freak because he adds TOO much. He then mops, empties the bucket and carries the towels upstairs so they can be washed. He makes some comment about it not being his job. He actually didn't even say it snotty. I freak out because obviously it isn't my responsibility to finish cleaning up his mess. He asks for my help starting the laundry. I rudely tell him I'll be up when I'm done putting all the food away that everyone is just going to eat. (can you see how in control I am)
At this point I can see how out of control I am. I finish emptying grocery sacks. I head upstairs and together we start laundry.
So this is where I smiled. This whole time Anthony has kept his cool. He's shown me that he's truly sorry for the mistake and he's tried to fix it in every way possible. I can feel my blood pressure lowering and humility setting in. I apologize for being SO freaked out and out of control. He forgives.... how can I not smile. Oh to be a child and so forgiving and loving. I am thankful for his example.
I finished this post Friday evening and had it all set to publish Sunday AM. Saturday morning Clayton appeared in our room with tears. You wouldn't think my dear son crying would bring smiles but when we got to the bottom of why he was crying Kjel and I both were smiling.
He was distraught because he had spilled milk while pouring it for breakfast this morning. I couldn't help but wonder if the tears were a defense mechanism in hope to protect himself from Mom freaking out. This was my chance for an instant do over. Kjel and I headed downstairs to walk him through the clean-up and provide support. At one point Anthony asked me why Clayton wasn't doing everything he had done to clean up. I replied that the only difference between Clayton's clean up and Anthony's was that I wasn't yelling. Poor Anthony had to be the learning curve and Clayton got off easy.Here's hoping that they've both figured out how to pour milk and may our family stop crying over spilled milk.