15 Minutes with StinkyMan

StinkyMan was the only one who wanted to grocery shop with me this past weekend so we hopped in the car and made the 15 minute drive to the cheapest grocery store nearby. (I won't name names, but it it rhymes with Schmal Schmart.)

Let me tell you, 15 minutes in the car with an inquisitive almost 5 year old can bring a lot of questions. I'm sure I have forgotten a few, but let me tell you what I can remember. And no, he didn't REALLY expect answers for all of them.

"Mommy is it far?"

"It is too far to walk?"

"Is it too far to run?"

"Is running faster than cars?"

"Can you make your own car?"

"Can I make a car with Daddy?'

"Why not?"

"Why do girls have babies but not boys?"

"Why did you want to have babies?"

"How come you had more girl babies?"

"Did you see that firetruck?

"Are firetrucks red because they got hot in a fire?"

"Are firetrucks faster than cars?

"Are buses?"

"Where is the store?"

"Why are we going to the store?"

"How come we runned out of food?"

"Who ate it all?"

"I didn't eat it all. Maybe it was Daddy?"

"Can I have a treat?"

"What is in that building?"

"Are we there yet?"

Thankfully the answer to that last question was yes.

Happy Valentine's Day Birthday

At first I thought I might write something mushy here for Husband for Valentine's Day. Except then I realized that our anniversary is coming up, and it's a big one, ten years, and maybe I should save the mush for then.

After thinking a bit I realized that, while I am so grateful for my husband, I do have someone else on the brain this Valentine's Day.

Today would have been my mother-in-law's birthday. She left this earth nearly 8 years ago, but has never been far from my mind.

I am one of those lucky gals who had a great mother-in-law. She was fun for me. We liked to shop together. We watched the same TV shows. When I first moved to where we lived and in with Husband (when he was still just Boyfriend. GASP!) she would often have me over for dinner, because Husband worked late hours and I was alone. She called and chatted with me on the phone. When I was a teacher, she came to my class parties and events.

She wasn't just my mother-in-law...she was my friend.

I rushed her to the hospital more than once. I spent the night so my father in law could get some relief from care giving. I hung out with her to keep her mind off her illness.

I held her hand as she lay dying.

It was my privilege to have been her daughter in law.

She never met any of my kids. Sometimes I feel sad because I know they would have adored her and she would have loved them to bits. But Curly seems to have a connection...a relationship with her Mimi that apparently transcends what most of us would define as possible. When she was 3 she set a spot for her at the table. When she was 4 she asked if Mimi would be going shopping with us. When I played dumb about who Mimi was she said "You know, Mommy! MIMI! The one who lives with us but not really?"

And just yesterday she asked if I could take her to Mimi's grave.

And so, whether you believe in heaven, or any kind of afterlife, or spirits or reincarnation or whatever, through Curly I know my mother-in-law is around.

I like that feeling. I find comfort in it. Because I do miss her.

Especially today. Happy Valentine's Day Birthday to you, my wonderful other mother. Wherever you may be.

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to

StinkyMan, waving a necklace back and forth: Curly! Curly! Watch this and you'll be hiddentized!

Curly: Hitnotized?

StinkyMan: Dat's what I said. Hiddentized.

Curly: It's hit-no-tized. Like someone hit you in the head and you do what they say because your brain hurts. Hitnotized.

Mommy: I think maybe it's hypnotized. Hyp-no-tized.

Curly: Like someone hit you in the hip?

Mommy: Well, kinda.

Curly: That doesn't make any sense.

StinkyMan: WHATEVER! Just watch me and be hidd...be hit...be...just watch dis, okay?

Game On, Round 1 Results

I told you all about the diet/competition I have been doing with my friends called Game On, which encourages not just better eating, but a better lifestyle.

We have finished round one and I am pleased to say that my team has won, though it was a close race and I wasn't sure we would come out ahead at all.

Personally, I have lost 7.5 pounds. I was hoping for 10 pounds, but that may have been too lofty. I have also kicked the Diet Coke habit, which is a nice feeling as well. I still want one sometimes, but if I just get up and do something, I forget all about it. I can drink one without dying for another, which was my goal. I wanted to be able to have one occasionally not 2 or more per day.

I have gotten more sleep, more exercise, ingested more water and done better with my laundry chores than I ever had before, all courtesy of Game On.

I highly recommend this diet. You can read my friend Claudine's experience on her blog as well www.simplyclaudine.blogspot.com and she even tells you were to buy the book if you want.

We start round 2 later this week. I'm aiming for another 7lbs down this round. Wish me luck!

Love, Kisses and Bossiness

Husband and I have been married for nearly 10 years. We are always affectionate and I believe it is important that the children see that we love each other very much. Studies have been done that show that children witnessing their parents affection and love for one another will grow up to have healthy marriages themselves.

Apparently none of that matters to Peanut, who is rather unimpressed that her mommy still loves her daddy and vice versa, because today I was asked:

"Mommy why are you kissing Daddy?"

"Because I like Daddy."

"Stop kissing Daddy and fix my dinner!"

"Your dinner is in the oven." said Husband.

Unconvinced, she went to the oven to turn on the interior light and take a look.

And I went right ahead and stole another kiss from her Daddy.

It is so hard sometimes to remember that before we were Mommy and Daddy we were just us...a couple who had fun together and had lots to talk about besides kids and bills and all the boring stuff we seem to have to squeeze in between diapers and homework now. I'm so thankful that, after all this time and all these kids, my husband still wants to smooch on me as much as I want to smooch on him.

We're lucky. I hope someday my children are so lucky as well.

And that one day Peanut has a daughter as bossy as she is.

It would seem...

...that in the last two days I have heard a number of things a mother never really wants to hear, such as:

"Mommy! My candy is stuck in my hair!"

"Mommy! I smell something stinky in my heiny!"

"Mommy! The baby is walking on the table!"

"Mommy.....Uh-oh....never mind!"

For the record it was Laffy Taffy that I had to cut out, it was poop, BabyGirl was walking up and down our very long dining room table like a Project Runway model and the uh-oh was shower gel all over the floor.

Sigh. Who knows what the next 48 hours will bring. Motherhood is always an adventure.

UPDATE: I just had to impart this piece of wisdom to a toddler: No! We do not stick spoons in our tushies. They are for our mouths! WAIT! NO! Don't stick that spoon in your mouth. I'll get you a clean one.

Sweet boy

Last night Curly was having a mini meltdown over not getting to sit next to me at the dinner table. Let's face it, there is only one me and 4 kids. Not everyone can be next to me at every meal. She was tired, unreasonable and sobbing. She didn't want to wait until her sister was finished (Peanut being the fastest eater) and then take her seat because her dinner would get cold. She just wanted to "eat warm dinner next to Mommy!!!"

We asked her to stop. We told her her choices. She sobbed away. I said "Curly, I'm sorry, but those are your choices."

Then, a little voice next to me said "OR I could trade her places. She can sit here."

StinkyMan to the rescue.

"Are you sure, Bub?" I asked

"Yeah," he said, nodding vigorously "She can sit here. I don't mind."

Of course we made her say thank you to her brother and praised him thoroughly for his kind behavior. Dinner was saved.

Someday, some woman is going to thank me for that boy.