Month: October 2008

Categories
Fulfillment

Perspective or plague?

Like, probably, all of you, I have a number of friends who no longer have young children or any children at home. And like, probably, all of you, these friends often remind me that one day I won’t have my children at home—and I’ll miss it.

While I know that they’re right, I don’t know that hearing that makes it any easier now. On the days when I can’t get enough of my kids, knowing that one day they’ll leave me only makes me even more desperate to soak in as much as I can (which I was already doing).

On the days when Hayden wakes up 5, 6, or 7 times at night, pukes, refuses to try to nap, and wails/moans for me every 20-30 minutes, I’m a desperate for a very different reason, wishing that they were a little more correct in saying that these times are gone in an instant.

And since today is one of the latter, hearing that comment is less likely to make me smile and nod and more likely to make me bite my well-intentioned friend’s head off. (Probably a good thing none of these friends have come by today.)

How about you—does being reminded that these days are “fleeting treasures” help you or hurt you in your daily life?

Categories
Fulfillment

Anticipation

So I love me some Pandora. Free Internet radio = very cool. Now other people can hear the soundtrack of my life that’s constantly playing in my head. For some strange reason, it’s usually ’70s music. And in case you’ve forgotten, that’s before my time.

The other day, “Anticipation” by Carly Simon came up on my station and a few of the lyrics struck me:

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I’m really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.

I know I sometimes wish away the present hoping for the future—when Rebecca can talk, when Hayden can get his own snacks, when they’re in school, then life will be really good.

But of course, we don’t really know what the future will bring, so it’s always important to value the time that we have now—Hayden’s spontaneous proclamations of love, Rebecca’s first giggles, and all the firsts that are happening now instead of yet to come.

We just have to realize now that one day we’ll look back and think, as Carly Simon’s repeated refrain says, that “These are the good old days.”

Categories
Random

Family costume ideas?

UPDATE: All these suggestions and dozens more are incorporated into the ultimate list of family costumes!

Now, I know I have the best and brightest readers out there. So since I’m stumped, I just know if I bring my problem to you, you’ll have the perfect solution.

We need a costume for Hallowe’en.

For the actual day, it’s fine if Hayden dresses up as, y’know, whatever. But we also have a Hallowe’en party that’s a tradition—and there are prizes. Of course, I don’t care about such things. I just want to rest secure in the knowledge that my children, husband and I have the most creative, best executed costumes in the known universe.

That sounds like a manageable assignment, don’t you think?

What do you suggest? Share your best family costume ideas here!

(A reminder: we have two adults, me and Ryan, and two kids, our two-year-old son, Hayden, and our two-month-old daughter, Rebecca.)

Categories
Kids/Parenting

Well, not really…

Today, Ryan, Hayden, and my sister and her husband went to a college football game. While there, Hayden informed Ryan, “Mommy is God.”

Naturally, Ryan wanted to make sure he was hearing Hayden correctly. “God?”

Hayden affirmed that was what he meant. Ryan clarified that I was not, in fact, God, and Hayden seemed to understand.

Categories
Kids/Parenting

Growin’ girl!

rebecca smiling october 2008Rebecca had a doctor’s appointment last week—she passed!

She’s grown quite a bit since her last appointment (she was two weeks old at her last appointment). We were impressed with her growth last time—she was born at 5#13, and got down to 5#8 when we left the hospital. At two weeks, she was at 6#10, and while that was only the 7th percentile, we were still amazed.

This time she weighed in at 10#1.5—in the 28th percentile for her age! While I shall decline to call her “Fatty F. McFatterson,” there’s no denying that she’s a growin’ girl!

Categories
Kids/Parenting

One of those days

Tuesday this week was “one of those days.” The best way to describe it, for me, is a day when the kids have been particularly demanding.

I mean that quite literally—not that they’re taxing or tiring or draining, but that I feel like I’ve been at their beck and call all day long.

These are the days that one more demand, such as the usual after-work (or after-school) question, “What’s for dinner?”, elicits dagger stares, anguished moans and other cries.